It raised the level of the pond for better recreational opportunities and employed a gate that could be opened and closed for dam and pond maintenance. Originating in Higgins and Houghton Lakes, the Muskegon River flows 219 miles to its confluence with Muskegon Lake. Along the way, the east branch of the Little Muskegon, Shinglebolt Creek, Cedar Creek and several other creeks dump into the Little Muskegon. It began commercial operation in 1924. It was built by the city of Allegan and began commercial operation in 1936. The decision has more potential to alter Michigans rivers and the communities that surround them than perhaps any action since their construction stopped up the rivers and inundated a collective 17,200 surrounding acres with water that people built lives and livelihoods around. And the Manton Mill Pond Removal Study with $40,000 YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Information and photos for this article was acquired from documents held by the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center. The Muskingum River Parkway State Park has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized as the Muskingum River Navigation Historic District. Their owner, Consumers Energy, has begun to ask whether their existence still makes sense. Big Rapids, MI 49307-2280, Phone: 231-591-2334 A new report says most power plants violate federal rules mandating cleanup of toxic coal ash dumps. Feenstra Guide ServiceMuskegon River Fly Shop, Feenstra Guide ServiceGray Drake Lodge andGreat Lakes Fly Fishing/Fred VargasJay Allen Fly Fishing Guide Service, Sign up for Oak Brook Chapter email newsletters & announcements. $899,900. March 18, 2022 Muskegon River anglers should be on the lookout for Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel collecting walleye eggs below Croton Dam this spring. For Sale. The Muskegon River is a tail water fishery north of Grand Rapids, Michigan below Croton Dam near Newaygo, Michigan. Construction dates will be shared when finalized. Au Sable River At Red Oak. The restoration to normal operating water levels will be by May 26, 2023 (Friday prior to Memorial Day weekend). Native American heritage to it for fishing and hunting, "Down the Drain: The Incredible Shrinking Great Lakes", "The First Logging Railroads in the Great Lakes Region", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muskegon_River&oldid=1139017932, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In recent years, the river has gained a certain measure of fame as a recreational fishery, boasting large migratory, People have also taken a liking to paddling down the river. The natural features and history of the Muskegon River have informed its current impacts on Muskegon Lake and given us both curses and blessings to manage and benefit from. (MLive file photo), Flood waters from the Tittabawasee flood the Saginaw Township wastewater plant early morning, Sept. 14, 1986. The Muskegon is close by if the White is too icy. Following the disaster, a state task force concluded that dams across the state need immediate attention to avoid future tragedies, including money to fix problem dams and substantially enhance dam removal.. (The Muskegon Chronicle/ Brian Masck), Charlie Eisenlohr, Superintendent of Hart Hydroelectric , takes a short break on a pile of sandbags after working all day with a crew of employees and volunteers to try and save the Hart dam. These bridge crossing include motorized vehicle crossings, railroads, and several pedestrian/bicycle trail crossings. (The Bay City Times/ Wes Stafford), Caption: "MUSKEGON, MICH., Sept. 11 -- It is bad enough to go shopping during a rainstorm, but for Paul Omness of Muskegon, his trip across the rain swept parking lot of a grocery store Wednesday afternoon included the added nuisance of a broken umbrella. If you were to take out all the dams, said Scott Faulkner, executive director of the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, you would have a fishery that some have estimated is 50 to 100 times more productive than if the dams were here.. Kentwood, MI 49512 The Cabin sleeps six - a king size bed on . The Muskegon River is the second-longest river in Michigan. ", Jo Ann Fischer looks out at her house that is half-submerged in water, as White Creek swells with water in White Cloud, Sept. 11, 1986. Official websites use .gov WRSX 91.3 Port Huron is off the air due to network issues. With 1,087 residents in the entire township surrounding the Alcona Dam Pond, McCormick said, I dont know who around here would have that kind of resources.. Today, as you kayak or fish under the M37 Bridge you can still see the steel remnants of the Newaygo Dam reaching out from the bed of the river. Imagine awakening in complete peace to a beautiful sunrise reflecting on the surface of the glittering water serenaded by the morning songbirds. Bridge Michigan | We don't think that customers should be paying the full cost of a dam if the reason its going to continue to operate is other than hydropower, said Douglas Jester, an energy policy expert who has represented the ratepayer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board in ratemaking cases. The Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company (a predecessor to today's Consumers Energy Company) built the Croton Hydroelectric Plant in 1906 - 1907. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS (Bay City Times/ Wes Stafford), Caption: The corner of Forest St. and Franklin St. in Bridgeport as seen from a rowboat. Heavy rains over the past two days have caused the worst flooding in Western Michigan in over 100 years. The Muskegon River is a smooth flowing tailwater that reminds us of Montana's Missouri River below Coulter Dam. During the months of October, November, and December, the Muskegon is transformed into one of the Midwests premier spey fishing rivers. To learn how were planning for the future, and see the presentations from each meeting, click the button. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In September 2002, an article in National Geographic raised concerns about a controversial deal made with Nestl Waters North America, giving them permission "to bottle up to 210 million gallons (about 800 million liters) a year from an aquifer north of Grand Rapids, Michigan that recharges the Muskegon River".[3]. The river has good runs of migratory salmon, steelhead, and brown trout. Muskegon River Fishing Report (231) 519-7348 June 22, 2021 Happy New Year! Data from Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Later road was closed to traffic across Tittabawassee. That process focuses on ensuring reliable electricity at fair rates, leaving limited room to consider the environmental consequences of dams, or their benefits for nearby communities. (The Muskegon Chronicle/ Beth Erhart)", Caption: "Booth News Service, Mike McDonnell, 32, (far right) had just moved to Saginaw from Grand Island, Nebraska, he said that he has his doubts about staying, Sept. 11, 1986. Muskegon River Fishing Report: The Muskegon is at a normal winter level and is very clear. More recently, it provides electrical power, a valuable recreational resource and a world class fishery. Various inns and cabins down the river can provide accommodations for up to a month. Consumers officials spent the fall making the rounds to communities surrounding the dams, from Newaygo and Big Rapids on the Muskegon, to Mesick and Brethren on the Manistee, assuring residents that the company has made no decisions yet. Flood damage seen in an unmarked photo in the Grand Rapids Press files. The Newaygo Company sold their holdings including the dam to the Portland Cement Company who operated a new cement plant in Newaygo. 2 Streamgauges Max Discharge: 1,840 cfs Deepest Point: 7.69ft Maximum discharge along the river was observed at the Muskegon River Near Croton with a streamflow rate of 1,840 cfs. Dams. Download the Get Closer to Nature brochure for recreational activities at the hydro dams. Where are the people that actually live here, where is this community going to survive?. A community-based, volunteer partnership organization, Muskegon Lake Public and Private Landowners, Michigan Volunteer River, Creek, Stream Cleanup Program. Caps Lock is on. The majority of the bicycle and pedestrian trail crossings are former railroad bridges which have been converted to non-motorized traffic. River is bankfull. The City of Big Rapids removed the Muskegon River Dam remnant, restoring natural hydrological and ecological conditions to the largest free-flowing reach of high-gradient river in the Great Lakes basin. If the dam goes away, Faulkner said, Im in the same boat with everybody else.. We're happy to have the opportunity to guide and fish the Muskegon River, located in Western Michigan, near Grand Rapids. "The cold-water . The Muskegon River is expected to crest late Friday at over 7 feet above flood stage. On the Au Sable, a Facebook group has cropped up devoted to saving the dams. Muskegon Lake is connected to Lake Michigan via a mile-long channel. (2) USGS River gaging station on the Muskegon River looking upstream towards Croton Dam. (The Saginaw News/ Steve Jessmore), The Muskegon River boils through the floodgates at Hardy Dam as Consumers Power Co. crews attempt to lower the backwater, Sept. 12, 1986. There are other financial models: In mid-Michigan, property owners around the infamous Midland damstook control of them, covering maintenance costs with annual taxes imposed on properties near the reservoirs. Lake-run brown trout are an often overlooked game fish that are most abundant from late September through March. Foote Hydro has a capacity of 9,000 kilowatts. Lamb; rehabilitated 2000. Hydropowers waning cost-competitiveness at times leaves dam owners struggling to cover those costs. Racers exit their boat to portage over each dams embankment, an opportunity to stretch legs cramped from hours in a canoe. Because Michigans northern rivers are springfed, Stuber said, they are poised to withstand climate change far better than western streams that rely on snowmelt. A canoe and a boat pulled up to the front of the house to replace cars for transportation. @ Grand Valley State University, Muskegon, MI 06/2015 - 12/2016 Postdoctoral Research Associate School of Marine Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME Publications Zhou, X., P. Xue, Q. Liu, M.D., Row. your browser. Today we operate 13 hydroelectric plants. hb``e``zQ In 1967 a routine lowering of the pond by Consumers Power, in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Conservation, to determine if repairs were needed to insure the free migration of steelhead, trout, and walleye, uncovered flaws in the dam that were cost prohibitive to repair. This may cause you to enter password incorrectly. Perhaps Croton and Hardy dams stay put, but with new fish ladders to let migratory fish pass upstream, and better technology to cool the water coming out of the impoundments. Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. In a 36 hour period there was reported 10 inches of rain in the Bay City area. Cut off from spawning habitat in lakes and rivers across the state, Michigans sturgeon population has shrunk to 1 percent of its historic size. 160 Acre Parcel Located at 17 Mile & Hwy 66 in Barryton, MI. The rivers history is as long as the river itself. Without them, McCormick said, communities surrounding the dams would wither. For additional information, please email us at hydro@cmsenergy.com. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This successful work reconnected upstream and downstream habitat and reestablish the riffle, pool, and run sequence of the river. Pictured is a washed out area of Maple Island Road on the Muskegon and Newaygo county border, Sept. 11, 1986. As a result the dam pond was never raised again. Open House Sunday January 15, 2023 1-3 $269,000 1 Bed 1 Bath 800 Sq. The River wasn't expected to crest until noon Friday. Hunting is popular in the forests near by on public hunting land. The river is home to three groups of gamefish: migratory fish, cool water resident fish, and warm water resident fish. 98-100. (The Grand Rapids Press/ Lance Wynn), A house in Bridgeton Twp., Michigan, east of Muskegon and along the Muskegon River is almost completely submerged in the flooding waters, Sept. 12, 1986. Sturgeon River At Wolverine. More then 10 inches of rain fell over the area causing local dams to fail. In this series, members of the Great Lakes News Collaborative, Michigan Radio, Bridge Michigan, Great Lakes Now, and Circle of Blue, explore what it might take to preserve and protect this precious resource. The Muskegon River below Croton Dam is a fantastic year-round fishery popular with jet boats, drift boats, and wading anglers. Brian and his recreational vehicle park here." Those efforts are met with counterpoints from environmentalists who see Consumers process as a rare opportunity to undo the environmental impacts of dams, which have thwarted the survival of migratory fish and other river life. The idea of losing the dams has nearby residents nervous. But as a business owner, he can relate to Consumers' conundrum. Beautiful park on a bluff overlooking Muskegon River and the backwaters of the Hardy Dam. Check out the Hydro Reporter for current hydro dam information and events. Soodek, of the Lake Allegan Association, said she doesnt feel it should be property owners responsibility to keep the Kalamazoo River reservoir intact. (Photo by Dale Atkins), Caption: "Joanie Wilson approaches Roger Wilson and pet dog along Sylvia Street NW near Apline Avenue NW. Any season of the year, this location boasts a plethora of fun activities to enjoy. Mrs. Gunnerson was pronounced dead at the scene. Zimmermann had four feet of mud in the basement when the wall collapsed, due to heavy rains in the Saginaw area. . The 48 hours of rain dumped more than a dozen inches of rain in parts of Western Michigan, caused millions of dollars of damage and has displaced more than 1000 area residents. Alcona Hydro has a capacity of 8,000 kilowatts. The Muskegon River is expected to crest late Friday at over 7 feet above flood stage. The dam formed a lake ironically known as Hardy Dam Pond that boasts more than 50 miles of picturesque shoreline. $425,000. Leave your worries behind and soak up the sun on a river rafting trip. Consumers plans to announce its preferred solution for each of the 13 dams next year. 1 Croton Dam.25 hrs : 1 mile float 2 Pine Street 2.0 hrs : 6 mile float 3 Thornapple 2.5hrs:6.5milefloat 4 Henning Park 1.75hrs:4.5milefloat 5 Anderson Flats A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the . He spends his days advocating for the rivers health, and believes an undammed Muskegon River would produce a fishery on a world-stage level.. It also refocused attention on the river and resulted in efforts to improve public access and provide additional community greenspace along the river. An official website of the United States government. "Several thousand gallons" of liquid containing hexavalent chromium have spilled into the Huron River. The river has its headwaters in Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. All of which lead Tonya Wertheimer to wonder: If the Alcona Dam were to disappear tomorrow, taking with it the 1,075-acre reservoir that draws tourists all summer long, would Glennies grocery store be next? Muskegon Belle River Detroit Edison Co. 1 4 35 5 unknown East China Dan E Karn Consumers Energy Co. 1 1 Unknown 0 Satifactory Essexville Eckert Station . 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