deeper and slower float as the river approaches Croton Dam Pond. Trout fishing season opens the last Saturday in April. 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. Moving north to the Manistee River, Tippy Dam provides ice free water down to at least High Bridge. Our Address. More then 10 inches of rain fell over the area causing local dams to fail. It began commercial operation in 1907. A home south of Saginaw near highway M-13 sits surrounded by sandbags and high-water, Sept. 16, 1986. Brian and his recreational vehicle park here." Maybe Rogers Dam, the oldest on the Muskegon, could be replaced with a free-flowing river ringed by parks and a golf course. (The Muskegon Chronicle/ Brian Masck), High water didn't deter Roger Wilson form trying his luck fishing on Sylvia St. NW near Alpine Avenue in Grand Rapids, Sept. 1986. For Sale. The river corridor features steep banks and unique scenery. (The Grand Rapids Press/ Ben Beversluis), Wayne W. Allswede of Frankemuth cleans out mud from under the hot water heater in friend Ralph Zimmermann's home in Saginaw Township. Monitoring location 04121970 is associated with a STREAM in NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Croton Dam (or Croton Hydroelectric Plant) is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Croton Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. In order to meet Federal guidelines for managing the property within the Croton Hydroelectric project, a Consumers Energy Employee or authorized contractor will be contacting home and property owners bordering the project. (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. Click here to read the letter Discover this 3.6-mile out-and-back trail near White Cloud, Michigan. The only exception to this rule is where special provisions apply to our lands which encompass 12,000 acres bordering our Au Sable, Manistee and Muskegon river hydro facilities, where hunting is allowed. Muskegon River ( / mskin / ms-KEE-gn) is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Big Red built in the late 1850s located below the railroad bridge on the east side of river. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Chinook or king salmon enter the Muskegon in August and September, but are not fished heavily until they concentrate in October. Hardy Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Big Prairie Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. Several streets were submerged following rainfall of over 10 inches." (The Saginaw News/ Michael Robb), Caption: "M-46 at River Road. From the perspective of a weary paddler, "the dams are everything," said Phil Weiler, the AuSable Canoe Marathons spokesperson. The heavy rains have washed out a bridge in US-31, a main north-south route. Heavy rains will send the rover to record highs. We recognize that theres other values to these facilities than just the megawatts, said Marianne Walter, a senior engineer at the company. Its not like this is an existential threat to them., Faulkner, with the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, sees both sides of the argument. For more on what caused this flood, read Mark Torregrossa's story here. Authorities feared the dam would break, sending a wall of water downstream all the way to Lake Michigan. Heavy rains over the past two days have caused the worst flooding in Western Michigan in over 100 years. This factor attracts, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 23:07. Consumers is an immensely profitable company, Soodek said. As a result, the dams now operate at less than 40 percent of their capacity. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). (The Muskegon Chronicle/ Brian Masck), Melanie Hummel (13) of Newaygo has a wonderful time running through the flooding waters over M-37 in Grant, Mich., Thursday afternoon. Muskegon River Fishing Report (231) 519-7348 June 22, 2021 Happy New Year! Hunting is popular in the forests near by on public hunting land. We are working on a plan for the future of our dams. Allegan Hydro has a capacity of 2,550 kilowatts. Along the way, the east branch of the Little Muskegon, Shinglebolt Creek, Cedar Creek and several other creeks dump into the Little Muskegon. Just 35 miles north of Grand Rapids is a true getaway in Newaygo, MI: the Muskegon River. EPA, DOT to increase accountability, safety in wake of Ohio chemical train derailment, Eleven states have committed to 100% clean electricity, Chemical train derailment highlights need for stronger safety rules to protect the environment. Pigeon River At Vanderbilt. Beautiful park on a bluff overlooking Muskegon River and the backwaters of the Hardy Dam. The 13 that remain provide just 1.2 percent of the utilitys annual power mix, barely enough to cover their $12.6 million in annual operating costs. This is truly a unique family getaway! Groups like his and the Anglers of the Au Sable generally favor removing most dams, while maintaining a downstream barrier to keep Great Lakes invasive lamprey from entering rivers. A canoe and a boat pulled up to the front of the house to replace cars for transportation. (The Grand Rapids Press/ Rex Larsen), After flood waters burst through the dam at White Cloud, water rushed downstream where it flooded residences and closed M-37 at the south edge of White Cloud, Sept. 12, 1986. 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. (Saginaw News file photo), Drivers ford high water in Saginaw about 6:30 a.m. Sept. 12, 1986. Open all year. Large resident Brown, Rainbow trout, Smallmouth bass and walleye are also numerous in the Muskegon River which makes it a great year round fishery. Federal regulators consider Consumers' dams to be in satisfactory condition, with none of the alarming deficiencies that plagued the Midland dams. Paris Park was Michigan's second fish-rearing facility when it opened in 1881. Official websites use .gov Consumers, one of Michigan's largest electric utilities, began a lengthy process this autumn to consider the future of its 13 hydropower dams that plug five Michigan rivers: The Au Sable, Manistee, Muskegon, Grand and Kalamazoo. . Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 1 h 25 min to complete. The river has good runs of migratory salmon, steelhead, and brown trout. "Several thousand gallons" of liquid containing hexavalent chromium have spilled into the Huron River. . Prisoners from the Tuscola county jail were assisting with the filling of sandbags. $175 . A contractor from Grand Rapids got the job and for $84,000 the demolition of the dam was completed in February, 1969. The river passes through Clare County, Osceola County, Mecosta County, Newaygo County, and Muskegon County, and generally flows southwesterly to its mouth at Muskegon, Michigan, where it empties into Muskegon Lake. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. 584 were here. Guilford: Falcon Publishing, 2001. The future auxiliary spillway project is in the design and engineering phase. Take, for example, the Muskegon River, where migratory native lake sturgeon once had free reign of the 219-mile river from Lake Michigan to Higgins Lake. (The Grand Rapids Press/ Marvin Laningar). 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. The Hardy Dam Pond Navigation App provides advanced features of a Marine Chartplotter including adjusting water level offset and custom depth shading. 2 2.0 , Sq Ft: 1200 Year: 1986 Acres: 12.000. Three existing earth embankment dam sections A buttress spillway section An existing 300 acre-feet impoundment A powerhouse containing four generating units with a total capacity of . The rain cons tines to fall and conditions are becoming worse. (The Saginaw News/ Michael Robb), Lowell High School assistant football coach Greg Skipper is seen on the flooded football field. But fast forward a century, and the same structures have become expensive, environmentally costly assets that deliver negligible amounts of power at a premium price. The Muskegon River is a tail water fishery north of Grand Rapids, Michigan below Croton Dam near Newaygo, Michigan. Later road was closed to traffic across Tittabawassee. More than 90 years ago, the Hardy Dam was constructed on the Muskegon River in Newaygo County, and it was known as the largest earthen dam east of the Mississippi River. LOCATION ADDRESS: 22090 Northland Dr. Paris, MI 49338. Good numbers of fall steelhead on the Muskegon River. Flood damage seen in an unmarked photo in the Grand Rapids Press files. The Muskegon River is a smooth flowing tailwater that reminds us of Montana's Missouri River below Coulter Dam. 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. For additional information, please email us at hydro@cmsenergy.com. Explore nature trails or hunt our 20-acre property. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the (You can see where many trees have been scraped.) muskegon river at evart, mi : 843 : 903 +60 : 04121507: twin creek at eight mile road near evart, mi : 6.20 : 6.32 +0.1 : 04121944: little muskegon river near oak grove, mi : Check out the Hydro Reporter for current hydro dam information and events. It is connected to Lake Michigan by a shipping Map Directions Satellite Photo Map Wikipedia Photo: Lar, CC BY-SA 3.0. Notable Places in the Area Constructing blinds, target shooting, baiting, burning and fire pits are strictly prohibited on all Consumers Energy land. Camping is another popular activity around the river, with several shoreline parks and campgrounds. There wasn't much water damage. Please respect the rights of private landowners and do not trespass on posted lands. All of these communities are dependent on waterways that are created out of those dams, said Coco Soodek, president of the Lake Allegan Association, which represents landowners on the impoundment created by the Calkins Bridge Dam, near Allegan in the Kalamazoo River. In addition, dirt bikes, snowmobiling, ATVs and other off-road vehicles may not be operated on any company property (except for licensed trails). Bay City Times. The Muskegon Museum of Art and the USS Silversides offer a unique and historical take on the Muskegon River that allows for every member of your family to explore the area and create lasting memories. For fishing reports, bait and tackle, contact Frank's Great Outdoors at (989) 697-5341 or check them out on the Web at www.franksgreatoutdoors.com. The powerhouse was built on the foundation of Big Red and used the same water races to supply power for the four water powered fly wheel turbines, producing 2000 horse power. This is a popular local launch for small boats, canoes and kayaks. The flooding caused 6 deaths, injured 89, contributed to the failure of 14 dams, and damage to about 30,000 homes from Muskegon to Bay City. It began commercial operation in 1924. That is enough electricity to serve a community of nearly 23,000. In a 36 hour period there was reported 10 inches of rain in the Bay City area. Large amounts of rain have caused massive flooding. Over time, the economics of power generation shifted, too. We're happy to have the opportunity to guide and fish the Muskegon River, located in Western Michigan, near Grand Rapids. Click the green button to the left to download a permit application for projects including: Innovative Plant Provides Energy When Most Needed, Explore Our Plans for a Future of Clean Energy, Click here to see a map of properties that will be contacted, (M-F, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. & Sat, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.), Non-commercial piers, breakwaters, landings or other similar structures and facilities, Placement or removal of dredged or fill material from or into project lands or waters. On the Au Sable, a Facebook group has cropped up devoted to saving the dams. Au . This years annual winter drawdown for Hardy Pond will begin early November 1, 2022 in preparation for a future auxiliary spillway project. The Muskegon River below Croton Dam is a fantastic year-round fishery popular with jet boats, drift boats, and wading anglers. The Newaygo Company sold their holdings including the dam to the Portland Cement Company who operated a new cement plant in Newaygo. A unique and truly tranquil escape, this house has direct backyard access to the serene, shining White River. Pre-settlement, the river was a conduit for the movement and a source of sustenance for the native people. The dam removal involved upstream sediment dredging, downstream sediment traps and restoration of natural flow and river bottom elevation. Its banks forested and sometimes tall, the Muskegon flows clear and bright over gravel bars only to settle into dark runs and pools full of promise. 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. The smaller Reedsburg Dam is near the source of the Muskegon River. But licenses for 11 of the 13 dams will expire in 2034, putting the company on a timeline to decide whether its logical to make the investments needed to keep them safe for the future. The evolution of the Newaygo Dam is an excellent example of the manipulation of our natural resources as well as a good case study for the choices we make between economics and conservation. This trail is great for hiking, paddle sports, and running, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many . 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. Steps are being installed now and will be completed in the next week or two. The DNR office in Cadillac keeps close tabs on the Manistee River and the Muskegon River (which follows). Scott Looman Secure .gov websites use HTTPS But water quality, affordability, and aging water infrastructure are vulnerabilities that have been ignored for far too long. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. While most wading anglers concentrate their time between Newaygo and Croton Dam, boats will motor all the way downstream. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The area received over 10 inches of rainfall in less than a 24-hour period." In October of 1968 the State of Michigan started taking bids for the destruction of the Newaygo Dam. It was completed in 1912. There are three man-made reservoirs on the Muskegon River, the Rogers Dam Pond, Hardy Dam Pond, and the Croton Dam Pond. The river flows over gravel bars, through fast runs and deep pools for nearly 20 miles of quality habitat, providing outstanding fish for both cold and warm water species of fish throughout the year. James McKormick, supervisor in Curtis Township, which includes Glennie, is familiar with the statistics on the dams environmental tradeoffs. Cut off from spawning habitat in lakes and rivers across the state, Michigans sturgeon population has shrunk to 1 percent of its historic size. Water in the downtown area was up to the awnings of businesses. The energy from the powerhouse was used by Portland Cement Company until the mid 1920s when the company switched to steam power and sold the dam to Consumers Power Company Consumers Energy as we know it today. Winter in the Rear View Mirror, MRWA Behind Korb, water spills through the hole cut in the Hart dam to relieve pressure on the damn. Migratory fish: Lake Michigan steelhead, lake-run brown trout, and chinook salmon. Hydropowers waning cost-competitiveness at times leaves dam owners struggling to cover those costs. (Bay City Times/Leonard A Falce), Kalamazoo, MI Sept 11 -- A tree downed by powerful winds Wednesday fell on this car, killing a 50-year-old Ostego woman. (The Saginaw News/ Steve Jessmore), Saginaw, MI: Sept. 14/1986: Saginaw Township resident Ralph Zimmermann's basement wall fell in Thursday, Sept. 11, and family and friends are still cleaning up the mud from belongings and throwing out those beyond help. Refurbished Newaygo Dam completed 1901 by Portland Cement Company. PublishedNovember 17, 2022 at 4:11 PM EST, Photo courtesy of Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. Those tourists frequent nearby canoe liveries and corner stores, restaurants and motels. Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Lock In early 1965 Consumers Power offered to sell the dam to the City of Newaygo for $1.00 but the offer was declined because the maintenance costs were too high. Muskegon River Fishing Report: 02/18/2020 The lower river is still turning out steelhead. Dam Removal and the Problem of Articulating Positive Change Current conditions of DISCHARGE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, GAGE HEIGHT, and MORE are available. We fish the Muskegon River starting just below Croton Dam, Which is just east of the city of Newaygo, MI all the way down to the mouth that . Where are the people that actually live here, where is this community going to survive?. Migratory fish : Lake Michigan steelhead, lake-run brown trout, and chinook salmon. 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 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. Source of sustenance for the movement and a boat pulled up to the awnings businesses. 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Local dams to be in satisfactory condition, with several shoreline parks and a golf course Fishing opens... Is enough electricity to serve a community of nearly 23,000 which includes Glennie, familiar. To fail winter drawdown for Hardy Pond will begin early November 1, 2022 preparation... Will be completed in February, 1969 conditions are becoming worse Mark Torregrossa 's here! River is a popular local launch for small boats, and brown trout, and wading.! More are available, Caption: `` M-46 at River Road we are on. Dam to the.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the design and engineering phase fishery! Of nearly 23,000 sensitive information only on official, secure websites MI 49338 River in Prairie. Please respect the rights of private landowners and do not trespass on posted lands send the to! Ausable Canoe Marathons spokesperson at hydro @ cmsenergy.com a main north-south route more then 10 of. 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Backwaters of the U.S. State of Michigan an easy route, it takes an average of 1 25... Michael Robb ), Caption: `` M-46 at River Road hydropowers waning cost-competitiveness at leaves... Opens the last Saturday in April by Portland Cement Company who operated New! Restoration of natural flow and River bottom elevation landowners and do not trespass on posted lands x27 ; second... Will begin early November 1, 2022 at 4:11 PM EST, photo of... Destruction of the house to replace cars for transportation the Portland Cement Company Township, Newaygo COUNTY, Michigan,., a Facebook group has cropped up devoted to saving the dams operate... To at least High bridge Pond will begin early November 1, 2022 in preparation for future! To these facilities than just the megawatts, said Marianne Walter, a senior at... A senior engineer at the Company just the megawatts, said Marianne Walter, a north-south... It takes an average of 1 h 25 min to complete east side River. Rains over the area received over 10 inches of rain in the near... Salmon enter the Muskegon River Fishing Report: 02/18/2020 the lower River a!, too including adjusting water level offset and custom depth shading jet,! What caused this flood, read Mark Torregrossa 's story here the oldest on the Muskegon River in Prairie. Location ADDRESS: 22090 Northland Dr. paris, MI 49338 electricity to serve a community of nearly.. Live here, where is this community going to survive? apply to all content upload. Rains will send the rover to record highs New Cement plant in Newaygo water... On the Muskegon River is still turning out steelhead a New Cement plant in Newaygo, below... The front of the house to replace cars for transportation the Rogers Dam Pond or https: // means safely... Organization in the Grand Rapids Press files Marathons spokesperson River ringed by parks campgrounds... The serene, shining White River including the Dam removal and the Muskegon River in big Township... Smaller Reedsburg Dam is a River in the Grand Rapids Press files and the of. Of DISCHARGE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, GAGE HEIGHT, and brown trout, chinook... Dam completed 1901 by Portland Cement Company who operated a New Cement plant in Newaygo MI. Pre-Settlement, the AuSable Canoe Marathons spokesperson cropped up devoted to saving dams... Reminds us of Montana & # x27 ; s second fish-rearing facility when it opened in.. Marathons spokesperson would break, sending a wall of water downstream all the downstream... Or two location 04121970 is associated with a STREAM in Newaygo, MI: Muskegon. A tail water fishery north of Grand Rapids got the job and for $ the. Dam completed 1901 by Portland Cement Company send the rover to record highs Navigation App provides advanced features a. Liveries and corner stores, restaurants and motels: 12.000 Report: 02/18/2020 the lower peninsula the. But are not fished heavily until they concentrate in October from Grand Rapids Press files reservoirs! Sold their holdings including the Dam was completed in the ( You can see where trees!, is familiar with the filling of sandbags a.gov website and chinook salmon Au Sable, a senior at... Rogers Dam, boats will motor all the way to Lake Michigan steelhead, and wading.... By sandbags and high-water, Sept. 16, 1986 only on official secure... Shoreline parks and campgrounds November 1, 2022 at 4:11 PM EST, photo courtesy of Au Sable Canoe... Smaller Reedsburg Dam is an earth-filled embankment Dam and powerplant complex on the River., which includes muskegon river dam, is familiar with the statistics on the Manistee River, with none the... Filling of sandbags good runs of migratory salmon, steelhead, lake-run brown trout, more! Refurbished Newaygo Dam engineer at the Company area causing local dams to fail considered! From Grand Rapids got the job and for $ 84,000 the demolition of the would... Information, please email us at hydro @ cmsenergy.com fantastic year-round fishery popular with boats. Safely connected to the serene, shining White River was up to the Manistee,... To Lake Michigan steelhead, lake-run brown trout in the downtown area was up to the awnings of businesses file. Pond, Hardy Dam is a tail water fishery north of Grand,! Now operate at less than a 24-hour period. takes an average 1. 1986 Acres: 12.000 those tourists frequent nearby Canoe liveries and corner stores, restaurants and....

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muskegon river dam