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. 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. (The Bay City Times/ Wes Stafford), Caption: "Muskegon, Mich.,-- Judy Love, who lives along Little Black Creek in Norton Shores, looks out over her back yard that is now a small lake. For additional information, please email us at hydro@cmsenergy.com. Click here to read the letter deeper and slower float as the river approaches Croton Dam Pond. The average annual discharge of Muskegon River at Croton Dam is 51.9 m/s. While the company is years from making a decision, its deliberations are drawing keen interest from nearby residents who fear lost property values and dying towns, from electric ratepayer advocates wary of the high costs to maintain dams that deliver little power, and from environmentalists who see a once-in-a-lifetime chance to restore rivers harmed by the impoundments. During the lumbering era, it transported thousands of logs to the 47 lumber mills on the shores of Muskegon Lake. A canoe and a boat pulled up to the front of the house to replace cars for transportation. New regulations ended the practice of peaking, or filling and then rapidly draining reservoirs to maximize power output during times of high demand. The Pere Marquette Park is a park that offers different hiking and biking trails for every member of the family to enjoy throughout the various . Street View] Deck plate girder bridge over Muskegon River on M-37 & M-82 (Evergreen Drive) Open to traffic. For Sale. Free parking is available at a paved culdesac above a 50 yard gravel driveway that leads to a flat area right at the river's edge. The river hosts large wetland complexes at its headwaters and at its confluence with Muskegon Lake which provide rich and unique habitats for fish and wildlife. Nearly 3,600 miles of roadways became impassible.Rogue River hit its record high level of 11.4 feet in September 1986 after more than a foot of rain fell over a two-day period. She drove into the hole early Thursday, but was not hurt. (The Grand Rapids Press flee photo), A boy is seen floating in the flooded roads near Sylvia Street and Alpine Avenue NW in Grand Rapids during the flood of Sept. 1986. The river has a unique Native American heritage to it for fishing and hunting, Winfield Scott Gerrish is credited with revolutionizing the Michigan lumber industry by building a seven-mile-long logging railroad from Lake George to the Muskegon River. (Grand Rapids Press/ Anna Moore Butzner), Sandbags keep flood waters at bay in this unmarked photo from the 1986 floods. Foote Hydro has a capacity of 9,000 kilowatts. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Current conditions of DISCHARGE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, GAGE HEIGHT, and MORE are available. Muskegon River Turtle Barrier Project, $25,000 from HIA with a total of $545,000 from all partners. Authorities feared the dam would break, sending a wall of water downstream all the way to Lake Michigan. But many of Consumers dams are surrounded by largely-undeveloped land, leaving far fewer people to split the tab. $899,900. The River wasn't expected to crest until noon Friday. The Cabin. From the perspective of a weary paddler, "the dams are everything," said Phil Weiler, the AuSable Canoe Marathons spokesperson. You may unsubscribe at any time. Summer temperatures in the Au Sable Rivers storied trout waters routinely exceed that threshold below Consumers dams, said Bob Stuber, executive director of the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition, an environmental and conservation group focused on the impacts of dams. This provides enough electricity to serve a community of nearly 23,000. The restoration to normal operating water levels will be by May 26, 2023 (Friday prior to Memorial Day weekend). (Muskegon Chronicle file photo), Caption: Muskegon, Mich.,-- Maple Island Road, on the Muskegon and Newaygo county line, was washed out for about 200 yards across and dropped about 20 feet, where the road disappeared about 1 a.m. Thursday morning due to heavy area rain, Sept. 11, 1986. This years annual winter drawdown for Hardy Pond will begin early November 1, 2022 in preparation for a future auxiliary spillway project. 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. Muskegon River - Newaygo MI Real Estate 17 Agent listings 0 Other listings Sort: Homes for You 8859 S Big Buck Ln, Newaygo, MI 49337 MIDWEST PROPERTIES ERA POWERED (MAIN) $349,500 4 bds 2 ba 1,990 sqft - House for sale 3 days on Zillow 8515 E 72nd St, Newaygo, MI 49337 FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE (GRANDV) $80,000 10 acres lot - Lot / Land for sale The dam spans the Muskegon River and creates a large reservoir that covers an area of approximately 3,700 acres (7.3 square km). Please respect the rights of private landowners and do not trespass on posted lands. February 16th, 2023 | Grand Rapids Steelhead. 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 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. There are lots of areas to wade and bank fish near Tippy and the reach between Tippy and High Bridge is a favorite one for boaters. There wasn't much water damage. Police Say the Hampton Township apartments were in danger as well. 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. (Kalamazoo Gazette file photo), Zilwaukee, MI , Sept. 13 , 1986. Contact Us. Jeff Bacon - Michigan River Fishing Guide 5388 E. Heathwood S.E. Developers look here! For information on obtaining a lease, license, permit or easement, call our Operations Planning Center at 866-679-4054 or email LandContracts@cmsenergy.com. They immediately started construction on a wooden dam that would provide the power to operate Big Red the largest water powered sawmill in the state at that time. Mill Iron Road at Muskegon River. The river follows a southwesterly route through north central Michigan from its headwaters at Houghton Lake to its mouth at Muskegon Lake, which ultimately empties into Lake Michigan. Pine River 3 S. Rudyard. It also refocused attention on the river and resulted in efforts to improve public access and provide additional community greenspace along the river. But its massive environmental tradeoffs quickly became clear. More recently, it provides electrical power, a valuable recreational resource and a world class fishery. click here. Caps Lock is on. Length 3.6 miElevation gain 374 ftRoute type Out & back. Amid those changes, Consumers sold or retired most of its dams between the 1940s and 1970s. For much of the last century, it was a cheap and reliable form of energy. 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 future auxiliary spillway project is in the design and engineering phase. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. That is enough electricity to serve a community of nearly 23,000. An official website of the United States government. Photos. The forest along the river varies from mixed oak, pine and aspen to white cedar and hemlock stands. 7 days 30 days 1 year Change time span Retrieve data Its time to stop using them. Big Bend Park is located on the Big Muskegon River near the Hardy Dam, with 17 miles of waterway for boating, fishing, swimming, and waterskiing. (Grand Rapids Press file photo), Caption: "Muskegon, Mich.,-- Lauren Martin (foreground) and Carl Pieczynski, both of Norton Shores, take a canoe ride through the mona Lake Mobile Homes Park in Muskegon Heights. 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. Canoe, Kayak, Inner Tube, & Flat Bottom Boat Rentals on the Mighty Muskegon River. The DNR prefers dam removal wherever feasible, a position it made known in an Oct. 21 letter to Consumers executive director. But water quality, affordability, and aging water infrastructure are vulnerabilities that have been ignored for far too long. (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. (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. A contractor from Grand Rapids got the job and for $84,000 the demolition of the dam was completed in February, 1969. The Muskegon State Game Area is an 8,411 acre section of land which overlays the Muskegon River on the section between Maple Island Road and US Route 31. Muskegon River Fishing Report: 02/18/2020 The lower river is still turning out steelhead. The river source is located at Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. (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. A lock ( Loud Hydro has a capacity of 4,000 kilowatts. Five Channels Hydro has a capacity of 6,000 kilowatts. Heavy rains sent the Cass River over its banks and into the Tuscola county community. The area received over 10 inches of rainfall in less than a 24-hour period." (You can see where many trees have been scraped.) But he has a few of his own: Eighty-six thousand people come to recreate on the Alcona Dams reservoir each year, including those who fill up the townships 450-site shoreline campground all summer. (The Grand Rapids Press file photo), Don Aldrich, of the city's street maintenance department in Grand Rapids, tries to unclog a storm drain on Fulton Street, Sept. 11, 1986. (The Grand Rapids Press/ Anna Moore Butzner), Rising water from the Cass River rose to over eight feet above flood level in Vassar, Sept., 1986. The river has good runs of migratory salmon, steelhead, and brown trout. For suggestions to find the best web browser for you
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. Their owner, Consumers Energy, has begun to ask whether their existence still makes sense. Large patios at all sites. Sign up to receive the latest MRWA updates by email. (The Muskegon Chronicle/ Brian Masck), Caption: "Newaygo, Mich.,-- These homes near Newaygo, Mich., are nearly submerged Friday as water from the Muskegon River is keeping nearly 1,000 people away from their houses. There are approximately 31 bridge crossings over the Muskegon River waterway. It was completed in 1918 and is named after our founder. Any season of the year, this location boasts a plethora of fun activities to enjoy. Little Log cabin on the Big Muskegon River. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. 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). It serves between 2,000 and 3,000 residential homes. Newaygo Dam at the centennial celebration in 1954. 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.. The Muskegon River below Croton Dam is a fantastic year-round fishery popular with jet boats, drift boats, and wading anglers. Dam Hardy Dam Rogers Dam Big Rapids Figure 2.-Major tributaries and landmarks in the Muskegon River watershed. 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 is a tail water fishery north of Grand Rapids, Michigan below Croton Dam near Newaygo, Michigan. Allegan Hydro has a capacity of 2,550 kilowatts. Because Michigans northern rivers are springfed, Stuber said, they are poised to withstand climate change far better than western streams that rely on snowmelt. Published: Nov. 24, 2022, 9:00 a.m. (The Saginaw News/ Michael Robb), Fritz Cain, of Bridgeport, and his dog Rambo paddle down Fayette St. so the dog could do his duty on dry ground. Au Sable River At Red Oak. Lock Newaygo Dam built in 1854 out of wood to provide water power for the Newaygo Companys sawmill (Big Red). Boats need to be on the river no later than 1pm Monday - Friday and 2pm Saturday & Sunday. Think of how important Michigan streams will be? Stuber said. Various inns and cabins down the river can provide accommodations for up to a month. U.S. Geological Survey. The Great Lakes region is blessed with an abundance of water. 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