(MLive file photo), Croton Dam operates its floodgates at full capacity downstream on the Muskegon River from the endangered Hardy Dam, Sept. 12, 1986. Envrionmental Modelling . This is a popular local launch for small boats, canoes and kayaks. Trout beads, Wax Worms, Small Spawn Sacks. Nicely wooded lot tucked off the road. Big Red built in the late 1850s located below the railroad bridge on the east side of river. The river is cautiously wadable in levels below 6 feet and 2500 cubic feet per second along the north side of the river throughout the length of the park. 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. (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. 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 . The Muskegon River watershed drains 2,350 square miles (6,100 km2) from ten counties in north central Michigan: Muskegon, Newaygo, Mecosta, Clare, Osceola, and Roscommon. Beautiful park on a bluff overlooking Muskegon River and the backwaters of the Hardy Dam. And its not best for everything that lives in the river.. Bridge Michigan | Zimmermann had four feet of mud in the basement when the wall collapsed, due to heavy rains in the Saginaw area. After that, state and federal regulators will decide whether the company can move forward with its plans. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Cut off from spawning habitat in lakes and rivers across the state, Michigans sturgeon population has shrunk to 1 percent of its historic size. 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. 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. 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. "They're not in business to give away money," he said. The two White River dams have a long history of negative effects on the fish in the river's mainstream and tributaries. Technicians are currently working on the problem. 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. When wading you can enter private property if you stay within the clearly defined banks of the stream, and only walk the bank to avoid a hazard. More then 10 inches of rain fell over the area causing local dams to fail. 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. MUSKEGON RIVER NEAR CROTON, MI Important Legacy real-time page Monitoring location 04121970 is associated with a STREAM in NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 2 2.0 , Sq Ft: 1200 Year: 1986 Acres: 12.000. The dams fragmented rivers and warmed their water, harming fish. The Newaygo Company sold their holdings including the dam to the Portland Cement Company who operated a new cement plant in Newaygo. And the communities that surround those bodies of water would be destroyed.. 49337. 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 : Heavy rains sent the Cass River over its banks and into the Tuscola county community. Behind Korb, water spills through the hole cut in the Hart dam to relieve pressure on the damn. 5380 Croton Drive . The heavy rains have washed out a bridge in US-31, a main north-south route. 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. The Muskegon is a fantastic smallmouth river from late June until late September. 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. The lake is home to a variety of fish species, including walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and panfish. Today, its one of the more expensive power sources we provide, said Adam Monroe, Consumers executive director of hydro operations. Pigeon River At Vanderbilt. your browser. Dams. If the dam goes away, Faulkner said, Im in the same boat with everybody else.. (MLive file photo), Caption: "Denny Heath of Wyoming said he will be disappointed when the flooded water at Johnson Park is fixed because he is a "water log" and enjoys his days off riding through it. Andrew and the other passenger, Lee DenBraber, suffered minor injuries in the accident." The Cabin. Loud Hydro has a capacity of 4,000 kilowatts. Without them, McCormick said, communities surrounding the dams would wither. deeper and slower float as the river approaches Croton Dam Pond. It also refocused attention on the river and resulted in efforts to improve public access and provide additional community greenspace along the river. But water quality, affordability, and aging water infrastructure are vulnerabilities that have been ignored for far too long. 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. Hundreds of volunteers fill sandbags in anticipation of rising waters in the Saginaw River. Consumers, one of Michigans 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. Originating in Higgins and Houghton Lakes, the Muskegon River flows 219 miles to its confluence with Muskegon Lake. 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. At issue is whether to keep the impoundments in place, or remove them. Consumers is an immensely profitable company, Soodek said. For suggestions to find the best web browser for you It was completed in 1918 and is named after our founder. If you receive an error, please return later this evening to view your updated balance and make a payment if needed. For more on what caused this flood, read Mark Torregrossa's story here. The Muskegon River below Croton Dam is a fantastic year-round fishery popular with jet boats, drift boats, and wading anglers. Richville area, Sept. 11, 1986. 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. (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. Sediment volumes and associated sediment management costs were significantly less than originally anticipated. In a 36 hour period there was reported 10 inches of rain in the Bay City area. Newaygo Dam History The three major dams of the Muskegon River (Rogers, Hardy and Croton) generate about 45,600 kilowatts, with about 30,000 of that from Hardy Dam. hb``e``zQ Just west of this tiny town near Oscoda sits one of six hydroelectric dams that tamed the Au Sable River a century ago to supply power to a growing population. Data from Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries She drove into the hole early Thursday, but was not hurt. (2) USGS River gaging station on the Muskegon River looking upstream towards Croton Dam. Enjoy the beauty of the Hardy Dam Pond, an amazing water getaway with several access points nearby. It began commercial operation in 1924. 8 0 obj <> endobj 87 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<057F26FCBBFC4483A8C2D1EF7EB174C2>]/Index[8 102]/Info 7 0 R/Length 286/Prev 557887/Root 9 0 R/Size 110/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream The river source is located at Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. (Grand Rapids Press/ Anna Moore Butzner), A man stands near a collapsed road along the Muskegon River. Dam Removal and the Problem of Articulating Positive Change Ft. The concrete Childsdale Dam south of Rockford collapsed at 2:15 a.m. Sept. 12, 1986, sending floodwaters down the Rogue River toward the village of Belmont. (Muskegon Chronicle/ Greg Dorsett), Caption: "A Bay City resident surveys the flooding from the relative safety of his front porch. A contractor from Grand Rapids got the job and for $84,000 the demolition of the dam was completed in February, 1969. They can be reached at (231) 775-9727. 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]. At issue is whether to keep the impoundments in place, or remove them. It began commercial operation in 1907. Refurbished Newaygo Dam completed 1901 by Portland Cement Company. We're sorry for any inconvenience and ask that you try again later today. Brian and his recreational vehicle park here." Consumers is considering one of four options for each dam: Relicense and continue generating power; sell to a new owner who would maintain the impoundment; remove the dam and restore a free-flowing river; or build a new barrier that generates no power, but preserves a reservoir. The river is home to three groups of gamefish: migratory fish, cool water resident fish, and warm water resident fish. [2] The Muskegon River never freezes so we fish all winter long, offering great fishing year around. Privacy Policy The USGS Water Resources Division (Lansing) monitored the biological, chemical, and physical conditions of the river before and after removal. There are three man-made reservoirs on the Muskegon River, the Rogers Dam Pond, Hardy Dam Pond, and the Croton Dam Pond. Access points and highlighted lands are closely approximate. We operate 13 hydroelectric plants along five rivers that run through our state. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the 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. Muskegon River Dam Removal Year Awarded: 1999 Awarded: $755,000 Team Leader: City of Big Rapids 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. Five Channels Hydro has a capacity of 6,000 kilowatts. menominee river at white rapids dam near banat, mi -- -- -- 04066800: menominee river at koss, mi -- -- -- 04067500: menominee river near mc allister, wi . (The Saginaw News/ Gary Netzley), The Brookside Tastee Freeze fell into Mitchell Creek in Big Rapids, Sept. 12, 1986. 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.. 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. 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. 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. Muskegon River ( / mskin / ms-KEE-gn) is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. 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