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. By, Ford battery plant site prep main recipient of funds in $1.3 billion spending bill sent to governor, Free legal representation now available for many Detroiters facing eviction, MSU announces new security measures, plan for external review of response to mass shooting on campus, Michigan Senate advances repeal of 1931 abortion ban though the ban is already unenforceable, Michigan Senate passes Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act expansion to add LGBTQ rights, Report from environmental groups accuses power industry of failing to clean up coal ash dumps, Cancer-causing hexavalent chromium spills from Wixom plant into Huron River. From the Office of the Director Click here to read the letter click here. 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. Andrew and the other passenger, Lee DenBraber, suffered minor injuries in the accident." 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The restoration to normal operating water levels will be by May 26, 2023 (Friday prior to Memorial Day weekend). The smaller Reedsburg Dam is near the source of the Muskegon River. Heavy rains over the past two days have caused the worst flooding in Western Michigan in over 100 years. We recognize that theres other values to these facilities than just the megawatts, said Marianne Walter, a senior engineer at the company. Lamb; rehabilitated 2000. Starting at $120 Starting at $40 Starting at $80 We have a drift boat for all your river fishing needs. 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 . The two White River dams have a long history of negative effects on the fish in the river's mainstream and tributaries. The river source is located at Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. Migratory fish: Lake Michigan steelhead, lake-run brown trout, and chinook salmon. Agents, Brokers, Realtors and For Sale By Owner: Advertise Lakefront Property in MI . Access points and highlighted lands are closely approximate. (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. 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. 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. However, the deepest point on the river is located at the Muskegon River At Evart reporting a gauge stage of 7.69 ft. We held public meetings and asked people from the areas around our river hydro plants to attend and share their thoughts. If you like to swing flies, lean toward areas that are slower than walking speed or areas where you can get a fly down and keep it down. Fishing spots and depth contours layers are available in most Lake maps. Pigeon River At Vanderbilt. The ownership of the dam was transferred to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in the fall of 1966. The ponds they created became destinations for boating, swimming and fishing, fueling tourism in a part of the state with limited jobs. These bridge crossing include motorized vehicle crossings, railroads, and several pedestrian/bicycle trail crossings. 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. $425,000. Lock Brian and his recreational vehicle park here." James McKormick, supervisor in Curtis Township, which includes Glennie, is familiar with the statistics on the dams environmental tradeoffs. (2) USGS River gaging station on the Muskegon River looking upstream towards Croton Dam. Scott Looman In 1836, the state began building dams and locks on . Hunting is popular in the forests near by on public hunting land. There are trees along the roads at every site--with most sites being back-in, caution needs to be taken manuevering a big rig into your site. At issue is whether to keep the impoundments in place, or remove them. 2 stall detached garage for all your toys plus a brand new privacy fence. Discover Lock #10 on the Muskingum River in Zanesville, Ohio: One of the last few period-correct, hand-operated canal locks in the country. Newaygo Dam built in 1854 out of wood to provide water power for the Newaygo Companys sawmill (Big Red). Because Michigans northern rivers are springfed, Stuber said, they are poised to withstand climate change far better than western streams that rely on snowmelt. 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. $78 night. (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 USGS Water Resources Division (Lansing) monitored the biological, chemical, and physical conditions of the river before and after removal. 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. 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 Nightly camping or cabin reservations will begin February 1st at 4:00 pm. (The Grand Rapids Press/ Anna Moore Bitnzer), Record rainfalls continue to cause flooding evacuations, and dams to collapse Thursday in Western Michigan. Jeff Bacon - Michigan River Fishing Guide 5388 E. Heathwood S.E. The average annual discharge of Muskegon River at Croton Dam is 51.9 m/s. deeper and slower float as the river approaches Croton Dam Pond. The Cabin is located on 20 wooded acres with 550' of direct access river frontage. And across the state, large crowds showed up at public meetings with Consumers to voice their fears about the future. Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. 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. And its not best for everything that lives in the river.. It was completed in 1913. Contact Us. Leave your worries behind and soak up the sun on a river rafting trip. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Construction dates will be shared when finalized. You may unsubscribe at any time. If the dam goes away, Faulkner said, Im in the same boat with everybody else.. 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. Trout beads, Wax Worms, Small Spawn Sacks. The Muskegon River is expected to crest late Friday at over 7 feet above flood stage. Cars make their way along North Park Street. Northern pike inhabit the entire system and are fished during the months of May through September. Information and photos for this article was acquired from documents held by the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center. 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. In 1853, the Penoyer family sold their land and business interests in Newaygo to lumbermen from Glenn Falls, New York who called their new lumber business the Newaygo Company. 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. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Muskegon River, the . MECOSTA COUNTY The Muskegon River Watershed Assembly and its partners have received funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support the removal of Altona and Buckhorn dam projects, according to a news release from the organization. Cool water resident fish: There is a very strong population of resident brown and rainbow trout. Steelhead fishing is hit or miss in this cold water period of the year. Find Lake Homes & Real Estate Experts. Documented Unsafe Conditions at Michigan Coal Ash Dams J.R. Whiting Power Station: According to an EPA inspection, the buttressing of the facility's significant hazard dam was The Muskegon is close by if the White is too icy. Open all year. And at an average of 105 years old, Consumers says the dams need hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance and upgrades to continue operating safely. Consumers Energy is authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue permits for the use and occupancy of project lands and waters. Police Say the Hampton Township apartments were in danger as well. 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. Five Channels Hydro has a capacity of 6,000 kilowatts. There are three man-made reservoirs on the Muskegon River, the Rogers Dam Pond, Hardy Dam Pond, and the Croton Dam Pond. 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. (The Bay City Times/Wes Stafford). Kelly House covers Michigan environmental issues for Bridge. 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 Saginaw News/ Gary Netzley), The Brookside Tastee Freeze fell into Mitchell Creek in Big Rapids, Sept. 12, 1986. Viewing Consumers eventual exit from the hydro business as inevitable, he and his colleagues have begun working with Muskegon River communities to envision a future that doesn't involve the dams in their current form. 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. Newaygo, MI. 98-100. 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 Muskegon River is expected to crest late Friday at over 7 feet above flood stage. 49337. 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. 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.. 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. At the time, before policy had caught up to the environmental consequences of dams, the impoundments seemed like miracle assets, delivering emissions-free power as reliably as a river flows. That's not a perfect world for property owners., 91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids MECOSTA COUNTY Deteriorating dams have become an increasingly urgent issue across the United States. There are approximately 31 bridge crossings over the Muskegon River waterway. It also refocused attention on the river and resulted in efforts to improve public access and provide additional community greenspace along the river. 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 Great Lakes region is blessed with an abundance of water. A PERMIT is required for launch and parking (see table above for fee details). Enjoy the beauty of the Hardy Dam Pond, an amazing water getaway with several access points nearby. 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.. Boats need to be on the river no later than 1pm Monday - Friday and 2pm Saturday & Sunday. The area received over 10 inches of rainfall in less than a 24-hour period." 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. Now, the massive ancient fish can go a few dozen miles before a concrete wall blocks their path. Built between 1906 and 1935, our heritage is rooted in these renewable energy sources. Jordan River At East Jordan. 8. It is the third largest earthen dam in the world and the largest east of the Mississippi River. Lake-run brown trout are an often overlooked game fish that are most abundant from late September through March. The plant and its 110,000-volt transmission line (the highest voltage in use at that time) attracted international attention. Croton Dam is a Consumers Energy power plant complex on the Muskegon river in Croton, MI where the tailwater begins. . Click here to see a map of properties that will be contacted, If you have questions, please email us at hydro@cmsenergy.com. Hundreds of volunteers fill sandbags in anticipation of rising waters in the Saginaw River. hKBa}Z7hP\BCLD~PK-)- I EcP!AD$nur{s5^Y-qA#Ml8 P/1t(S0#lIUowI4GS@QSB'bx{)Q9?O3 /tnSMP^,]w Little Log cabin on the Big Muskegon River. Removal of this dam. Bay City Times. Those wishing to report illegal activity on Consumers Energy property are asked to call our corporate security department at 800-760-3295. In the late 1800s, Muskegon was home to many different industries, including lumber mills, chemical companies, foundries, a coal-fired power plant, and a paper mill. For Sale. Michiganders pay to offset the dams environmental impacts: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources spends $1 million annually to stock salmon and trout in the Muskegon and Au Sable, where state fisheries chief Jim Dexter said heat from dams puts waterways in a marginal category for trout survival.. Current seams makes dry fly presentations tricky and the rainbow and brown trout can be very selective at times. The powerhouse is still standing today and is located just down river from the railroad bridge. The pond features a rustic "up north" setting that is a popular spot for . Beautiful park on a bluff overlooking Muskegon River and the backwaters of the Hardy Dam. Map Directions Satellite Photo Map Wikipedia Photo: Lar, CC BY-SA 3.0. Notable Places in the Area Permits can be obtained for whitetail deer hunting and waterfowl hunting. It is connected to Lake Michigan by a shipping Little Muskegon River. Hillstrom, Kevin, and Laurie Hillstrom. Winter in the Rear View Mirror, MRWA Muskegon River ( / mskin / ms-KEE-gn) is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. This is a popular local launch for small boats, canoes and kayaks. A new report says most power plants violate federal rules mandating cleanup of toxic coal ash dumps. Guilford: Falcon Publishing, 2001. Imagine awakening in complete peace to a beautiful sunrise reflecting on the surface of the glittering water serenaded by the morning songbirds. (Saginaw News file photo), Drivers ford high water in Saginaw about 6:30 a.m. Sept. 12, 1986. Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. We offer docks, showers, water, and electricity, sewage disposal, playgrounds, and picnic areas. (The Bay City Times/ David J. Sams), High water from Mitchell Creek in Big Rapids flooded out the recently completed sports facility at Big Rapids High School. (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. On a bluff overlooking Muskegon River and resulted in efforts to improve public access and provide community... 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