There are many river users and functions to consider. The EIS Process will consider 14 different alternatives, some of which call for the removal of the Sixth Street Dam. Design engineers and resource agency staff will be determining the best method to restore the historic rapids near the Sixth Street Dam while allowing the most benefit for all river users and the environment. 

All of the dams in the Lower Reach will be functionally removed from the river and more natural hydraulic elements like riffles, runs and pools will replace the existing riverwide hydraulics created by the dams.

An understandable concern from upstream property owners is that this project will “drain the pond” once the Sixth Street Dam is removed. As part of the 14 design alternatives that will be evaluated by the GLFC and USACE, a detailed analysis of upstream water levels will be conducted to better understand any changes. Based on the initial hydraulic analysis conducted by GRWW and our engineering firm, we don’t anticipate a significant reduction in water levels upstream of Riverside Park, however that can’t officially be determined until the GLFC selects the design of the preferred alternative for the Upper Reach and additional hydraulic modeling is complete. 

Similarly, the City of Grand Rapids has been firm on their commitment to revitalize the river in a way that does not increase flood risk or create Harmful Interference as defined by EGLE as “causing an increase stage or change in the direction of flow that causes or is likely to cause: damage to property; a threat to life; pollution, impairment, or destruction of water or other natural resources.”

The accuracy of the flood modeling is of great importance to the City, GRWW, and the regulatory agencies and will be an extensive part of the regulatory review process. A permit will not be issued if a project increases flood risk.

In 2011, GRWW and the Grand Valley Metro Council received an EPA grant to conduct sediment testing in the area between the Sixth Street Dam and Ann Street. Limited sediment was found but it was tested and deemed acceptable. Of the 45 sample points, only one returned a slightly elevated level of arsenic, a commonly found element in Michigan waterways. 

In 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of engineers conducted a similar sediment sampling upstream of the Sixth Street dam. All of the results were below the limits of Michigan’s Soil Direct Contact Criteria for both residential and non-residential areas, except for two locations that exceeded the limits for arsenic. 

In 2020 the City and GRWW also conducted sediment sampling behind the dams in the lower reach. The State requires contaminant test when sieve grain analysis is less than 90% sand, on average. For the 11 samples taken, all locations were greater than 95% sand, except 1 sample. The City and GRWW decided to have the samples tested and no concentrations of any analytes were tested that exceeded any of the established screening guidelines per the State’s guidance on Sediment Testing for Dredging Projects or any known preceding screening guidelines.

The quality of the water in the Grand River has been steadily improving since the City of Grand Rapids started tracking the water quality in the early 1970s. Over the past three decades, The City of Grand Rapids has successfully separated its sanitary and storm water sewers. The quality of water flowing through Grand Rapids is also influenced by upstream sources and Grand Rapids is leading by example when it comes to protecting the water quality of the Grand River. 

The City of Grand Rapids and USGS are working together to monitor the water quality of the Grand River in real time. They are also working on a new system that can predict E.Coli levels in the Grand River. The State of Michigan uses E.coli bacteria in the Total Body Contact and Partial Body Contact recreational criteria as an indicator for other harmful pathogens, which is consistent with the USEPA recommendations. 

Find the real-time interactive system at the City’s website: www.grandrapidsmi.gov/riverquality

Two national outdoor magazines have listed GR in the list of top 10 urban fisheries. The current angling opportunities between Fulton Street and the Fish Ladder are certainly unique and the proposed project would add 88 additional fishable acres upstream as well as improve the holding water downstream and increase the diversity of flow and available habitat. The completed project would make Grand Rapids an even better destination fishery.

Yes. Fishing is part of what makes the Grand River so grand. We understand and appreciate that anglers have concerns about the project. Since the beginning of the project we have been working with local angling groups to share our vision and seek input from those who currently use and understand the river. Comments from angling groups have been used to inform the current design. Our goal is to make an already great fishery even better.

Our goal is to improve the quality and quantity of fishing opportunities by providing increased habitat, structure, more gravel, boulder, cobble, diverse flows and a varied river bottom. Numerous fish species would benefit including migratory fish that would hold better before moving upriver and local populations of walleye and bass would flourish. Over the past 160 years, tons of boulders have been removed and the river bottom was flattened. Often the best structure is a dangerous low head dam. The river could provide a higher quality fishing experience, like the St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste. Marie that sees an annual economic benefit of at least $7 million dollars generated from fishing. (Sault Ste. Marie Evening News; July 2, 2015).

Yes. With the removal of dams, and the addition of rocks and boulders, angling would not be restricted to Sixth Street Dam but be open to wading at numerous locations in the river when flow rates are similar to existing conditions. We are working closely with the City of Grand Rapids and other project partners to provide additional access points into the river as well.

Sturgeon are culturally significant to Native Americans and they are an indicator of the river’s health. The more we learn, the more sturgeon are becoming a focal point of this project.  Sturgeon restoration is a management focus across the Great Lakes and research regarding the Grand River sturgeon population has begun by a group of local and Federal partners.   

Sturgeon date back 135 million years and can live for more than 100 years, reaching up to six feet in length. It is good news that there is still a small population of state-threatened sturgeon in the Grand River. However, because of the Sixth Street Dam, these historic species are unable to reach a geologically unique and expansive (historic spawning) reef of exposed limestone bedrock found between the Sixth Street Dam and Ann Street.

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are parasitic fish not-native to the Great Lakes. Sea lamprey parasitize other fish by sucking their blood and other body fluids. Sea lampreys are unique from many other fishes in that they do not have jaws or other bony structures, and instead possess a skeleton made of cartilage. While sea lamprey resemble eels, they are not related and are set apart by their unique mouth: a large oral sucking disk filled with sharp, horn-shaped teeth surrounding a sharp rasping tongue.

There are four native lamprey species in the Great Lakes: the American brook, northern brook, silver and chestnut lamprey. All of the native lamprey species are much smaller than sea lamprey and are part of a balanced fish community. The largest of the native lamprey is the silver lamprey, which only reaches about half the size of an adult sea lamprey.

Of the native lamprey species, only two are parasitic: the chestnut and silver lamprey. The silver and chestnut lamprey have a similar life cycle as sea lamprey – the big difference is that, as parasites, silver and chestnut lamprey typically do not kill their fish hosts. Thus, unlike sea lampreys, which are considered both parasites and predators, the native lamprey species are only considered parasites.

The other two native lamprey species, the American brook and northern brook (the “brook” species), are non-parasitic. The brook species experience a metamorphosis similar to the parasitic species (developing eyes, fins, and a toothed mouth); however, the non-parasitic species skip the parasitic phase and instead immediately spawn after metamorphosis. The non-parasitic “brook” lamprey spend their entire life cycle in streams.

Sea lamprey attach to fish with their suction cup mouths then attach their teeth into flesh. Once securely attached, sea lampreys rasp through the fish’s scales and skin with their sharp tongue. Sea lamprey feed on the fish’s body fluids by secreting an enzyme that prevents blood from clotting, similar to how a leech feeds off its host. Sea lamprey are native to the Atlantic Ocean and invaded the Great Lakes in the early 20^th century. In the Great Lakes, they are predators, with each individual capable of killing up to 40 pounds of fish over their 12-18 month feeding period. Only one in seven fish attacked by a sea lamprey will survive, either dying directly from the attack or from infections in the wound after the initial attack. Sea lampreys entered Lake Michigan around 1936 and subsequently infested several tributaries of the lower Grand River.

Sea lamprey spawn in streams, and their larvae live in those streams before they become parasitic. Sea lamprey control depends on a targeted  lampricide to kill the larvae or, in stream systems that are large (like the Grand River and its tributaries), barriers to prevent sea lamprey access to their spawning grounds.

How do we block sea lamprey but still provide passage for native and desirable fish species? This is a question plaguing the resource management agencies as conversations about removing aging dams/barriers and restoring connectivity are increasing across the country. There are options available to control sea lamprey but they must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is leading the design and permitting effort for the upper reach project and has contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement process that kicked off in April of 2019. 14 design alternatives have been developed for the upper reach where sea lamprey control will be evaluated and will undergo additional evaluation of impacts and feasibility through the EIS process. In 2021, the GLFC put the EIS process on hold until the permit for the Lower Reach project was near complete to avoid duplication of work. Once the EIS process resumes, additional analysis on the 14 alternatives, including the proposed Adjustable Hydraulic Structure (ASH) as proposed by the City and GRWW will commence.

The proposed Adjustable Hydraulic Structure (AHS) is a uniquely designed barrier that could replace the Sixth Street Dam as the primary sea lamprey barrier on the river. The AHS structure has been proposed to be constructed approximately one mile upstream of the Sixth Street Dam. Sea lamprey escapement, upstream of the project site, would have a significant impact on the Lake Michigan fishery. The AHS is designed to ensure sea lampreys do not migrate upstream of the City of Grand Rapids. This structure will deny sea lampreys access to more than 1,900 miles of stream habitat, which would otherwise cost the Great Lakes Fishery Commission between $1.2 million and $1.8 million annually to treat with lampricides. The proposed AHS structure is critical given that just one sea lamprey escapement event upstream of Grand Rapids could inflict millions of dollars in economic loss.

The proposed adjustable hydraulic structure (AHS) has been uniquely designed to maintain blockage to the upstream migration of sea lamprey. It would utilize inflatable bladders to raise and lower steel gates to maintain sea lamprey blockage criteria established  by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission. During times when the gates must be lowered to accommodate high flow events, the AHS relies on faster water velocities to prevent upstream sea lamprey migration.

The operational functionality of the AHS would be able to achieve multiple goals, including flood conveyance, sea lamprey control, maintaining target upstream water levels, and potentially allowing upstream fish passage during periods when sea lamprey are not in the river.

Yes. If permitted access to the upper Grand River, a relatively small number of sea lampreys could produce between 135,000 and 200,000 parasitic juvenile sea lamprey. Such an event could result in the loss of almost two million fish with an economic value of about $39-$58 million. Lampricide treatment efficiency for the Grand River is estimated at 95% due to the nature of the watershed, so there will still be considerable economic loss under a treatment scenario. Applying a 95% treatment efficiency would still result in an annual production of 6,750-10,000 juveniles to Lake Michigan and an economic cost of $1,950,000 - $2,900,000 annually.

The City and GRWW recognized early on the need for fish passage around the AHS when it is being operated as a sea lamprey barrier. A fish passage ladder, similar in function to the existing structure at the Sixth Street Dam, was incorporated into the proposed AHS structure and will create similar passage conditions while maintaining effectiveness as a sea lamprey barrier. The design of the AHS was shared with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and is one of 14 alternatives that will be considered as part of the Upper Reach Project which will ultimately be selected by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. 

Recognizing the future desires for a water trail and increased opportunities for non-motorized watercraft on the Grand River, a small craft portage was also incorporated into the design of the potential AHS to allow passage around the structure.

When barriers are involved in a river, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission completes an investigation of the entire watershed to determine any sea lamprey spread. Even now, with a barrier in place, sea lamprey surveys are conducted in the upper Grand River to look for escapement. The size and complexity of the Grand River and its tributaries present significant challenges and costs associated with conducting Sea Lamprey Control Program activities in the watershed. Investigative field work will take place prior to and during the construction of the proposed AHS. Following construction, an increased level of barrier performance monitoring will commence including trapping of adult sea lampreys, eDNA sampling and larval assessment. Like most major sea lamprey producing streams, including the Grand River, the monitoring phase is expected to continue in perpetuity. If sea lampreys are found above the AHS, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission is prepared to undertake mitigation measures that include shoring up dams upstream of Grand Rapids (e.g., the Ada Dam, the Weber Dam) to ensure sea lamprey blockage, deployment of portable electric barriers and traps to prevent sea lamprey migration into critical habitat, and lampricide applications to remove sea lamprey larvae from the river and its tributaries.

Sea lampreys enter the Grand River from Lake Michigan and inhabit the river downstream of the Sixth Street Dam. That stretch of the river contains poor sea lamprey habitat and the stretch is not productive enough to warrant treatments in the Grand itself. Crockery and Norris creeks, located downstream of the Sixth Street Dam, are treated regularly. The upper Grand River and its tributaries have been regularly surveyed for sea lampreys since 1962. A total of 44 tributaries upstream of the Sixth Street Dam have been surveyed. Harmless, native lampreys are also known to occupy reaches of the watershed upstream of the Sixth Street Dam. 

Two previous sea lamprey escapement events have been noted upstream of the Sixth Street Dam. Larval sea lampreys were collected from Lowell Creek in 1962 and the stream was treated with TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4'-nitrophenol) in 1965. Larval sea lampreys were collected from the Rogue River during 2008, resulting in a treatment in 2009. The source(s) of escapement for each event is unknown. 

Recent larval assessment sampling in 2022 identified several large sea lamprey larvae in the Rogue River likely a result of flooding in the spring of 2020 when the Sixth Street Dam was submerged with high water. Additional evaluation and assessment of this finding, and the need for a lampricide treatment, is currently underway with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Lamprey Control Program and Great Lakes Fishery Commision.

The City of Grand Rapids, GRWW, and our project partners, have consulted with technical leadership from the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources and believe the proposed barrier in the Grand River would preserve opportunities to prevent upstream migration of asian carp in the future.

The Michigan DNR depends on sea lamprey control forthe success of its fishery management program. Without sea lamprey control, the state would not achieve its fishery objectives. A sea lamprey infestation of the Grand River and its tributaries would harm the entire Lake Michigan fishery and probably harm Lake Huron. The proposed AHS barrier will prevent the spread of sea lampreys into the Grand River and its tributaries upstream of Grand Rapids and, therefore, is integral to the DNR’s objectives of reducing the number of sea lampreys in the Great Lakes.

The operations, management and maintenance associated with the AHS has been discussed for many years and is recognized as a top priority. A multi-agency public/private governance structure is being developed to further address governance concerns surrounding the proposed AHS if it is selected as the preferred alternative for the upper reach. It is currently envisioned that the City of Grand Rapids will own and operate the AHS structure based on a set of operational priorities and protocols currently being developed with input from multiple state and federal agencies. Management of this structure will also include significant public and private input from a variety of river user groups, regulatory agencies and upstream/downstream communities.

The City and GRWW’s proposed location of the AHS structure is approximately one mile upstream of the Sixth Street Dam and will be located just downstream of the train trestle bridge that crosses the Grand River south of Ann Street. This location is at the head of the historic, and regionally rare, limestone rapids and will provide enhanced access to approximately 88 acres of limestone bedrock habitat. 

This location also creates additional opportunities to reimagine our city parks and trail system as envisioned by the River For All community master plan. If the AHS was built at this site, and if the public safety hazards created by the existing dams are removed, there would be ample opportunities to think differently about flood protection and to provide improved access to the river in downstream city parks.

The AHS does not alleviate flooding. Any properties that currently flood will continue to flood and those properties that are required to carry flood insurance will continue to have this requirement. Sea lamprey barrier management was designed and evaluated to be effective when the flood levels are slightly lower than the existing flood levels in order to show effectiveness without harmful interference on properties. The potential reduction in flood levels is insignificant.

The historic rapids once found in Grand Rapids are regionally rare and two thirds of them are submerged under water upstream of the Sixth Street Dam. Our intent is to open the historic waters known to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians as Gitchi Bawating, the Great Rapids. Returning the rapids will do good things for the river’s health and biodiversity. However, we share the concern of local, state and federal agencies that are tasked with controlling invasive sea lamprey. We have designed our project to stop sea lamprey before they move upstream to spawn. Lamprey spawn in the spring. During those months, the lamprey barrier would act like Sixth Street Dam, preventing lamprey from reaching spawning tributaries upriver.

Scientists are testing technology downstream of the Boardman River’s Union Street Dam in Traverse City. This initiative, known as FishPass, aims to identify and refine technology to block undesirable species like sea lampreys while allowing the passage of desirable species like sturgeon. Technology developed at the Union Street Dam in Traverse City could be used at the new AHS structure to maximize the passage of desirable fish while blocking sea lamprey and other undesirable species.

In addition to the environmental impacts listed above, we believe the river will once again become a gathering place for social activities and recreation. According to the Outdoor Recreation Association, Americans spend an average of $646 billion per year on outdoor recreation. (https://outdoorindustry.org/research-tools/outdoor-recreation-economy/)

In March of 2022, Grand Rapids WhiteWater released the results of an economic impact study. This study was conducted by the Anderson Economic Group and shows expanded recreational use of the Grand River could generate a net new economic impact of $19 million to $26 million per year. The study also found improved riverfront property utilization and taxable values could increase by $117.7 million.

The project proposes to use rock and boulders to create four distinct hydraulic features, each of which include an engineered wave feature. These wave features have been carefully designed to function with a constructed riffle to maintain grade control, minimize barriers to fish passage, create new opportunities for aquatic habitat, and provide enhanced whitewater recreational opportunities that lead to additional economic benefits for the community.

The waves have been designed to balance the project goals and objectives. The waves will be small in comparison to the overall width of the river, which is approximately 430-450 feet wide and they have been significantly reduced in height, width, and overall numbers from the originally proposed design. The waves are a part of the natural rock and boulder hydraulic features that contain 75% alluvial riffle habitat by area. The waves are 35-140 wide, depending on flow rates, and would allow ample fish and boat passage. Stacked stone and boulders would be used to construct waves that would but up to 1.8 feet high  and would be submerged and flows increase. The wave features contribute to the flow and habitat diversity and are essential to achieve the project purpose and create additional recreational and economic benefit opportunities.

No. The original design called for the use of concrete blocks to produce a more consistent whitewater wave feature for kayaking and surfing. Through the agency consultation process, the design has been refined and concrete wave blocks have been removed from the design in favor of stacked natural rocks and boulders.  Limited use of concrete grout adjacent to the wave features has been proposed to reduce the potential for foot entrapment hazards. The grout would only be used to fill void spaces between boulders and would be largely unnoticeable.

It is a common misconception that the goal of this project is to create a whitewater park only for kayakers. Instead, the plan is for a holistic rapid restoration and river revitalization project aimed at returning the spirit of the historic namesake rapids back to the Grand River. Through public input and scientific discovery from sonar, sediment sampling, river bed and hydraulic modeling, important opportunities have presented themselves.

Kayaking, canoeing, rafting and even river surfing will be some of the many new recreational components of the Grand River Restoration project. The project also aims to improve an already great fishery by diversifying habitats, and improving and increasing safe access for anglers and boaters. This project is expected to provide substantial social, economic and environmental benefits for the West Michigan region.

Recognizing the important social, recreational and economic benefits provided by rowing clubs on the Grand River, GRWW and the City have spent considerable time studying the river bottom and the hydraulic features of the river in the Riverside Park area. 

As part of the Upper Reach project, the City and GRWW have advocated for the removal of the Sixth Street dam and the installation of an Adjustable Hydraulic Structure (AHS) approximately one mile upstream of the existing dam. The AHS would serve as an important barrier to invasive sea lamprey and could potentially be used, in accordance with appropriate state/federal laws, to maintain water levels upstream of the structure. The AHS is just one of 14 possible alternatives being considered as part of the upper reach project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been contracted by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to conduct the Environmental Impact Statement Process and thoroughly analyze the impacts of all alternatives. As part of the future EIS process, additional public input will likely be sought on the impacts to rowing as a result of the potential alternatives being considered for the upstream project.

According to the Grand Rapids City Archives and Records Center, from 1849 to 1926 there have been four dams identified in the historical records. From 1926 to the present there have been 5, possibly 6 dams identified in the historical materials. All of the dams were built in some way to harness the power of the Grand River to power bustling factories or to help facilitate the river for logging. The Fourth Street dam, more affectionately known today as the Sixth Street Dam, may have been built in two parts with the completion of the east side concrete construction in 1926. No significant work has been done to this dam since that time. 

The four low-head “beautification dams” were constructed in the mid 1920 as part of a plan to improve the river through a series of beautification dams. In 1925, one city planning department plan gave some recommendations on the Grand River. “The appearance of the river below the [Fourth Street} dam should be improved,” the author wrote. “Several low-stage dams could be constructed at intervals which would maintain water constantly in the water. This would add greatly to the appearance and provide ample water surface for boating.”

The dams in the Grand River are classified as low-head dams. Low-head dams have unfortunately earned the nickname of “drowning machines” due to the dangerous recirculation of current that results from the water flowing over the dams and hitting the river bottom. This “keeper hydraulic” is very dangerous and extremely difficult to escape. These dams also span the entire width of the river and the keeper hydraulic captures large woody debris and other material making a dangerous situation even worse. Unfortunately, there have been injuries and deaths as a result of these low-head dams in the Grand River. 

For a very technical, but informative explanation of the science behind these dangerous structures, check out this video from Practical Engineering: 

Drowning Machine: The Dangers of Low-head Dams

As is true with most natural spaces, rivers have an inherent element of danger to users who do not understand the risks and do not take appropriate precautions. The primary difference to the existing condition of the river is that potentially dangerous hydraulics will be much more apparent to the user and the ability to self-rescue will be substantially improved compared to the recirculating and channel-spanning hydraulics of the low-head dams.  

Public safety has been a primary consideration throughout the design of the project. Waves have been located away from bridge piers and in areas of the channel with the easiest access in and out of the river. The orientation of the waves and riffles directs flow away from bridge piers, low-lying pathways, and floodwalls. The design of the river very much considers user interfaces and the concentrated hydraulics are all designed to maintain flushing flows and avoid the dangerous recirculating hydraulics created by the existing dams. Shoreline access is also being developed to allow for self rescue. 

Risk is also mitigated through user knowledge, skill level and proper equipment and project design. In-channel users would be encouraged to follow applicable state laws for personal flotation devices, and helmets, cold water protection and other safety measures will be recommended. With any change, we recognize the need for a comprehensive public education campaign to make sure all future river users understand their limits and respect the power of a naturally flowing river.

The City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Whitewater have been working closely with the Grand Rapids Fire Department on the design of the in-river features and emergency access points.

GRWW & The City are currently engaged in a complex regulatory permitting process with state and federal agencies.
The Lower Reach project received a Biological Opinion (BO) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in October of 2020. The BO stated the proposed project is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of federally endangered mussels and outlines reasonable and prudent mitigation measures the project will take to minimize impacts to threatened and endangered species.

EGLE will hold a virtual public hearing on Thursday, September 29, 2022. To attend the online public information meeting register at https://bit.ly/3L7aJES. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you do not have internet access and would like to join by PHONE ONLY please use the following phone number: 636-651-3142, and use conference code 374288. Pre-registration is not required to attend the meeting. Individuals interested in participating can click the link above at the start of the event (6:00 p.m.).

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently reviewing a Watershed Project Plan Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) document that must be approved by the national headquarters for the release of $4.1 million of federal dollars for habitat restoration.

The City and GRWW originally submitted the Lower Reach Permit application package to the Michigan Department of Energy Great Lakes and Environment (EGLE) in October of 2020. The City and GRWW have received three correction request letters from EGLE for additional information. A revised permit application was submitted to EGLE on July 29, 2022 and on September 16, 2022 EGLE issued a public notice for the project and opened the public comment period until October 9, 2022.

The public also has an opportunity to learn about the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Assessment and Watershed Project Plan. NRCS has released a public notification regarding public comment opportunities.
Virtual Public Information Session: Monday, October 3, 2022 - 7:00-8:00 p.m. If you are interested in participating, register online here.

Comments about the project can be made here.

All of the documents that have been submitted to EGLE are publicly available at: 

https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/nsite/site/4302258526780694889/documents

While enhancing whitewater recreation was an early goal of the project, the project proponents have embraced the opportunities and desires from others to improve natural river function, enhance fish passage, improve public safety, create and enhance aquatic habitat and flow diversity.

The design once included as many as 12 whitewater recreation features on both sides of the river. Today the design proposes removing the four low-head dams and replacing them with four natural rock and boulder wave features that work in conjunction with constructed riffles, to create a functional and aesthetic continuity, to balance the goals and constraints of the project.

Designs for the lower reach were refined during a 2-year iterative process with MDNR Fisheries Division staff to achieve the MDNR’s hydraulic targets for fish passage to the greatest extent possible. In August of 2019 the design was revised with 40% less fill to avoid hydraulic changes at the Sixth Street Dam and maintain the existing level of sea lamprey blockage and reduce potential flood impacts as a result of the project.

The project seeks to improve fishing opportunities throughout the reach by enhancing the current channel and replacing the uniform velocities and depths created by the low-head dams with diverse rocks, boulders, and grading. The angler will be able to experience and explore a mosaic of complex and diverse habitat types. The depths and velocities will more-closely resemble a natural river and the  fish will have access to a wide range of habitat types throughout the Lower Reach which are not currently available. This will provide anglers an opportunity to take advantage of a larger area that possess more-diverse conditions and target fish in the pools, runs, glides, and riffles created by the Project.

Fish passage has also been a primary design goal of the project. The project underwent an extensive iterative design process to improve fish passage within the Lower Reach. The City and GRWW has worked closely with MDNR Fisheries Division for nearly two years to alter the design to enhance fish passage along the channel margins, provide bulk passage for migrating fish, and reduce flow velocities, when compared to the existing conditions, as much as possible. During this iterative process, many design changes were made that included the removal of some proposed recreational wave features, more gradual grading of riffle slopes to provide better fish passage hydraulics and mussel habitat areas, and relocating one wave feature from the east side of the chanel to the west side to maintain walleye habitat and angling opportunities near the JW Marriot hotel. To inform the design and to maximize fish movement and passage throughout the reach a sophisticated 2-D hydraulic model was developed to analyze water velocities, depths, and fish swim paths. 

Because of the nature of the project, there will be short term impacts to fishing during the construction season as half of the river will be isolated during construction. The Biological Assessment proposed fish salvage measures that will be implemented during construction to reduce the impacts to fish from installation of cofferdams.

The design of the project will have an overall positive impact on available mussel habitat areas. Once completed the project is anticipated to result in a 73% increase in preferred mussel habitat areas, meaning that more mussels could eventually occupy this reach of the river someday. Impacts to mussels from both a design perspective and construction impact perspective have been thoroughly evaluated and reduced to the greatest extent possible. 

Construction of the project will result in some direct impact to mussels and has been reduced to the greatest extent possible. A substantial mussel relocation effort will occur as part of the construction process to remove as many mussels as possible from the construction area. 

As part of the mitigation requirements outlined in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Biological Opinion, a mitigation and monitoring fund will be established to mitigate the loss of state and federally listed species.The purpose of the fund will be to support monitoring and conservation measures that significantly benefit state and federally listed mussels species after completion of the Lower Reach Project.

A cultural resources survey was conducted within the project area to evaluate potential impacts to cultural and historic resources. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded funding to this project under Public Law 83-566 regulations, which requires the development and approval of a Watershed Protection Plan-Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) to identify and address potential environmental impacts resulting from the proposed Project in accordance with environmental law. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 requires Federal agencies to consider the environmental consequences of their proposed actions before a decision is made. A Plan-EA has been prepared to comply with the requirements of NEPA and the National Watershed Program Manual. The Plan-EA presents the proposed Project and associated alternatives, and discusses potential environmental impacts that may result from the implementation of the proposed Project. The NRCS will issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or request additional information as necessary to approve the Proposed Action. 

Since federal money through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is funding a portion of this project, the project is deemed a federal undertaking and is therefore also subject to the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended. As part of the Section 106 process, the City and GRWW have been in consultation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agency partners to evaluate potential impacts to archaeological, historic, and architectural resources. NRCS provided an initial request for Section 106 consultation to the MI State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in 2018. 

In March of 2021 it was determined that the four low-head dams were eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Because the project requires removal of all four low-head dams, the project does not allow for avoidance or minimization of adverse impacts to these structures and the impacts to the dams must be mitigated. 

NRCS, The City of Grand Rapids, and GRWW worked together to develop an appropriate mitigation plan to document the historic role of these structures in the city’s history. The proposed mitigation measures were presented during a NRCS Public Comment period in November of 2021 and a Memorandum of Agreement between the City, GVMC, GRWW, NRCS, and MI-SHPO, is currently being reviewed by the agencies as a formal mechanism to ensure that the mitigation measures are followed during construction of the project and removal of the low-head dams.

The Lower Reach project will have no direct impact on the Sixth Street Dam. The structure itself will not be touched or altered in any way as part of the Lower Reach Project. The proposed removal of the low-head dams and replacement with hydraulic features has been modeled to result in slight lowering of tailwater levels at Sixth Street Dam of a few inches. The functionality of the existing fish ladder is not expected to be impacted.

Four low-head dams exist today within the construction area and present significant public safety hazards. They also function to create uniform hydraulics and an un-natural aesthetics throughout the project reach. It is believed these dams were built in the mid 1920’s to originally facilitate the image of the Grand River and served the purpose to dilute raw sewage. In 2015, the City of Grand Rapids completed the removal of their combined sewer overflow points. Visual and physical evidence exists to show these dams are deteriorating. The original purpose of the low-head dams is no longer being served and is no longer needed.

The dams also present barriers to fish passage and connectivity. A MDNR report by Hanshue and Harrington (2017) indicate that the low-head dams in the Project Area “likely represents a barrier to native fish species (e.g. Walleye Sander vitreus, suckers (family Catostomidae) during low flow conditions,”. The dams are also deteriorating or have failed.

Over the past 160 years, rocks and boulders were removed from the river bottom and used as fill for construction along the river or in the foundations of many buildings within the city. Using natural boulders, rock and cobble to construct the proposed improvements will contribute to the aquatic diversity of the Grand River. The pocket water, micro-eddies, seams, fast water and slow water created by the use of natural boulder and alluvium all contribute to improved oxygenation, macroinvertebrate habitat, and overall health of a river. These features also provide healthy structure and habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species.

Both State and Federal permits are needed before construction in the river can begin. 

Federal Permits:

Due to the presence of federally endangered snuffbox mussels in the Grand River, the project must comply with the Endangered Species Act and receive an Incidental Take Statement from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). 

Due to the $4.1 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program funding agreement for habitat restoration through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) an Environmental Assessment and Watershed Project Plan, effectively called the Plan-EA, must be written and approved by the NRCS to release the federal dollars. The NRCS will review the Plan-EA and will need to issue a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) & the National Historic Preservation act (NHPA).

State Permits: 

Permits needed from the State of Michigan are requested through the Joint Permit Application process through the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes, and Environment (EGLE). The project will require the following Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA)  permits:

Part 301 of NREPA (Inland Lakes & Streams)

Part 303 of NREPA (Wetlands Permits)

Part 31 of NREPA (Floodplain Permit)

During development of the Upper and Lower Reach projects we have closely worked with the following agencies: 

• Michigan Department of Energy Great Lakes and Environment (EGLE)
• Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC)

The City and Grand Rapids Whitewater have requested EGLE hold a formal public hearing in addition to the public comment period. Processing the application typically takes up to 90 days from the completeness date, but an additional 60-90 days is added to the review timeline since a public hearing will be held.

EGLE will hold a virtual public hearing on Thursday, September 29, 2022. To attend the online public information meeting register at https://bit.ly/3L7aJES. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you do not have internet access and would like to join by PHONE ONLY please use the following phone number: 636-651-3142, and use conference code 374288. Pre-registration is not required to attend the meeting. Individuals interested in participating can click the link above at the start of the event (6:00 p.m.).

To make comments and view documents associated with the permit application, click on the following link:
https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/ncore/external/publicnotice/info/-2566224763378486286/details

The public also has an opportunity to comment on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Assessment and Watershed Project Plan. NRCS has released a public notification regarding public comment opportunities.

Virtual Public Information Session: Monday, October 3, 2022 - 7:00-8:00 p.m. If you are interested in participating, register online here.

Comments about the project can be made here.

The City and GRWW are currently seeking permits to construct the Lower Reach Project from just upstream of Bridge Street to Fulton Street. The Sixth Street Dam will not be affected or removed as part of this project. The Lower Reach projects seeks to remove four low-head dams to: 

• Reduce public safety hazards generated by low-head dams
• Create diverse habitats including riffles, runs, waves, and pools to restore aquatic riverine habitat, and improve fish passage
• Recapture the sight, sound, and spirit of the historic and iconic rapids, for which the City is named
• Enhance distinctive recreational opportunities such as wading, angling, and whitewater paddling sports, that are safe, interesting, and substantial enough to engage residents, attract tourists and serve as a catalyst for local, regional, and equitable economic development opportunities

The City of Grand Rapids has been firm on their commitment to revitalize the river in a way that does not increase flood risk or create Harmful Interference as defined by EGLE as “causing an increase stage or change in the direction of flow that causes or is likely to cause: damage to property; a threat to life; pollution, impairment, or destruction of water or other natural resources.”

The accuracy of the flood modeling is of great importance to the City, GRWW, and the regulatory agencies. FEMA and EGLE will extensively review the hydraulic model for the Lower Reach Project and a permit will not be issued if a project increases flood risk.

This project represents a collaboration between a number of public and private entities. Grand Rapids Whitewater (GRWW) is the nonprofit 501 c3 organization that spearheaded the vision to bring the rapids back to the Grand River. They have retained the engineering firm responsible for the design and hydraulic modeling, numerous environmental and ecological consultants, and have secured funding for portions of the project. GRWW is collaborating closely with the City of Grand Rapids, who owns the dams in the river, to implement this project.

The City will be the permit applicant and will hold the construction contracts for the work in the river. On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, Grand Rapids Whitewater (GRWW) and the City of Grand

Rapids entered into a relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The MOU established an innovative working partnership between the parties for the purpose of delivering the river restoration project envisioned by GRWW in collaboration

with a host of public and private partners. The Grand Valley Metro Council and Lower Grand River Organizations of Watersheds have also been intimately involved in efforts to make the Grand River more accessible to everyone.

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, (DGRI) have coordinated with many local partners on the design, development, and reimagination of the river edge parks, trails and greenspaces.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has been a great educational partner on the project helping to capture this historic impact and educate students on the history of the river. GRPM also has ambitious plans to redevelop their site to turn and face the Grand River, making the river a central part of the museum campus.

Over the last decade, GRWW and the City of Grand Rapids have engaged with numerous state and federal regulatory agencies as part of the ongoing design and development of the project.

On May 21, 2019 the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grand Rapids Whitewater, and the City of Grand Rapids entered into a relationship through a Memorandum of Agreement that established the working partnership among parties for the purpose of achieving the vision of restoring the rapids in the Grand River. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is leading the environmental review and permitting of the Upper Reach project and has contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to lead and develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The purpose of the Lower Reach Project is to improve the lower reach of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan by doing all of the following:

• Reducing public safety hazards generated by low-head dams
• Creating diverse riffles, runs, waves, and pools to restore aquatic riverine habitat and diversity
• Improving fish passage
• Recapturing the sight, sound, and spirit of the historic and iconic rapids, for which the City is named
• Enhancing distinctive recreational opportunities such as wading, angling, and whitewater paddling sports, that are safe, interesting, and substantial enough to engage residents, attract tourists and serve as a catalyst for local, regional, and equitable economic development opportunities

Priority objectives for the Upper Reach project include:

• Public safety and flood control
• Sea lamprey control
• Fish passage
• Recreation

Any construction project in a regulated water body presents challenges. The Grand River as it flows through Grand Rapids is a heavily modified and degraded river system with critical flood protection infrastructure, 10 different bridge crossings, and little-to-no connection with the natural floodplain. There are seven state and federal regulatory agencies that provide regulatory approval in this process in order to receive all necessary permits for construction to begin.

The project team has spent years developing a design that balances the goals of the project with the constraints of constructing in a heavily urbanized and regulated reach of the river. Sometimes goals and constraints conflict with one another. For example one goal is to increase fish passage beyond the existing dams, while a primary constraint is to continue to provide a barrier against invasive sea lamprey. Over the last 10 years the design has been developed to balance  each of the goals and constraints. During this time, the project proponents have engaged with multiple state, federal, and tribal agencies to fully identify, understand, and comprehensively evaluate each constraint of the project. The result is a holistic design for the project that will significantly improve the existing condition of the river and balances the goals and constraints.

Each element of the project must undergo extensive scrutiny by regulatory agencies to ensure the project does not cause negative impacts to the river, environment, or surrounding communities. Over the last 10+ years we have been engaged with multiple agencies meeting to hear their concerns, altering the design, and verifying that indeed the overall project will provide a positive benefit for the river and the environment. There have been extensive conversations with regulatory agencies on topics like hydraulic modeling, fish passage, impacts to threatened and endangered mussels. Some of these conversations on their own took multiple years and led to direct changes to the proposed design to reduce impacts and achieve the most amount of benefits. These conversations and processes take time. Lots of time.

The final determination for any project application ultimately falls to the appropriate regulatory agency that is tasked with managing a particular resource or water body. 

Lower Reach Project:

The City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Whitewater have developed a design based on years of coordination with multiple agencies and stakeholders. A final design and permit application has been submitted to the appropriate State and Federal agencies for review. If the design as proposed meets all of the required legal statutes then the agencies will issue the required permits for construction to begin. If the project fails to meet all of the legal statutes, the design must be altered or removed for consideration. In that instance, the City and GRWW would continue to work with the permitting agencies in an attempt to design a project that meets the project purposes to the greatest extent possible. 

Upper Reach Project: 

The City and GRWW have worked in coordination with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), and other agencies, on the development of 14 different design alternatives for the upper reach project and have advocated for the removal of the Sixth Street Dam and the construction of an Adjustable Hydraulic Structure upstream. The GLFC however will ultimately be the responsible party for selecting the preferred design alternative that would then need to undergo a final design and permitting process review similar to that of the Lower Reach.

The revitalization of the Grand River and restoration of the namesake rapids was called for by the 2011 amendments to the City’s Master Plan developed through the Green Grand Rapids process. This vision was embraced by Grand Rapids Whitewater (“GRWW”), a not-for-profit organization formed to lead revitalization of the River and restoration of the rapids in the two-and-a-half-mile stretch running through downtown.

The vision of a revitalized river and restored rapids downtown has catalyzed a comprehensive planning process of the river banks and for approximately seven miles of the river corridor and has catalyzed the first update of the Downtown Development Plan in more than twenty years. This coordinated effort between the City and the Downtown Development Authority (a.k.a., Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc.) has been branded as “GR Forward” and identified 15 “opportunity sites” along the riverbanks for public access, riverside trails, open space, neighborhood improvements and for private developments that can occur after the river is revitalized.

The ecosystem and recreation functions of the rapids in the Grand River have been degraded by five low head dams, flood walls, urban encroachment, and channelization (dredging and grading). Bringing back the rapids to the Grand River is a comprehensive river restoration and revitalization project that seeks to remove or modify the dams and enhance the channel bed and banks, to restore the ecosystem and the spirit of the historic rapids.

The in-river work will be designed, developed, and permitted as two independent projects that will involve different state and federal regulatory agencies. The two projects are:

The Lower Reach Project (Bridge Street to Fulton Street)

The Upper Reach Project (Ann Street to Bridge Street)

There have been talks about restoring the Grand River as early as 1923 with the City Beautiful Movement. Most recent efforts began in 2009 when GRWW was formed as a nonprofit organization with the mission of returning the rapids to the Grand River. GRWW and various local project partners have actively been working on plans to restore and revitalize the Grand River for over 10 years!

It is a common misconception that the goal of this project is to create a whitewater park only for kayakers. Although GRWW was originally started by whitewater kayak enthusiasts, the vision of the project has evolved significantly over the last decade as we have learned and studied the Grand River. 

The desire of GRWW is to have a holistic rapid restoration and river revitalization project aimed at returning the historic namesake rapids back to the Grand River, increasing access to the river, improving existing river habitat and flow diversity, and increasing the amount of recreational opportunities available to everyone. 

Kayaking, canoeing, rafting and even river surfing could be some of the many new recreational components of the Grand River Restoration project. The project also aims to improve fishing, maintain or improve rowing upstream, and create safe opportunities for drift boaters, rafters, anglers and the public to recreate in and on the Grand River. This project is expected to provide substantial social, economic and environmental benefits for the West Michigan region.

The City and GRWW are currently seeking permits for construction of the Lower Reach project (Bridge Street to Fulton Street). At this time, work on the Upper Reach project has been paused until a permit is likely to be issued for the Lower Reach Project. 

The City and GRWW are currently in negotiations with a Construction Management firm for the construction of the Lower Reach Project. Through coordination with a Construction Management Advisor (CMA), the project has been designed to reduce impacts to regulated resources to the greatest extent possible. It is anticipated that the proposed improvements will be constructed by isolating one half of the river at a time with coffer dams so construction can occur in controlled conditions. Once half of the river improvements have been constructed, the flow over water will be flipped and the other side of the river isolated. Other work, including removal of two of the four low-head dams may occur outside of the work isolation areas in the wet flowing channel. 

Ah-Nab-Awen Park will be the main location for construction staging and access into the river channel. It is anticipated that the construction of the Lower Reach Project will take two, possibly three, construction seasons depending on water levels and weather conditions. 

Yes, and the idea has been rejected based on a cost benefit ratio. It has been determined by engineers to be too costly to consider with a payback estimated at 70 years.

The AHS is anticipated to cost $15 million to $20 million. The cost of treating the Grand River and its tributaries with lampricide would be $1.9 million per year, in perpetuity. Thus, the AHS will pay for itself in less than a decade and will last at least 50 years. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission, which receives funds for the proposed AHS from Congress and from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), will pay for the construction; no private funds are anticipated for the AHS portion of the project. The remainder of project funding for the project will come from a mix of private donors and local, state, and federal sources.

Through extensive community engagement sessions, it is clear the Fish Ladder is an important part of the community and is an iconic piece of functional art. The Fish Ladder would not be impacted as a result of the Lower Reach Project. Some modifications to the structure may be necessary as part of the Upper Reach project to maintain the same range of functionality, but the structure would not be removed.

The term “restoration” is used to refer to a range of goals and outcomes as it pertains to river projects. This term is typically used for restoring a river to its “natural” condition, or as close as is feasible by correcting the impairment or alteration to the river or watershed. 

The project team fully recognizes that the complete restoration of natural rapids through downtown Grand Rapids is an unattainable goal. The term “restoration” as it has been applied by the project team to refer to the goals of this project is to move in the direction of restoring the natural condition and function of the river but working within the significant site constraints of an urbanized river with several bridge crossing, a fully developed floodplain, and a flood protection system vital to the City.  

Due to the significant alteration of the river in the project reach, and how much infrastructure depends on the grade control provided by the low-head dams, simply removing the dams and allowing the river to establish new scour patterns and stable bed slope is not a recommended path towards restoration. Instead, the design has used the hydraulic features, located between bridge crossings, as a way to maintain this grade control and dissipate the river’s energy in a responsible way that emulates a natural river, in an urban setting.

The City of Grand Rapids and GRWW have embraced the need to improve the existing conditions of the river to not only provide increased opportunities for recreation and economic development, but to also restore the spirit of the iconic rapids that our city is named after and improve habitats and aquatic ecosystems to the greatest extent possible. 

Striking a balance between restoration and revitalization is a challenging task, but one we have strived to do through extensive research of the river and consultation with regulatory agencies over the last decade. Input from these agencies has led to direct changes in the design that have reduced the amount of proposed fill material and reduced the number of purely recreational features in favor of increased fish passage and aquatic habitats.Though the last decade has presented many challenges and changes in direction, the proposed design represents something we are proud of and is better for the river and community as a whole. 

While engineered wave features may not have historically occurred in this reach of the river, we can confidently show that the proposed Lower Reach project design improves the health of the river when compared to the existing conditions. The proposed design reduces significant public safety hazards, increases fish passage, diversifies and increases aquatic habitat for fish and endangered mussels, does not create additional flood concerns, and distributes the natural gradient of this river in a safe and responsible way that will provide significant socal, economic, and environmental benefits for the community to enjoy for generations to come.

Sign up for our emails to stay up to date on project progress.