Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 29. Jul, 2010 | 0 Comments
“A creative economy is the fuel of magnificence.” Ralph Waldo Emerson. Have you noticed Grand Rapids has been doing a magnificent job with our new creative economy? Medical Mile is world class with the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Lack’s Cancer Research Center and now Michigan State University Medical School. Look at the $70 million LEED [...]
Our rapids are grand, or at least they may be, once again. There is a lot of talk of a “kayak park” being built downtown on the Grand River. Yes, there could be new recreational opportunities for the river, new whitewater adventure sports like kayaking and canoeing, but the real goal of GRWW is to [...]
Regarding the return of rapids to the Grand, the Michigan DNR went on record saying, “We’re very open to the idea of doing this on the Grand River. We think it would actually probably improve the fish habitat in that area. And, you know, one of the reasons of course we’re supportive too is it creates [...]
WARNING: Stay away from the 6th St and Bridgewater dams. Exit the river above the Fish Ladder (we use the East side, upriver of Sixth St) and put in below Bridge St at Ah-Nab-Awen Park. The foremost priority of GRWW is river safety. Our organization is focused on remediating the inherent dangers of the lowhead [...]
If nothing else, we need to make our river safer. The lowhead dam, top, is referred to as a drowning machine. Replacing the existing lowheads, known locally, and erroneously as cofferdams, would create a safer experience for river users. Lowhead dams produce a dangerous, perfect hydraulic that is difficult to navigate and too often impossible [...]
April 24, 2010. We have the rest of the story. The two fishermen refused to talk on camera, but we have an eyewitness account of the near tragedy. Another story of a capsized boat and near drowning at one of five lowhead dams, downtown. The two men were motoring up river on the East side, [...]
Rapid Magazine, an international paddling publication, recently picked up our story. Stay tuned for the article.
Posted by Chip Richards in Economy, Safety on 26. Jul, 2009 | 1 Comment
Do you prefer this cascading waterfall? Or this lowhead dam? Could Grand Rapids’ benefit from a picturesque new tourist attraction? A wild, scenic, cascading waterfall right downtown? It’s known by several names; The 6th Street Dam, 4th St. Dam, Fishing Dam and even The Falls.
Posted by Chip Richards in Economy on 04. Jun, 2009 | No Comments
Now, consider this; If the Calder can do all of this for Grand Rapids, what would it mean for our economic, social and environmental future to revitalize our river and put the Rapids back in the Grand? La Grande Vitesse is perhaps our most distinctive landmark. Known in our community, simply as the Calder, [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater, Whitewater Parks on 28. May, 2009 | No Comments
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater, Whitewater Parks on 10. May, 2009 | 1 Comment
On Tuesday December 4, 2007, instead of shovels, local government leaders plunged kayak paddles into the earth to celebrate a project about seven years in the making: a whitewater park. The Glenwood Springs City Council awarded an $888,838 contract in November for construction of a ‘park and play’ whitewater feature in the Colorado River. A [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Safety on 09. May, 2009 | No Comments
Swimming in the Grand River? Fishing, rafting or kayaking in that water?! Sure, why not? The water quality of the Grand, as it flows through downtown Grand Rapids, is actually GOOD! As a matter of fact, it is as good as that of renowned scenic trout stream, the Rogue River, a major upstream Grand River [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Advocacy, Whitewater Parks on 28. Apr, 2009 | No Comments
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 is your next big opportunity to make a difference in our community. Join us at 6:30 pm at Harrison Park Elementary School 1440 Davis Ave NW. This is the final draft session of the Green Grand Rapids Process. Nothing is more ‘cool’ than getting involved.
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater, Whitewater Parks on 24. Apr, 2009 | No Comments
Posted by Chip Richards in Safety on 20. Apr, 2009 | No Comments
Grand Rapids currently has 5 low head dams downtown. They are also known as drowning machines. Most fishermen are aware of the inherent dangers and know to avoid them. “I thought maybe it was gonna be a little dam that I could go over like the whitewater rafters. It didn’t work out like that,” said [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 30. Mar, 2009 | No Comments
I love the DeVos Place convention center. This sort of forward thinking architecture makes me proud to live in Grand Rapids. The designers and structural engineer worked to blend the facility with its downtown surroundings and the Grand River. The waved roof and rolling structure over the Grand Gallery create a five-sided building that offers [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Advocacy on 27. Mar, 2009 | No Comments
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