Project
Overview

The purpose of the project is to Restore the rapids, improve public safety, restore aquatic habitat diversity and suitability for native Great lakes fish and mussel species and enhance river access and use.

Construction funding comes from state and local government funding, private funding, and  $11,026,695 in Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program funding to support the Lower Grand River Habitat Restoration from the the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service.

In February 2026 the City of Grand Rapids issued a construction contract to Taplin Inc. in the amount of $14,562,625.98 with total expenditures not to exceed $25,982,101. This amount includes the costs of the construction contract, previously authorized preconstruction and environmental professional services, previously authorized mussel relocation services, previously authorized Grand Rapids Whitewater capital, easements, permitting, testing, and monitoring, public information, construction phase services by RiverRestoration.Org LLC, construction phase services by Viridis, 2026 mussel relocation by BioSurvey Group, fish relocation by Encompass Socio-Ecological Consulting, administration, and an approximate twelve percent allowance for contingencies.

The design for the Lower Reach Project has occurred over many years with significant input and coordination with state and federal regulatory agencies. 

Lower Reach Design Highlights: 

• Once constructed, four dangerous low-head dams will be removed from the river and there will be rapids in Grand Rapids once again.
• The four low-head dams will be replaced with two channel wide grade control structures constructed of rock, boulder, and alluvium that replicate natural channel design principles desired by Michigan Department of Energy Great Lakes and Environment (EGLE) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
• The design will incorporate over 125 scattered habitat boulders to improve aquatic habitat and flow diversity.
• The habitat boulders will create whitewater and replicate the boulder strewn rapids historically believed to be present in the Lower Reach of the river.
• Three j-hook structures have been incorporated into the design at the river edges to create segments of slower water to enhance river access and use.
• The design will significantly improve fish passage and available spawning habitat in this reach of the river compared to the existing condition.
• The project no longer contains the previously proposed “standing whitewater wave features,” however removing the dangerous dams will provide increased opportunities for recreational access and use. Angling, wading, tubing, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities will be enhanced. Whitewater paddling opportunities may exist at some river flows.
• Boating anglers will still be able to navigate the river under similar water levels as they do with the existing stretch of the river.
• The Sixth Street dam will not be impacted by the Lower Reach project. Future discussions on potentially removing the Sixth Street Dam will be led by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission and there will be a separate environmental review and permitting process associated with that project.

All required State and Federal permits necessary for construction to begin have been secured by the City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids WhiteWater. 

Federal Approvals:

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Biological Opinion on August 14, 2024 indicating that effects of the proposed projection are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the federally endangered snuffbox mussel. The Biological Opinion outlines specific conservation measures that must be followed before, during, and after construction to reduce impacts to federally endangered species.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reviewed the proposed project and issued a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) on December 11, 2024 indicating the project would not cause an increase in flooding or the need for additional changes to the flood insurance rate maps.
• Due to federal funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under Public Law 83-566 regulations, a Watershed Protection Plan-Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) was developed to identify and address potential environmental impacts resulting from the proposed project. The NRCS issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in January of 2026 and a formal funding agreement with NRCS was signed in May of 2026.

State of Michigan Approvals:

• Following the required public notice and public comment period, EGLE issued a draft construction permit for the Lower Reach on December 20, 2024. A final EGLE permit was issued to the City of Grand Rapids on June 23, 2025.

In April of 2026, the City of Grand Rapids awarded a contract with the Taplin Group who will serve as the contractor for the project.

Ah-Nab-Awen Park will be the construction staging and access area for equipment to get into the river. Construction mobilization in the park began on May 18, 2026.

As a requirement of the State permit, construction cannot begin in the river until July 1, 2026 to ensure water levels at the Sixth Street Dam continue to block invasive Sea Lamprey.

The in-river construction is anticipated to take two construction seasons and conclude in the Fall of 2027 pending water levels and any weather delays. Construction activity in the river will pause over winter.  

Relocation of threatened and endangered mussels species was required prior to the start of construction. The project design has reduced the impacts to the endangered mussels to the greatest extent possible, but relocation was still required.

Relocating mussels prior to the start of construction will have the most ecological benefit for these species. Changes to in-stream habitat are anticipated to benefit threatened and endangered species, fish hosts, and other fish species.

Relocation of state threatened and federally endangered freshwater mussel species occurred in the Lower Reach Project Area during the summer of 2024. An area of 45,000 square meters, roughly the size of eight football fields, was searched and 9,040 mussels were relocated to other suitable habitat areas in the Grand River. This includes 6,933 common mussel species, 2,069 state listed species, and 38 federally endangered species.