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.