GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The City of Grand Rapids is one step closer to restoring the Grand River.
On Wednesday, officials submitted a permit application for a modified design for the Grand River restoration project to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
The city has worked with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and EGLE to reach a design plan they agreed on over the past year. The lower reach area of the Grand River extends from just north of Bridge Street south to Fulton Street.
Proposed work includes removing four low head dams and installing tons of natural rock and boulders in the river.
The project was first introduced in 2009. It includes the following improvements:
- Removal of the four low head dams
- Installation and placement of natural rock and boulders, including four unique boulder arch structures to create rapids and provide fish passage
- Addition of three boulder vane structures for greater access along the banks
- Installation of approximately 125 scattered habitat boulders to help restore the river’s historical flow and river-bottom diversity and create resting areas for fish
- Placement of nearly 5,000 tons of boulder and 15,000 tons of small, rounded rocks in the river
“We are very appreciative of the teams at EGLE and the DNR for the significant time they spent with our team over the past year to arrive at this latest plan,” Deputy City Manager Kate Berens said. “We’re optimistic that this new iteration of the Grand River restoration project allows us to achieve the shared goals we outlined together last March, including improved fish passage and habitat. We are confident that with the shared focus of our team and the state agencies, we will successfully make it through the permitting process with this design.”
Last week, city commissioners accepted a $7 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for mussel relocation, the removal of dams and installation of rock substrate in the Grand River.
The mussel relocation is expected to begin this summer pending approval. If all goes to plan, main construction on the river would begin in 2025.
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