GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — While Grand Rapids got its name from the Grand River, the rapids that used to flow through the water disappeared more than 150 years ago.
That's when dams were put in place leaving the river mostly stagnant. Grand Rapids Whitewater, a non-profit corporation, aims to change that.
Efforts are still underway to bring the rapids back to the Grand River, and public comments will be heard about one portion of the project — the cultural resource mitigation plan.
The plan involves the removal of four dams, all of which are eligible for a listing on the national register of historic places.
That's because federal grant money is being used for this project and there are specific requirements. One of those requirements looks at the impact of the project.
"Essentially what we're doing with these mitigation plans is we put those different things like taking pictures and sharing any artifacts that we find with the public museum. Updating signage along the river to just document the role that these dams played in the history of Grand Rapids, so we preserve that for future generations," said Matt Chapman, chief program officer of Grand Rapids Whitewater.
Once those dams are removed they will be replaced with four different amenities that will create waves.
The cost of the project is roughly $45-million.
Grand Rapids Whitewater wants to hear from you. The public comment period starts today (Nov. 10) and runs for 30 days.
A virtual meeting will be held tonight at 7 and then again on Nov. 29 at noon.
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