GRAND RAPIDS — After nearly two decades of planning, Grand Rapids officials gathered recently for a ceremonial groundbreaking on a project to remove four low-head dams from the Grand River, a key step toward restoring the city’s namesake rapids.
Community leaders gathered at Gillett Bridge in downtown Grand Rapids, where they took part in a Blessing of the Waters and ceremonially placed the first rocks into the river. The $14.6 million project is expected to take about two years to complete.
Here’s a closer look at what the project does, how it evolved and what comes next:…