It’s been decades in the making, but it’s officially happening: the rapids are returning to the Grand River. This project has experienced so many setbacks over the years that most people didn’t think it would ever reach completion. But only a few short months from now, construction inside the Grand River will begin to remove the dams that have long altered the river’s flow.
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But it’s been a long road to get to this point. Here’s when rapids will return and how the City got to this point after years of trying.
The Grand Rapids Project: A Brief Summary
Since Grand Rapids White Water began its mission to bring the rapids back to the river in 2009, it has faced rejection or delays for much of that time, including as recently as 2023. But in 2024, the project was approved by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), but it hit yet another snag after the final federal review took longer than expected, leading to further delays.
But now, it is officially official (for real this time): the project has received the necessary funding from the Grand Rapids City Commission to remove the four dams in the Grand River, with construction beginning in July of 2025. The dams will be replaced with rocks and boulders to act as a natural dam, allowing the rapids to return.
Why The Rapids Were Removed 100 Years Ago
Before Grand Rapids was known as Beer City, it was known as Furniture City and had a major lumber industry. The river’s powerful rapids were used to transport logs downriver. However, due to the rapids’ uncontrollable nature, logging jams were known to occur, as in 1883, and flooding was a consistent issue.
To better harness the river for both logging and hydroelectric energy, a series of dams was built from 1849 to 1926. While these 5-6 dams successfully controlled the river’s nature, the downside was that the river lost its rapids, becoming what it is today…