view the Grand Rapids Whitewater Request for Qualifications.

Conceptual photograph of proposed rapids near Amway Grand Plaza ©Simon

Our rapids are grand, or at least they may be, once again. There is a lot of talk of a “kayak park” being built downtown on the Grand River. Yes, there could be new recreational opportunities for the river, new whitewater adventure sports like kayaking and canoeing, but the real goal of GRWW is to restore the river to a more natural looking waterway for everyone to enjoy. In, on or around.

Grand River prior to restoration.

Download an updated version of the Green Grand Rapids, Special Study Grand River Whitewater Park Preferred Alternative, prepared for the City of Grand Rapids. (It’s a large file, so be patient — it’s worth the wait!)

This report investigates the benefits and challenges of a whitewater park in Grand Rapids.

Here is an excerpt from the report introduction:

The Green Grand Rapids process, undertaken in 2008-09, serves to update the City of Grand Rapids’ city-wide Master Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan by addressing a range of green infrastructure issues. Several special studies were conducted to illustrate the application of draft Green Grand Rapids recommendations including concept plans for three parks and concepts for expanding recreational opportunities along the Grand River.

The report also includes this quote from Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell:

“We are fully committed to a clean Grand River. Already the Grand is a top flight fishery; now imagine our river downtown with a kayak course, canoeing and pleasure boating. Think of the opportunities for development along the river with restaurants and cafes looking over the water while the river edges remain accessible for strolling in three seasons. The river has always been at the center of our community and, with its restoration it will again define us as the people of this place.”
~ Mayor George Heartwell January 2009, State of the City Speech

"Water is the best of all things." - Pindar (c. 522 BC - c. 438 BC), Olympian Odes

Swimming in the Grand River?  Fishing, rafting or kayaking in that water?!  Sure, why not?  The water quality of the Grand, as it flows through downtown Grand Rapids, is actually GOOD!  As a matter of fact, it is as good as that of renowned scenic trout stream, the Rogue River, a major upstream Grand River tributary.  What about after a big rain event?

No worries.  The new PARCC (Plainfield, Alpine, Rockford, Cannon and Cortland) Side Facility is up and running.  It is not your typical sewage treatment plant.  Located upriver at Lamoreaux Park off Coit Ave., this clean water plant really produces clean water.  Not just cleaner-than-sewage and being able to meet the minimum pollution standards allowed by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. EPA, the effluent is as clean or cleaner than the waters of the Grand River to which it is discharged, and it is probably clean enough for someone to drink as a demonstration. 

As for the infamous storm water run off,  the untreated sewage overflow problems Grand Rapids has been known for?  That all takes place downstream at Market Ave.  

The City of Grand Rapids has spent 210 million dollars on sewer upgrades since the 1980’s. That expenditure has reduced the total volume of untreated sewage discharged annually into the Grand by 99.74 percent.

The city will spend 260 million dollars by 2019, the deadline to eliminate the remaining 26 hundredths of a percent of sewage overflow. The year 2019 is specified in an agreement between the Grand Rapids and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as the year by which the city will address the remaining 7 of its original 59 sewer overflow sites. 

Study From The City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department 

The water quality index (WQI) is a statistic designed to closely approximate state and national WQI’s as published on the Internet and elsewhere.  The usual factors that enter into its calculation are: the percent saturation of dissolved oxygen, the change in temperature from a reference temperature (usually the most upstream from heat sources), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total solids, fecal coliform counts, phosphate, nitrate, and turbidity. For each parameter, a Q-statistic is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, 100 being best. 

Phase One and Two of the proposed whitewater installation would be constructed from approximately 6th St down to Fulton.  See the graphs below for water quality in that section of the river measured upstream at knapp and downstream at wealthy.  

For the entire published study, visit  http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=1958

“The ‘preferred alternative’ outlines 2 phases for improving recreational opportunities in the Grand River. Phase 1 consists of two tasks: modifying the dams downstream of the 4th street dam…”

“The Green Grand Rapids process is a process employed to engage citizens in the creation of a new master plan and zoning ordinance. The City is required to update its Master Plan and Parks and Recreation Plan every five years. Instead of passing a short bureaucratic resolution to update the plans, the City of Grand Rapids Planning Department and Parks and Recreation Department view this as an opportunity to initiate a citywide green infrastructure master planning process called Green Grand Rapids that will focus on quality of life and the physical development of community infrastructure as it relates to greening, connectivity, natural systems, the Grand River, recreation and public health.” Visit Green Grand Rapids

A meeting was held Wed. Jan 14, 2009 at the Eberhard Center, GVSU, Grand Rapids, to discuss the following alternatives regarding recreational use of the Grand River, downtown;

· Enhance the small, beautification dams downstream of the 4th Street dam to create a rapids experience, and possibly construct an easily accessible and safe portage around the 4th Street dam.

· Construct a manmade kayak course, parallel to the river, through Sixth Street Park on the east side or at the location of the Fish Ladder on the west side.

· Modify the 4th Street dam by partially removing a center or side section of the dam, to funnel the flow and create a challenging kayaking course for experienced and recreational paddlers.

· Completely remove the 4th Street dam and construct rapids at various challenge levels to allow a complete river run through the Grand Rapids area with no portages required.

Over 60 kayakers, canoeists and fishermen attended. Most agreed the fishing dam should stay.

On March 23, 2009, we received the following good news, a notification, regarding the Grand River Recreation Opportunities project, from Ms. Wendi Ogilvie, senior environmental specialist with FTC&H, the engineering firm hired to consult with Green Grand Rapids:

To Grand River project contacts, below is an updated schedule for the Grand River Recreation Opportunities project since many of you haven’t heard from me for awhile. We have been working with the various interest groups to get a draft report to the City for their initial approval of the “preferred alternative”. As noted in the schedule, the draft report will be posted on the Green Grand Rapids website for the public’s review early next month.

The “preferred alternative” outlines 2 phases for improving recreational opportunities in the Grand River. Phase 1 consists of two tasks: modifying the dams downstream of the 4th street dam to allow small watercrafts to float through downtown, and creating additional access points for portages around the 4th street dam and other places to enter and leave the river safely. Phase 2 includes the construction of a rapids run on the east side of the 4th street dam, the extent of which will be explored through a more in-depth feasibility study. The Final Report will include the benefits and challenges of the project, examples from other cities, illustrations, concept level cost estimates, and potential funding sources.
3/27 – Send draft River Recreation Opportunities Report to City for review.
4/10 – Respond to comments and submit to City for final approval.
4/15 – Finalize report with illustrations and related resources and send to City to post on the Green Grand Rapids website.
4/15 – Email notice of website posting of draft River Recreation Opportunities Final Report to stakeholder groups for comments, due by 4/27.
4/28 to 5/8 – Revise and finalize River Recreation Opportunities Report.
5/13 – Present “preferred alternative” at breakout session during Green Gathering #3
Thanks to all who have contributed ideas and energy to this process. Looking forward to seeing you at the May 13, Green Gathering #3.
Wendy

Picture this. Below are before and after photos of a low head dam modification project completed on the Midtown Dam on the Red River in Fargo, ND.

Never again will a visitor to our city be overheard saying, “…but, where are the rapids? Why do they call it Grand Rapids?!”