It’s Official: Michigan Approves The ‘Rapids’ Returning To Grand Rapids

Growing up in Grand Rapids, it was always a mystery to me why the city was called Grand Rapids when the Grand River was anything but grand. For little ol' me, seeing a body of water so close and not being allowed to get in it was torture. It always felt like the river was underused.

It seems I haven't been alone in this belief because there has been an organization that has been attempting to persuade the city to bring the rapids back to the river for over 15 years. Finally, Grand Rapids White Water has crossed the final hurdle needed to complete its mission.

⬇️REVISIT THE 2013 GRAND RIVER FLOOD⬇️

Where Did The Rapids Go?

Before we get into the milestone that was reached just before 2024 was over, we first need to go back nearly 100 years to the last time Grand Rapids had its grand rapids, as they say.

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 uncontrollable nature of the rapids, logging jams were known to take place like in 1883 and flooding was a consistent issue.

To better harness the river for both logging and hydroelectric energy, a series of dams were built from 1849 to 1926. While these 5-6 dams did successfully control the nature of the river, the downside of these dams was that the river lost its rapids, becoming how we know it today.

However, organizations like Grand Rapids White Water have planned how to return the rapids to the river while keeping the river under control, creating natural dams using rocks and boulders.

Restoration Project Becomes EGLE Approved

While the project has been meticulously planned out and parts of the project have already begun, the overall project has struggled to get approval, with the project facing rejection as recently as 2023. 

After being sent back to the drawing board, the project has officially been approved by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) which has issued a permit for the project. The project now only needs approval from the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. If all goes as planned, construction could start as early as July 2025.