GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Crews working in the Grand River below the downtown Grand Rapids skyline are partway through removing four low-head dams and rebuilding the river bottom with rock meant to bring back the rapids that gave the city its name.
The work covers 30 acres of river corridor and 2,887 feet of channel. In place of the concrete walls, the design calls for a boulder arch structure, constructed riffles, scattered habitat boulders and bank vanes. A key target is lake sturgeon, which need coarse rock, fast current and oxygen-rich water to spawn.
In-river construction started on July 1, with the Taplin Group, the city contractor, building causeways so equipment can move safely through the water. A small cofferdam isolates a section of Dam 2 while the boulder arch is built. Ah-Nab-Awen Park will remain closed during this phase.
The city says the project aims to restore the rapids, improve public safety, restore habitat for native Great Lakes fish and mussel species, and improve river access. A second construction season is anticipated for summer 2027.
The Grand River is Michigan’s longest river, flowing 252 miles before emptying into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven.
