Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 29. Jul, 2010 | 0 Comments
“A creative economy is the fuel of magnificence.” Ralph Waldo Emerson. Have you noticed Grand Rapids has been doing a magnificent job with our new creative economy? Medical Mile is world class with the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Lack’s Cancer Research Center and now Michigan State University Medical School. Look at the $70 million LEED [...]
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 [...]
Regarding the return of rapids to the Grand, the Michigan DNR went on record saying, “We’re very open to the idea of doing this on the Grand River. We think it would actually probably improve the fish habitat in that area. And, you know, one of the reasons of course we’re supportive too is it creates [...]
WARNING: Stay away from the 6th St and Bridgewater dams. Exit the river above the Fish Ladder (we use the East side, upriver of Sixth St) and put in below Bridge St at Ah-Nab-Awen Park. The foremost priority of GRWW is river safety. Our organization is focused on remediating the inherent dangers of the lowhead [...]
If nothing else, we need to make our river safer. The lowhead dam, top, is referred to as a drowning machine. Replacing the existing lowheads, known locally, and erroneously as cofferdams, would create a safer experience for river users. Lowhead dams produce a dangerous, perfect hydraulic that is difficult to navigate and too often impossible [...]
April 24, 2010. We have the rest of the story. The two fishermen refused to talk on camera, but we have an eyewitness account of the near tragedy. Another story of a capsized boat and near drowning at one of five lowhead dams, downtown. The two men were motoring up river on the East side, [...]
Rapid Magazine, an international paddling publication, recently picked up our story. Stay tuned for the article.
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 02. Oct, 2009 | 2 Comments
Art Prize Paddle in the Grand. It’s a Nessie Float. This Sunday, paddles wet at 2:00 pm. Be at Ah-Nab-Awen Park early, early to off load your sea, recreational or whitewater kayak, canoe or raft. We’ll watch your stuff while you park your car down river at the Amtrak over flow lot on the SW [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 24. Sep, 2009 | No Comments
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 19. Sep, 2009 | No Comments
Posted by Chip Richards in Advocacy, Economy, Whitewater on 17. Sep, 2009 | 1 Comment
Check out these fun and informative videos made by Mr John Rumery’s summer term Sports Marketing 361 class. It’s wonderful to see the youth getting involved with this historic project. Put the rapids back in the Grand!
Posted by Chip Richards in Economy, Whitewater on 13. Sep, 2009 | 2 Comments
They are installing rapids right now in Chesaning, MI on the Shiawassee River. “This project is sort of like a template for the entire state, maybe even the entire country. It’s the largest one we’ve got in the state of Michigan,” Kahn said.
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 27. Aug, 2009 | 1 Comment
Chris Fryer | The Saginaw News Pete’s Contracting excavator operator Aaron VandenBos of Falmouth moves rocks into place as part of a project involving the construction of nine rock barriers that decline down river to create a flow of rapids where the Chesaning Dam used to exist in the Shiawassee River next to Cole Park [...]
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 13. Aug, 2009 | No Comments
This is video from an artificial whitewater park in Golden, Colorado. The waves are man made. They look and behave naturally. By removing the dangerous and unsightly lowhead dams down stream of the fishing dam on our Grand River, we have room for several of these beautiful features. Imagine rapids in the Grand for Grand [...]
Posted by Mike Devarenne in Whitewater on 11. Aug, 2009 | 1 Comment
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.
Posted by Chip Richards in Whitewater on 06. Aug, 2009 | No Comments
You know by now, we’re big sturgeon fans. The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water were most readily caught during this month. Check out Sturgeon For Tomorrow http://www.sturgeonfortomorrow.org/
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