# Grand River Dam Removal



## 101thwacK (Sep 7, 2017)

Still not sure how I feel about the subject. I like the idea of rivers in their most natural state but at the same time this will drastically change a world class fishery. Opinion aside, I was looking to see if there was an updated timeline on this today and found this document. Its the most detailed info I have found thus far. Just thought I'd share.

http://riverforall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/River-for-All-Reveal-Presentation.pdf


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## oworm (Jun 1, 2017)

There's already a thread for this: https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/6th-street-dam-removal.623278/


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## oworm (Jun 1, 2017)

101thwacK said:


> a world class fishery.


I visit it almost every day and fish downstream of it. Of all the fish I see caught, the prevailing methods used don't conjur up the description of 'Fishery' or 'World Class'

If 6th St Dam is world class, this must be heaven:


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## Benz (Sep 25, 2010)

I enjoy fishing 6th street. It's a mile from my house if I want to wade or put the boat in on the ramp there. I like running up from Veterans as well when it's not freezing cold, but I wish it was about half the distance. With an 8 month old baby, I don't have time to run up north every weekend like I did when I was younger, and having great fishing at home allows me to get my weekly fix, event if it's on a weekday morning to avoid the crowds. I will miss it when it's gone for sure. I would also consider it one of the best places to catch steelhead in the state, including some hogs. Some people might consider that to be the definition of world class, others might think world class means a place of natural creation that has great opportunity for large fish, and many of them. Not everyone has the time or money to travel to destinations where the fishing is comparable but not due to man-made conditions. Sad truth is there isn't a lot of natural created places left on SW Michigan Rivers.

Like many others, I don't like to see all the bad apples that come out during the salmon run and early steelhead runs and fish from the ramp with 5' leaders and yarn, but that's part of the gig when you have such great fishing in a major city. The only thing you can do is hope the DNR enforces the law and that the anglers grow up and adjust their methods to more sporting ways as the learn the sport. 

I reviewed the plans this morning and I like what I see overall. Although it is just a proposal and will likely have lots of changes. https://grandrapidswhitewater.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/GRRbannerSM.pdf
I think the fishing will still be good downtown, but there will be many more places to fish and less stacking next to the dam where they are picked off one by one. Seeing people use the construction dam under the highway right now, and have good success, shows how many more spots will be available to anglers when the plan is completed. I wouldn't care if it was left alone, but I'd also rather see some more opportunity that isn't in front of a dam for waders, and I think this will provide that. Also there will be changes made no matter what at this point so if you're not in favor of it, reach out and work with the committee to see the changes you want.


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## STEELnICE (Dec 4, 2007)

Anglers boosting their fragile egos by beating on fish trapped at a dam is the furthest thing from what I would consider world class fishing. Completely devoid of scenery, 6th st. is one of the easiest places for an amateur to convince themselves they are an expert. To be world class fishing for me, one of the first requirements is that there's not a man made structure in sight so Grand Rapids can never be that. It will be a great opportunity for some anglers to learn to catch fish that have free roam of the river.


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## oworm (Jun 1, 2017)

STEELnICE said:


> Anglers boosting their fragile egos by beating on fish trapped at a dam is the furthest thing from what I would consider world class fishing.
> 
> 
> > Exactly! There's a difference between fishing and catching fish. Any fool can cast a lure into a pot of fish and hook something. Convincing a fish to eat your bait however evens the odds and and levels the playing field.
> ...


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

STEELnICE said:


> Anglers boosting their fragile egos by beating on fish trapped at a dam is the furthest thing from what I would consider world class fishing. Completely devoid of scenery, 6th st. is one of the easiest places for an amateur to convince themselves they are an expert. To be world class fishing for me, one of the first requirements is that there's not a man made structure in sight so Grand Rapids can never be that. It will be a great opportunity for some anglers to learn to catch fish that have free roam of the river.


What river do you fish? The fish can pass that dam as apposed to the mo... the big man...kazoo...if you don't wanna have big number days and wanna work hard for your fish that's up to you. If I wanna put the boat in for 2 hours and have a bomb down every few drifts that mine. I have and do fish every bigger and many smaller rivers on the west side and my conclusion is I like to catch chrome and if I can catch 30 a day it's a better day than freezing my ass off for 5. Bottum line is they are removing a great fishery and the next dam up will be more crowded the fish will spread more than they do already and it will become another a great day is 10 fish river.


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## Riverdude (Dec 21, 2017)

Worst part is, for the 4 or so yrs, we have left before the dam is removed, we have to deal with the construction jetty.
The jetty has that river messed up.
I was there all day Thursday, and 95% of the fish hooked were in the boils.
Never used to be that way.
I hate fishing the boils, but I'm not gonna call the guys that fish there snaggers.


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## oworm (Jun 1, 2017)

Riverdude said:


> I hate fishing the boils, but I'm not gonna call the guys that fish there snaggers.


I visit the Westside almost everyday. Most of the guys fishing nearest the bank cast straight toward to ladder opening and most of the fish caught are snagged. I saw at least 6 fish caught within ten minutes one day last week, all snagged and all strung. I'm sending updates directly to the DNR. GRPD came and caught three of them. If your snagging at 6th Street, the chances are I will see you. If you look across and see a guy on his phone after you have kept a snagged fish you are welcome to leave the water and have a short conversation with me about it.


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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

NOW your talkin!


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

oworm said:


> I visit the Westside almost everyday. Most of the guys fishing nearest the bank cast straight toward to ladder opening and most of the fish caught are snagged. I saw at least 6 fish caught within ten minutes one day last week, all snagged and all strung. I'm sending updates directly to the DNR. GRPD came and caught three of them. If your snagging at 6th Street, the chances are I will see you. If you look across and see a guy on his phone after you have kept a snagged fish you are welcome to leave the water and have a short conversation with me about it.


While I hate that it happens and if you did then I'm glad it's odd you see all of this snagging day in and day out I'm there 3 or 4 times a week watching haven't had time to fish and haven't seen a foul fish kept from the bank since spring. You must be there at the exact right time when nobody sees this daily


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

oworm said:


> I visit the Westside almost everyday. Most of the guys fishing nearest the bank cast straight toward to ladder opening and most of the fish caught are snagged. I saw at least 6 fish caught within ten minutes one day last week, all snagged and all strung. I'm sending updates directly to the DNR. GRPD came and caught three of them. If your snagging at 6th Street, the chances are I will see you. If you look across and see a guy on his phone after you have kept a snagged fish you are welcome to leave the water and have a short conversation with me about it.


Are you a Game warden?


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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

hey sparky,nobody kept any foul hooked fish this salmon season???thought it was a daily thing.it used to be.esp at east side launch and at ladder.


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## slightofhand (Jul 21, 2010)

This dam is never going to be removed. There is zero confidence or proven ability for an inflatable/removable lamprey barrier as they have proposed to handle epic flooding, full size trees, and huge ice jams that occur almost every spring now.....spanning that massive distance across. The group behind this may get all the money and planning in the world to fund this, but when it comes down to brass tacks some group, likely backed by the DNR and other conservation groups, will file a lawsuit in the eleventh hour against the dam removal/reconstruction people on those grounds and tie this thing up in court for decades. Until then fish on boys! The dam is a great spot for guys with limited time or even skill to go and rail on fish....thats a good thing for those who are into that.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

slowpaya said:


> hey sparky,nobody kept any foul hooked fish this salmon season???thought it was a daily thing.it used to be.esp at east side launch and at ladder.


Never said that. I'm sure there was lots. No where near as many as the PM. Or man. Or betsie. Just funny someone stops for a few minutes and see more than I have all season. AND FWIW I call too if i see it. Actually have co's number in my phone and talk with him if needed. East side is a different ball game I'm speaking of west side as he was.


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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

west side is a hotspot too,the dam is coming out


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## Benz (Sep 25, 2010)

Riverdude said:


> Worst part is, for the 4 or so yrs, we have left before the dam is removed, we have to deal with the construction jetty.
> The jetty has that river messed up.
> I was there all day Thursday, and 95% of the fish hooked were in the boils.
> Never used to be that way.
> I hate fishing the boils, but I'm not gonna call the guys that fish there snaggers.


Lots of great fishing besides the boils. I've hooked 30+ fish is the last 2 times I was out not at the dam. Each trip was only a couple hours.


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## oworm (Jun 1, 2017)

Sparky23 said:


> Just funny someone stops for a few minutes and see more than I have all season. .


It was longer than a few minutes. I usually spend an average of 45 minutes each time I am around there. Sometime I watch from a distance


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## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

It is a great place to watch fist fights, its an awesome place for people watching, and best of all are the so called experts. 

I mean where else can you get that type of entertainment for free??


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

STEELnICE said:


> Anglers boosting their fragile egos by beating on fish trapped at a dam is the furthest thing from what I would consider world class fishing. Completely devoid of scenery, 6th st. is one of the easiest places for an amateur to convince themselves they are an expert. To be world class fishing for me, one of the first requirements is that there's not a man made structure in sight so Grand Rapids can never be that. It will be a great opportunity for some anglers to learn to catch fish that have free roam of the river.


Again what rivers do you fish? Just funny you guys would rather b1tch about guys catching fish than catch them yourselves. I mean I know I am out there snagging with my pin lol probably am doing the same on the mo too. If you don't like ok. Then go fish a river with a true impassable dam and act like the grand is so awful. I'll gladly take 20 30 40 fish days on the pin and have a blast fighting steel as often as i was bluegill fishing lol


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## Magik (Jul 24, 2018)

I'm not sure I understand the need to bash each other over a topic that we all are aware is, at this point, an inevitability. The funding is nearly there, the permits are nearly there, and phase 1 is scheduled to start within the next 6 months. 

The plans themselves present awesome opportunities. The bottom structures that are planned present returning species with areas to hold up and rest behind. Will it be challenging, absolutely, and that's something that every fisherman should enjoy. What I found most favorable about the plans is the area over which they cover. This will greatly open up a sizable section of the Grand and allow greater room of movement for fish and fisherman alike. That said, I've not seen a plan yet that called for the complete damn removal. More like a 1/3 to possible 1/2 of the middle section removed and a hydraulic fish ladder installed in phase 3-4 (last phase). 

Naturally just my $.02 but I fail to see how a clean up (god knows what's in that river section currently) and revitalization that will making fishing more sporting is construed as a "bad thing".


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