Mussel relocation marks milestone to restore the namesake rapids

Mussel relocation marks milestone to restore the namesake rapids

Published on August 22, 2024

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - After 15 years of diligent and meticulous planning, the City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Whitewater project team working to restore the Grand Rapids' namesake rapids in the Grand River, has announced a monumental milestone. Divers and biologists will soon begin mussel relocation in the Grand River through October.

The proposed river restoration project design reduces impacts to the federally endangered mussels to the greatest extent possible including relocation of these natural inhabitants. This relocation is required before starting the in-river construction to remove low head dams and restore the rapids.

In May, the City Commission approved a $1.26 million contract with BioSurvey Group for mussel relocation services. A $7 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will fund mussel relocation, the removal of lower head dams and installation of rock substrate for the Grand River Revitalization project.

The City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Whitewater project team - in consultation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Environment, and the Great Lakes, and Energy, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - determined that mussel relocation through October provides the most ecological benefit prior to the anticipated start of river construction in 2025.

During the operation, up to four dive teams will search an area about the size of eight football fields for federally endangered Snuffbox Mussel (Epioblasma Triquetra), State threatened and endangered mussels, and other common mussel species. Mussels will be recovered, identified, counted and marked for future monitoring before being relocated. Crews will move each to nearby locations in the Grand River that offer suitable habitat based on the species' water flow and substrate needs.

This year's salmon run downtown in the Grand River will happen during the mussel relocation operation. Anglers fishing from boats, wading the rapids and shallows, or from shore are asked to use caution in and stay at least 100 feet away from divers working during this time to relocate the Snuffbox Mussels. Divers will be in the Grand River from Fulton Street to I-196.

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said this in-river work is a significant step in the Grand River restoration project which will revitalize the lower reach of the Grand River from Bridge to Fulton streets.

"I am excited for this stage of the restoration project to begin as it signals the physical start of bringing the rapids back to Grand Rapids," she said. "It's been a long time coming and I can't thank Grand Rapids Whitewater enough for its visionary leadership in getting us to this pivotal point. Even though it's just the beginning, bringing the rapids back to the Grand River has spurred future access to the river. Developments already underway along the river - from the Public Museum riverfront expansion, to the new Lyon's Edge park renovation, to the Acrisure Amphitheater - are significant placemaking, community building, and equitable projects, that will make the Grand River, A River For All."

Grand Rapids Whitewater Executive Director Matt Chapman said improving the aquatic habitat for threatened and endangered fish and mussel species has always been a key goal of revitalizing the Grand River to ensure it remains a healthy, safe and vibrant resource for all to enjoy for generations to come.

"Mussel relocation is one of the ways we're doing just that," he said. "We want to preserve and protect the existing mussels in the river prior to construction activities, but the project is also anticipated to improve habitat areas for these species. It has taken years to get to this point, but seeing divers in the river relocating mussels is a significant first step towards having rapids in Grand Rapids once again."

He explained that after processing, crews place mussels in mesh bags in flowing water until they can be transported to sites up and down the river that have similar species and habitat.

Snuffbox and other mussel species, clean the water through removal of algae, bacteria, and soil particles. They are also a food source for various fish and mammals such as river otters, raccoons and muskrats. The shells provide a solid surface for snails and other invertebrates to colonize. They also act as "biological rocks" to stabilize the river bottom. Some can live for hundreds of years providing environmental benefit for many decades.

The City and Grand Rapids Whitewater continue to work through complex state and federal permitting processes to receive the necessary permits for construction to occur in the river. Pending the outcome of that process, lower reach construction activities could begin in the summer of 2025.

To learn more about River For All and its transformational projects, please visit riverforall.com or follow it on Facebook.

Tagged as:

• Media Releases