Boardman River Explained

Boardman River
Name Other:Ottaway River, Boardman–Ottaway River
Map Size:300px
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:Michigan
Subdivision Type5:Cities
Subdivision Name5:Traverse City, South Boardman, Kalkaska
Length:28miles
Source1 Location:Union Township, Grand Traverse County

Confluence of North & South Branches, Michigan

Mouth Location:Grand Traverse Bay West Arm (Lake Michigan) in Traverse City
Progression:Boardman River → Grand Traverse Bay → Lake Michigan → Lake Huron
Tributaries Left:Kids Creek, Beitner Creek, Swainston Creek, Carpenter Creek, South Branch
Tributaries Right:North Branch

The Boardman River (), also known as the Ottaway River () or the Boardman–Ottaway River,[1] is a 28.2adj=midNaNadj=mid[2] river in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It rises in western Kalkaska County, and flows west and north through Grand Traverse County to end in downtown Traverse City at the Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. The river's watershed drains an area of 295sqmi through a combined 130miles of river and tributaries. Additionally, the Boardman River is considered one of the top ten trout streams in Michigan.[3]

History

Prior to European settlement, the river was known as adaawewiziibi, roughly translating from Ojibwe as "river of trade".

In the year 1847, Captain Horace Boardman of Naperville, Illinois, purchased land at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, at a river then known as the Ottaway River.[4] With the arrival of Hannah-Lay in the 1850s, the river was colloquially, and later officially, renamed the Boardman River. Recent movements have sought to change the name of the river to its original name, either in full or abbreviated (i.e. Boardman–Ottaway River)[5]

Later in 1800s, as Traverse City was first being settled, the Union Street Dam was being built by the Hannah-Lay Company as a saw mill. Around this time, citizens were dumping sewage into the Boardman, which was causing severe health problems. The lake became very industrialized. The western shore of the lake was used for a log rollaway and rail yard on the Great Lakes Central Railroad, up until the early 2000s.[6] Additionally, five dams were built along the main course of the river.

Restoration

Five dams were built along the main course of the Boardman River, in upstream order: the Union Street Dam, Sabin Dam, Boardman Dam, Keystone Dam, and Brown Bridge Dam.[7] In 1961, the Keystone Dam was washed out after flooding upstream.[8] On October 6, 2012, while preparing to demolish Brown Bridge Dam, the highest on the river and largest in terms of impoundment, a temporary structure put in place to facilitate drawdown at the dam was breached, flooding the river valley.[9] In June 2014 the Michigan DEQ issued a report identifying erosion around the temporary drawdown structure as the likely cause of the failure.[10] Brown Bridge Dam removal was completed in January 2013 and resulted in the reestablishment of 2.5 miles of river channel.

In 2017, Boardman Dam and its impoundment structure were demolished, along with an adjacent one-lane bridge carrying Cass Road over the river.[11] [12] A new bridge for Cass Road over the new future river channel was completed the previous year. With the removal of this dam, the watercourse was realigned under the new bridge for the first time.[13]

Sabin Dam was fully removed by the end of 2018.[14] This leaves Union Street Dam as the only remaining impoundment on the main course of the Boardman River. In early June 2024, light construction on the Union Street Dam began.[15] Some trees and the small building on the dam were removed in preparation for the heavy construction in July. The process is expected to be completed in 2027.

Course

The Boardman River follows a rather unusual course. The river rises from streams and swamps in Kalkaska County, flowing generally west–southwest to west until reaching Blair Township in Grand Traverse County, where the river turns due north. Upon exiting Boardman Lake, water flows northwesterly, before turning back due east, forming a U-shape around downtown Traverse City. The river then angles northeast, finally entering the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay.

Boardman Lake is a natural body of water along the course of the river, about a mile upstream from the river's mouth at Grand Traverse Bay. The lake is located within Traverse City and Garfield Township. This lake is also a popular recreational and fishing lake.[16] It has an abundance of bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sunfish, walleye, and yellow perch.[17]

Crossings

The following road bridges lay on the main course of the river, entirely within Grand Traverse County.

NameRouteTypeCityLocation
Murchie Bridge[18] US 31/M-37/M-72 (Grandview Parkway)State highwayTraverse City44.7647°N -85.613°W
Park Street Bridge[19] Park StreetCity street44.7646°N -85.6182°W
North Cass Street Bridge[20] Cass StreetCity street44.7648°N -85.6211°W
North Union Street Bridge[21] Union StreetCity street44.7649°N -85.6239°W
West Front Street Bridge[22] West Front StreetCity street44.7641°N -85.6274°W
Trunk Line BridgeUnion StreetCity street44.762°N -85.6238°W
American Legion Memorial BridgeCass StreetCity street44.7614°N -85.621°W
East Eighth Street Bridge[23] East Eighth StreetCity street44.7594°N -85.6166°W
South Airport Road North CulvertsSouth Airport Road (westbound)County roadGarfield Township44.7335°N -85.6166°W
South Airport Road South CulvertsSouth Airport Road (eastbound)County road44.7333°N -85.6166°W
Robbins Bridge[24] Cass RoadCounty road44.6987°N -85.6233°W
Beitner Road Bridge[25] Beitner RoadCounty roadBlair Township44.6749°N -85.6307°W
River Road West Bridge[26] River RoadCounty roadEast Bay Township44.647°N -85.6307°W
River Road East Bridge[27] River RoadCounty road44.6444°N -85.5358°W
Garfield Road Bridge[28] Garfield RoadCounty roadParadise Township44.637°N -85.5182°W
Brown Bridge Road West BridgeBrown Bridge RoadCounty road44.6423°N -85.5152°W
Brown Bridge Road Middle BridgeBrown Bridge RoadCounty roadUnion Township44.6517°N -85.4552°W
Brown Bridge Road East BridgeBrown Bridge RoadCounty road44.6568°N -85.4385°W
Supply Road BridgeSupply RoadCounty road44.6747°N -85.396°W

Drainage basin

The Boardman River drains the following municipalities (italicized municipalities are those which the river drains but does not flow through):[29]

The Boardman River is also drains the following lakes:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Clark . Sierra . March 20, 2022 . Rupture, recovery: Boardman-Ottaway River's future flows from past . August 20, 2022 . Traverse City Record-Eagle . en .
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011
  3. Book: Boardman River Natural River Plan . .
  4. H.S. . Tanner . 1836 . https://www.oldmapdownloads.com/michigan-old-map-scan-tanner-1836/ . An New Map of Michigan with Its Canals, Roads & Distances . Tanner's Universal Atlas . Not to scale . Philadelphia . H.S. Tanner . Old Map Downloads . November 17, 2017 .
  5. Web site: The Ottaway, A River Reborn . October 29, 2022 . Into The Outdoors . en-US .
  6. Web site: History . Grand Traverse Journal . en-US . November 17, 2017 .
  7. Web site: Dam Project . www.theboardman.org.
  8. Web site: Dams Grand Traverse Journal . October 29, 2022 . en-US.
  9. Web site: February 1, 2013 . Boardman Flood: Heartbreak, Relief, Questions . dead . https://archive.today/20130201040720/http://record-eagle.com/local/x1618663541/Boardman-flood-Heartbreak-relief-questions . February 1, 2013.
  10. Book: Brown Bridge Dam Failure Report . Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
  11. Web site: July 6, 2022 . Boardman River Watershed – The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay . October 29, 2022 . en-US.
  12. Web site: Scott . Allison . March 28, 2016 . Traffic rerouted for Cass Road Bridge construction . October 29, 2022 . Up North Live . WPBN-TV . en . Traverse City, Michigan.
  13. Web site: Pagan . Gabriella . September 21, 2016 . Traverse City native, 85, first to cross Cass Road Bridge . October 29, 2022 . Up North Live . WPBN-TV . en . Traverse City, Michigan.
  14. theboardman.org
  15. Web site: Monroe . Josh . May 20, 2024 . FishPass construction set to begin in Traverse City on Tuesday, May 21 . live . https://archive.today/20240709184545/https://www.9and10news.com/2024/05/16/fishpass-construction-set-to-begin-in-traverse-city-on-tuesday-may-21/ . July 9, 2024 . July 9, 2024 . 9&10 News . en-US.
  16. Web site: Boardman Lake Fishing-Maps-Fish Species-Depth-Size-Boat Access . www.fishmich.com . February 13, 2018 .
  17. News: Boardman Lake . Lake-Link . February 13, 2018 .
  18. Web site: Mahieu . Devon . June 28, 2019 . Murchie Bridge in Traverse City experiencing high water levels . October 29, 2022 . Up North Live . Traverse City, Michigan . WPBN-TV. en .
  19. Web site: Park Street Bridge . October 29, 2022 . HistoricBridges.org .
  20. Web site: North Cass Street Bridge . October 29, 2022 . HistoricBridges.org .
  21. Web site: North Union Street Bridge . October 29, 2022 . HistoricBridges.org .
  22. Web site: West Front Street Bridge Opens July 1st . October 29, 2022 . City of Traverse City . en .
  23. Web site: Eighth Street Bridge Work Starts This Week . October 29, 2022 . The Ticker: Traverse City News & Events .
  24. Web site: River - Paddle Middle Boardman . October 29, 2022 . Grand Traverse Conservation District . en-US .
  25. Web site: Beitner Road over Boardman River, Grand Traverse County, Michigan . October 29, 2022 . BridgeReports.com .
  26. Web site: March 14, 2021 . River Road in Grand Traverse County to Close Starting Monday . October 29, 2022 . 9 & 10 News . Cadillac, Michigan . WWTV-TV . en-US .
  27. Web site: East River Road - Grand Traverse County, MI . October 29, 2022 . Valmont Structures 2018 .
  28. Web site: Link . Mardi . Bridges over expensive water: Bids for repair rise high . October 29, 2022 . Traverse City Record-Eagle . en .
  29. Web site: 11363116-large.jpg (Boardman River Watershed) . MLive.com . June 12, 2018 .