The first phase of the Grand River restoration is underway.
Started on June 1, the two-year construction project focuses on the “Lower Reach,” which spans from I‑196 to Fulton Street. The City Commission approved a $14.56 million construction contract with Taplin Group LLC for the first phase of rapids restoration, according to a city release.
Excavators will remove four low-head dams, which pose drowning risks for river goers. The first phase also involves placing rock structures such as boulder arches, riffles, emergent habitat boulders, and bank vanes into the river. Finally, crews will improve the habitat for species such as lake sturgeon, river redhorse, and snuffbox mussel.
Grand Rapids spent $1.26 million to relocate thousands of mussels prior to construction. Divers worked in 8-hour shifts for two weeks throughout September 2024 and managed to locate 9,040 mussels, including 6,933 common mussel species, 2,069 state listed species, and 38 federally endangered species. The total cost for the contract was $1.26 million, or $139.38 per mussel.
