GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Local crews have wrapped up the mussel relocation project in the Grand River much earlier than expected, allowing the plan to restore the rapids to move forward.
Before any construction could begin, state and federal regulators mandated that the city and Grand Rapids Whitewater needed to collect and relocate the mussels in a key stretch of the river. Over the last several weeks, dive teams searched an area approximately the size of eight football fields to search for and remove mussels.
According to the City of Grand Rapids, recent weather patterns helped crews work faster.
“The project, which began in August, moved at an unprecedented pace and concluded much earlier than initially expected,” the city said in a statement. “The dry weather and low-flow of the river allowed BioSurvey’s teams to substantially accelerate its work from the original mid-October completion estimate.”
A preliminary count shows the dive teams found 38 federally endangered snuffbox mussels, more than 2,000 mussels that are considered threatened or endangered in Michigan and another 6,900 common mussels.
Approximately 9,000 of them were relocated to other suitable habitats in the Grand River. More mussels will be relocated in the river next year. Some of the spotted mussels could not be removed because they are located in areas deemed “unsafe” for divers.
The project is part of the Grand River Revitalization Initiative which “aims to revitalize the Grand River and enhance recreational opportunities while preserving the river’s ecological balance.”
The plan will also remove four dams in downtown Grand Rapids and add rocks and boulders to the river to recreate the since-removed rapids.
Advocates argue the rapids will boost tourism, allow for recreation like casual whitewater paddling, tubing and floating, spur development along the river and provide new habitat for fish and mussels.
Matt Chapman, the Executive Director of Grand Rapids Whitewater, told News 8 last month that they are still waiting on state and federal regulators to approve permits for the next stages of the project. If they are approved, construction could start next July, and the rapids could be flowing by the end of 2025.
~ News 8’s Byron Tollefson contributed to this report.