The 'rapids' that vanished from Grand Rapids

Here’s a riddle: Grand Rapids is named for rapids — but it hasn’t had any for about a hundred years. The Grand River (Michigan’s longest river) really did roar through here once. As it passed through what’s now downtown, it dropped about 18 feet over a mile or so, tumbling over a long stretch of limestone and boulders. That whitewater is what gave the city its name. So where did it go? Starting in the 1800s, settlers hauled the big limestone slabs out of the river (you can still find that stone in the walls, floors, and steps of old Grand Rapids buildings) and built a series of low dams to control the water and float logs down to the furniture factories. Little by little, the rapids were drowned and smoothed into a flat, calm river. Now the city is bringing them back. A group that started with a few kayakers — Grand Rapids Whitewater — spent nearly two decades planning a project to remove the old dams and rebuild the riverbed with rock so the rapids can run again. After clearing every permit and lining up the money, the first phase of construction is set to begin in 2026 and take about two years. If it works, Grand Rapids will finally live up to its name.