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Frankfort man convicted for diverting Platte River

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Following the "illegal diversion" in Mid-August, the Platte River has a new channel that drains into Lake Michigan. This photo, taken two weeks after the change, shows a fork in the river that was not there prior to the diversion
Teresa Homsi/WCMU

Andrew Blair Howard has been found guilty of federal misdemeanors, after he attempted to dredge the Platte River at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

63-year-old Andrew Blair Howard, was convicted with tampering and vandalism by the Western District Court of Michigan

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Howard used a shovel and rocks to divert the Platte River on August 15th, 20-22.

Within a few days, the altered flow created a new river channel that grew to be approximately 200-feet wide.

The judge ruled that Howard -quote- "intended to and in fact did divert the flow of the Platte River."

The Park Service has not publicly announced plans to restore the channel, following the illegal diversion.

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