The Michigan Department of Natural Resources was awarded $5 million in grant funding in 2022 to remove 27 stream barriers, including 16 DNR-managed dams. Work on the project began in 2023 and so far over 140 miles of streams have been reconnected.
Funds came from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s America’s Ecosystem Restoration Initiative. The program seeks to conserve and restore aquatic ecosystems, improve flooding resilience, and expand community access to nature.
In Mecosta County, the removal of the Altona Dam from the Little Muskegon River reconnected 116 miles of streams and tributaries.
In Oceana County, the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission partnered with the Conservation Resource Alliance implementing stream restoration after the Marshville Dam was removed from Stony Creek. Early feedback from anglers indicates that the investment has led to larger and more abundant fish being caught from the stream.
An additional 11 projects are slated for 2026, with all projects expected to be complete by January 2027.
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