The Grand River
"A river doesn't just carry water, it carries life." - A.D. Posey, American author, from "Write It Down" (2017).
The Grand River was formed by melting glaciers from the last Ice Age. The river was famous for its mile-long, 300-yard-wide, and 10-to-15-foot-tall rapids, for which the city of Grand Rapids was named.
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You can't row without water. Fortunately, the Grand River, and the river's watershed have shaped the area and allowed the sport of rowing to flourish.
The Grand River Watershed
A watershed is an area of land that drains rainwater or melting snow to a common location such as a stream, lake, or wetland. In this case that’s the Grand River and its tributaries that supply drinking water, water for agriculture and manufacturing, provide opportunities to row, paddle, fish, or swim, and provide habitat for plants and wildlife.
This watershed comprises 13% of the entire Lake Michigan drainage basin and drains 5,572 square miles throughout 15 counties. Every day, more 2,778,969,600 gallons of water flow from the Grand River into Lake Michigan.
Rowing the Grand
The Grand River watershed serves as host to all levels of rowing: Masters, Juniors, Scholastic and Collegiate. There are ten rowing hubs, shown on the map, that include boathouses and regatta sites. Over 100 miles of shared water and sport, connect the rowing community.
Grand River Community Partners
Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW)
The Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds understands, protects and improves the natural resources of the lower portion of the Grand River that drains into Lake Michigan from Ionia County.