USDA Seeks Public Comment on Grand River Project Environmental Assessment

EAST LANSING, Sept. 15, 2025 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking public comment on the environmental assessment plan for a proposed project to remove dams on the Grand River adjacent to downtown Grand Rapids. Public comments will be accepted until October 15, 2025.

The City of Grand Rapids is seeking $11 million in financial assistance from the USDA through its Small Watershed Program PL566 for the Lower Grand River Habitat Restoration Project. The purpose of the project is to restore the rapids of the Grand River, improve public safety, enhance aquatic habitat for native Great Lakes fish and mussel species, and increase public access and recreational use of the river. This project is a component of a broader river restoration initiative being led by the City of Grand Rapids and their nonprofit partner Grand Rapids Whitewater.

Before the USDA can consider funding the project, an environmental assessment of the project's environmental impacts is required and the public has a 30-day period to provide comment. Copies of the environmental assessment are available online and printed copies are available at the following Grand Rapids Public Library locations; Main Library - 111 Library St. NE, West Leonard - 1017 Leonard St. NW, Seymour - 2350 Eastern Ave SE, and Yankee Clipper - 2025 Leonard St. NE. Digital copies of the plan are available online at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/michigan/news/grand-river-dam-removal-public-comment-period. Instructions on how to submit comments are also available on the website and at the library locations.

Following the public comment period a final version of the environmental assessment plan, taking public comments into consideration, will be submitted with the project's funding application to the USDA.