In the Southwest corner of Lower Michigan lays the Kalamazoo River. Once known as a Smallmouth Bass Mecca, the last 100 years have not been kind to her. From the paper mills that littered the river with toxins like PCB’s and PFAS to the 2010 Enbridge oil spill where 900,000 barrels of oil spewed into the river. The largest inland oil spill in U.S history.
Now, the river is under serious threat once again. In late October 2019, the owners of Morrow Dam conducted a drawdown of their reservoir for a gate repair. Unfortunately, this repair was never completed and due to high water, poor river access and Covid-19 it went largely unnoticed by the public and even state agencies. Fortunately, a local group of fly junkies did notice and sounded the alarm bell.
For the last 10 months, the dam has been releasing massive amounts of (most likely contaminated) sediment into the lower river. Riverbanks for miles are now covered in several feet of mud. Spawning grounds and habitat for Smallmouth, Pike, Walleye, Steelhead, Salmon, Sturgeon, turtles, baitfish, crawfish and aquatic insects have been decimated.
While the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (formally the DEQ) did issue a notice of violation in July, it has done very little to mitigate the damage. The dam owners continue to stall on repairs and sediment continues to flow into the lower river.
-Friends for a Clean Kalamazoo River
I have fished the Kalamazoo and it has been a beautiful smallmouth stream. The only way we are going to save it, is if we speak up and let them know things need to change. To let a river like this turn into sludge is ridiculous! Please help us fight this!
-Paul
How can you help?
Write letters to the Michigan DNR, THE EGLE, and the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.
Other than that, follow, share, repost and spread the word to as many as possible.
For more information, please follow “Friends for a Clean Kalamazoo River” on Instagram and Facebook.
