Day 4: Dixboro Dam to Walnut Grove Campground at Lower Huron Metropark
20.6 Miles, 4 portages, some tricky, about 10 hours paddle time
After an excellent night’s sleep back at home, it was time to make our way back to the Huron for the final two days of our trip. This proved to be the rest we needed before what was probably our longest slog of the trip. While it started with some novel and downright interesting sites and the stretch through Ypsilanti was a highlight, we were soon to meet some tougher portages, big waters, and, as always, headwinds!
We began back at the Dixboro Dam, where we had ended the previous day. The portage itself is not a long one, and the access point is located just past a public parking lot. The put in point itself involved narrow scramble down some rocks and onto a littered beach. As we continued on the final two days of our trip, we noticed more and more of this kind of scene: Heavily-littered/impacted land around the many dams we’d encounter that day.
After launching, we paddled past developed riverside that was built up and surrounded by local companies and hospitals. Soon, the river slowed, and we paddled into the backwaters of the superior dam. More industrial surroundings made way to quieter waters with impressive homes built high up on the bluffs and other homes that had flat yards running right up to the water. The early morning air was cool, the wind was low, and we were in good spirits as we made our way across these backwaters.
Soon, we came to the Superior Dam, which had a well-marked takeout point to the right side of the dam. While the portage around was a bit longer and had some steep, rocky sections, the path was clear, if not a bit overgrown by weeds. There was one section that had a low-hanging tree that we squeezed under, and with one work day (perhaps I’ll come back with some garden tools!) the path could be easily reclaimed and made more accessible. There is a lovely stone beach at the bottom of this portage, and it was evident that some locals have enjoyed a bonfire or two at this riverside spot. The put in was easy, and soon we were on our way towards Ypsilanti.
The backwaters of the Penninsular Paper Dam are an interesting site. Homes along this stretch range from grand to humble, and one riverside home, which was the only one to sit right on the water itself, caught our attention. We also spotted a relatively uncommon sight this far north - a healthy population of American Water Lotus, which impressed us with their massive blossoms and island-like leaves that were feet across. They were a real treat to observe.
The Penninsular Paper Dam was our next stop, and while it is an iconic landmark in Ypsilanti, it is also one that is about to undergo what I believe to be a great and positive change. The questions and answers provided by the Huron River Watershed Council give a great overview of the history of the dam, the hazards it poses, and the benefits of dam removal:
“The dam was originally constructed in 1867 to provide power for paper manufacturing; it failed in 1918 and was rebuilt in 1920. The Peninsular Paper Company Dam powered a paper mill in Ypsilanti that produced newsprint for Chicago for a century from the 1860’s to the 1970’s. In the mid-1980s, the Peninsular Paper Company donated the Peninsular Paper Dam and land to the City of Ypsilanti. The city created a park on the land and is now responsible for maintaining the dam.
The City of Ypsilanti is responsible for managing the dam and paying for inspections and repairs.
Under State law, the dam is not compliant with safety standards. The city is legally obligated to fix it up– or remove it. The cost to repair it is estimated at $807,000.
Once repaired, there will be ongoing inspection and maintenance costs.
The aging dam can be hazardous and is a liability for the city if an accident occurs.
It does not provide power anymore and it would cost far more to fix up the dam to generate electricity again than the revenue it could gain from the newly generated electricity.
Pen Dam is a high hazard dam that no longer generates power and costs taxpayers money to maintain and fix.
The dam does not meet state safety standards and the city is legally required to fix or remove it.
Without the dam Peninsular Park and the Huron River become more accessible for recreation and enjoyment.
The improved park and building will support businesses by creating a renewed area for residents and visitors.
Removing the dam will cost taxpayers less in the long run than repairing and maintaining it.
The dam harms the environment. The health of the river and wildlife would improve, which would also raise the quality of life for all in the area.
Making the dam generate electricity again is not an option because the dam can’t produce enough power to pay for conversion, permitting, and maintenance.
If the dam is repaired ($807,000), the costs for maintaining it will continue and increase due to the aging infrastructure. Furthermore, the city will have to do inspections every 3 years. There are no grant funds available for repairing the dam so the City will need to pay for it.
Grants for dam removal are a potential funding source for supporting removal and restoration costs. The feasibility study estimates the cost for removing the dam at $1,734,000 with additional costs for scour protection and reinforcement at two bridges (see the report for details.)
With the dam removed, the size of Peninsular Park would increase to include the land on the north side of the river that is currently submerged behind the dam. The full potential of Pen Park can be realized because the entire stretch of waterfront would no longer be divided by the dam. The former powerhouse, with its distinctive architecture and landmark neon sign, could be preserved and restored to provide a signature waterfront location for community residents to come together, celebrate Ypsilanti’s local heritage, and enjoy the river. It could also provide commercial opportunities, such as canoe, kayak and bicycle rental or other ventures.
The City of Ypsilanti owns the building so the community needs to decide the future of the building and park.
The City is required to pay for inspections and repairs of the dam so it has fewer funds to spend on community programs and infrastructure. Also, since the dam harms the river and wildlife, the quality of life in the community is compromised.
Because the dam blocks the flow of the river, people who fish have less to catch and canoe/kayakers have to remove their boats, walk around the dam, and put their boats back in. If the dam is removed, river recreation will increase and businesses near the river will have more customers.”
Retrieved from: https://www.hrwc.org/what-we-do/programs/dams-and-impoundments-program/ypsilanti-peninsular-paper-dam/
Needless to say, I’m excited to see how the river changes when this dam is removed! Until then, the portage involves a tight turn from the dock, a bit of a walk, and then a walk down cement stairs and loading off a cement dock. We actually had to hop off the dock to load our gear due to the low water levels. The building at this dam really is iconic, and I’m excited to be featured in the enlarged park that will be created when the dam is removed.
The paddle through Ypsilanti was gorgeous. On a summer morning, the water was full of riffles, devoid of other paddlers, and surrounded by beauty. Riverside Park is a favorite of mine, complete a long stretch of riverside land, a great playground for kids, and stunning river views. It was here that we met our dedicated ground crew (my beloved, patient, and amazing husband), who brought us the gallon jugs of fresh water we had left at home, along with some surprise gifts of fresh fruit and sour patch kids to fuel us. He’s a gem! The rest of Ypsilanti was dotted with homes and stretches of private land, but it wasn’t long before 1-94 roared ahead of us and we paddled our way into our first stretch of wide open water on Ford Lake.
As we paddled into Ford Lake, we marvelled at the abandoned and heavily-industrialized grounds of a (fittingly) former Ford plant. While it may be blasphemy to say so here in Southeast Michigan, Henry Ford became a bit like the bad guy of my Huron River story. The argument could certainly be made that he did not fully understand how his choices, made in the 1920’s and 1930’s, would impact the river down the line. However, over the course of the next two days, his impact was evident in many locations and starting at Ford Lake itself, the general quality of the river’s waters began to diminish.
Ford Lake itself is full of interesting sites. From rambling park lands to golf courses to islands, the shoreline is entirely developed for recreation or habitation. This stretch of river had much more high-density housing in the forms of apartments and condominiums. These buildings towered over the shores of Ford Lake, while docks and racks hosted paddling craft, pontoon boats, and and odd sailboat. As we paddled against a headwind, we dodge one such sailboat that was tacking to and fro in the gentle headwinds that increased as the morning wore on. After an almost 4-mile paddle over open water, we came to Ford Dam, which may have been our longest portage of the trip. The takeout point is clear and obvious, but it surprised us to learn that we had to walk a ways down the side of a busy road, cross that road, and then take a path into North Hydro Park where we could launch. Getting our gear across was not a problem, but after finally learning an overhead carry (thanks, Heather!), we had to carefully time our road crossing between packs of fast-moving cars. It was not a very fun experience, but we found the launch site afterwards to be easy to use and well-maintained.
We enjoyed a quick lunch and hydration break at North Hydro Park before paddling into our greatest challenge of endurance the entire trip: Belleville Lake
Belleville Lake is an almost 7-mile long lake that winds behind the French Landing Dam. This lake is lined from shore to shore with high-end homes, summer cottages, and even a yacht club. Paddling along this stretch reminded me of trying to canoe at my family’s cottage at Wampler’s lake on a busy Summer afternoon. Fancy ski boats and wakeboarders zipped by us, pontoon boats puttered by, and fishermen tested the waters in their small outboard boats. There was much people watching to be had during the long paddle through Belleville Lake, but the headwinds and our focus on navigating through boat traffic kept our eyes on the water most of the time.
Heather delighted in steering our canoe to safely face the boat wakes head on, and she would whoop with delight each time our boat bobbed up and down (amplified by her help). Heather’s training lies in open waters, while I’m more a technical river girl. It was evident that she was loving the challenge while I was struggling. Thank goodness for such a positive paddling partner, who constantly reminded me to keep hydrated, stay positive, and gave me the most delicious, melty snickers bar I’ve ever had during a quick paddle break on a random peninsula in the lake.
At the end of Belleville Lake, we came to the French Landing Dam. My guidebook noted that this was a long and possibly treacherous portage. I’ve even seen it recommended that others help you get around the dam, and I even had offers from folks following us on Facebook to help us get around this spot! A helpful Redditor who knew of our trip drew us a picture of what the portage looks like - I’ve included it here as I found it to be super helpful. Thank you, u/betterworldbiker! While it was a fairly long portage, it did not feel as long as the Ford Lake Dam portage. However, there was a narrow set of stairs that had to be navigated and a very small beach from which to launch. As with other dams in the area, we found the area all along the portage to be strewn with garbage, many of which came from other’s meals or fishing supplies. As we carried the boat overhead and picked our way around the narrow portage, Heather taught me to repeat the traditional chant spoken by those on a Nibi Walk. The rhythm and repetition put us on a steady pace as we carried the canoe above us to the small launch below.
Immediately after the dam, the forests around the river returned thanks to the surrounding Lower Huron Metropark. While the return of shade, forest views, and nature were a welcome sight, we also found that the character of the river had changed dramatically after Ford and Belleville lake. The water was more still and choked with weeds. It smelled different and had far more turbidity (murkiness due to sediments). The shores and bottom were no longer gravelly, but dark and mucky with sediment. She was low and slow, and we paddled hard in the evening sun to finally get to our destination of the Walnut Grove Campground at Lower Huron Metroparks.
We stayed at site 7C in the tent-only campground, which is closest to the river. However, there is no way to access this site by canoe due to the high bluff, so it was necessary to take our boat out at the designated access point, which is marked by a sign from the Huron River Water Trail. We left our boat at this launch, which was a good distance away from our actual campsite, but fortunately, none of the other campers decided to pay it any mind as it sat for a night. The campground itself was not the rustic experience that we had grown accustomed to at Island Park and Hudson Mills. We shared the campground with a fleet of RVs and campers, and the tent sites were small and packed close together, offering very limited privacy. We shared the tent campground that evening with one other family, a kind dad and his son, but I can’t imagine how tight the sites must be if all 8 were reserved.
Unfortunately, this is not a great campground for hammock camping. I picked through the heavily-littered woods that sat along the bluff above the river and finally settled on a site that was surrounded by poison ivy and hanging a tad closer to the bluff than I wanted. There is a saying in hammock camping that you “shouldn’t hang where you don’t want to fall”, and while I was confident I wouldn’t tumble into the river should my hammock fail that night, it was still a much closer call than I would have liked.
What should have been a peaceful’s night sleep by the river was unfortunately disturbed by a couple that roared into the parking lot of the tent campground, screamed at each other for a few minutes, and then sped off. This would not have been something too troubling, until we discovered that an elderly, confused dog had been left behind. The poor guy was too afraid to approach us, so I called the local police, who apparently had already been dispatched to the campground for a domestic dispute. After standing in the dark for some time keeping an eye on the wandering dog while the police worked with the couple, the dog was finally reunited with his owner and we were free to finally turn in for the night.
Needless to say, I did not have the best night of sleep, but I was excited to know that the next day would be my final stretch on the river and the following evening, I would be laying my eyes on Lake Erie itself!
Highlights
Spotting American Lotus flowers on the backwaters of the Penninsular Paper Dam
The river through Ypsilanti is beautiful
Met some really nice people along this stretch of the river who always seemed willing to help!
Pro tip: You can order pizza and canolis from Toarmina's when staying at the Walnut Grove Campground. This tasted AMAZING after a long day of padling!
Concerns
From Ford Lake all the way to Lower Huron Metropark, nearly all of the shoreline is developed
After this stretch the effect of human impacts was painfully evident
Harmful algal blooms on Ford Lake were a concern, though we did not see any
We found we no longer wanted to swim in the river by the end of this day
Thoughts for the Future
I am really excited about the stretch of river around the Penninsular Paper Dam. Once the dam is removed, the trip from Dixboro Dam (sadly, there’s no easy access at the Superior Dam) to Riverside Park in Ypsi or and access site on Ford Lake will make for a really fun day trip
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