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Restoring the rapids in the Grand River could provide many benefits such as improved river flow and habitats as well as expanded recreation possibilities.
Image Credit: https://www.gvmc.org/grandrestoration
Introduction
Hello! We are Ethan, Liam, and Sydney and welcome to our project! We wanted to focus on the restoration of the Grand River to improve upon the current situation within the river. There are many organizations working together to create change in the river such as the Army Corps of Engineers and Grand Rapids WhiteWater. We were tasked with creating an idea that could uniquely contribute to the work already being done, so our goal for contributing to the Rapids Restoration project is to focus on public education on the river and its function. We want to teach the public on how the river works, including the species living within and the invasive species we want to keep out. Below is the summary of our knowledge and how we plan to make a difference.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What the Restoration Does
What the Restoration Does
Image Credit: https://grandrapidswhitewater.org/preliminary-plan/
Introduces Substrate
Introduces Substrate
Adding rocks and other substrates to the river would improve habitats for local water life and improve river flow and function. These added barriers will help prevent flooding and provide shelter for native mussels to thrive while also recreating the original rapids that the City of Grand Rapids was named after.
Creates Mussel Habitats
Creates Mussel Habitats
Snuffbox Mussels are an endangered species located in a select few places in Michigan. One of their native habitats is located within the Grand River. These mussels are very sensitive to relocation, which means moving them could potentially kill off the remaining mussels. By remodeling the structure of their current habitat, we can ensure the creation of safer and more abundant habitats for these endangered mussels and give them a chance to thrive.
Image Credit: http://www.invadingspecies.com/sea-lamprey/
Controls Sea Lamprey
Controls Sea Lamprey
Sea Lamprey are an invasive species to the Great Lakes region. Because of the dams in Grand Rapids, they have not been able to make their way upstream of the Grand River. Upon future dam removal, the proposed Adjustable Hydraulic Structure (AHS) will continue to prevent Sea Lamprey from moving further upstream.
Creates Recreation Opportunities
Creates Recreation Opportunities
The restoration of the rapids will create many recreation activites and improve the natural beauty of the river. Possible recreation opportunities include white water rafting, kayaking, swimming, hiking trails, and a more beautiful scene for all to enjoy. There are currently many ideas in the works for designing a public beach on the river's edge and how this could implement these recreation activites.
Future Dam Removal
Future Dam Removal
Restoring the rapids also involves the creation and removal of several dam structures. Many of these dams are in place to prevent the travel of sea lamprey farther upstream, but they also prevent many fish species from doing the same. The Fish Ladder was an attempt to solve this issue, but has only been moderately successful at doing so. By using the AHS, we could remove several outdated dams to allow for fish passage and recreational passage while also keeping sea lamprey out during their active months.
Design Thinking Process
Design Thinking Process
Empathy Interviews
Empathy Interviews
For our project, we interviewed several potential stakeholders. These included Robert Jackson of the Army Corps of Engineers, Heidi Dunn: a malacologist, Joshua Arnold: a researcher of mussels and the river, and Mike Staal of the environmental services branch of the City of Grand Rapids. From these interviews, we learned a lot about the river restoration project and where concerns lay within the project.
Problem Diagramming
Problem Diagramming
Once we had interviewed stakeholders, we used a fish bone diagram to highlight our main problem along with eight causes and how they play into this issue. From there, we were able to think of a few potential solutions to our problem. All of our solutions involved getting the public informed of what the rapids restoration meant for the community and wildlife along the river.
Ideation
Ideation
To narrow down our thoughts even further, we used a brainstorming map to sort out our best options. Through this sorting process, we came up with the idea of placing informational signs along the river. Attatched to each sign would be a scanable QR code that will lead the reader to the White Water Restoration page to give them more information. More information on our concept is displayed below.
In order to keep people interested in the project and to encourage them to continue to learn about the river, there would be an interactive aspect to the signs. This could include a treasure hunt that would allow you to collect badges or rewards for every sign you scan.
We would like to partner with the museum and possibly offer a discounted museum ticket for anyone who scans all of the QR codes and completes the treasure hunt. This would incentivize people to walk along the river and learn a little bit more about the things that are happening in it. We approached Mike Staal with our concept and his team showed great interest in our idea. We look forward to potentially applying for a grant to implement this idea in the real world.
Our Goal: Public Outreach
Our Goal: Public Outreach
After brainstorming several ideas of the best ways to educate our community on this topic, we finally came up with the idea of creating signs that would be placed along the river. Each sign would focus on a different topic we want to educate people on, for example, there would be a sign near the AHS or next to a specific fish habitat. Each sign would have information about that specific feature such as, how it works, how it impacts the river and vise versa, and why it's important.
Along with a descriptive plaque, every sign would also have a QR code. When scanned, it take the viewer to an app or website that would give more in depth information about the feature. This information could include statistics and fun facts.
Additional Information
Additional Information
Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds
Official Website: https://www.lgrow.org/river-restoration
Interactive Storymap: https://regis-gvmc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=2f083091987c4af5a2137150800eb2ee
Grand Rapids WhiteWater
Official Website: https://grandrapidswhitewater.org/
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