Yes, we’re the Great Lakes State. But don’t be mistaken, Michigan’s rivers are something to behold. In case you’ve overlooked their mightiness, we’ve dug up some fun facts about our state’s amazing rivers, bodies of water that you probably pass by on a regular basis.
- Au Sable River
Larry/Flickr Running an estimated 138 miles through the northern Lower Peninsula, the Au Sable is known as one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies. In French, au sable means “with sand.”
- Detroit River
Mike Boening Photography/Flickr The river’s name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit. Flowing from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, this river is one of the busiest waterways in the world.
- Flint River
gerrybuckel/Flickr In the Ojibwe language, this body of water means Flinty River… Hmmm, makes sense.
- Grand River
Rachel Kramer/Flickr Running 252 miles through Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Ionia and several others, this river was known by native peoples as the river O-wash-ta-nong, meaning Far-away-river.
- Huron River
Barbara Eckstein/Flickr Not to confuse you, but there are actually two Huron rivers in Michigan. One much larger one in southeast Michigan, as pictured here, and one small one the flows in Baraga County.
- Kalamazoo River
Jason W Lacey/Flickr The river basin here has been inhabited by humans continuously for more than 11,000 years. At the time of European contact, the Kalamazoo River area was inhabited primarily by members of Potawatomi indigenous tribes.
- Ontonagon River
Jim Liestman/Flickr During the mid-19th century, the Ontonagon Boulder, which consisted of nearly pure copper, was removed from the river and today this mass sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
- Platte River
Jim/Flickr Located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, the mouth of this river in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore… Prime location, huh?
- River Rouge
JOHN LLOYD/Flickr This river was channelized, widened and dredged to allow for access to freighters headed to Ford’s River Rouge Plant.
- St Clair River
Rodney Campbell/Flickr This river is a significant contributor to the Great Lakes Waterway, which is filled with with shipping channels that permit cargo vessels to travel between the upper and lower Great Lakes.
- Two Hearted River
Tina :O)/Flickr Famous author Ernest Hemingway named an epic short story after this body of water.
- Tahquamenon River
Kenneth Snyder/Flickr This river in the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula boasts some of the most impressive waterfalls in the state.
Makes me want to hop on a boat and explores these magnificent water masses. Which rivers in Michigan do you know and love? Tell us in the comments below!
Larry/Flickr
Running an estimated 138 miles through the northern Lower Peninsula, the Au Sable is known as one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies. In French, au sable means “with sand.”
Mike Boening Photography/Flickr
The river’s name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit. Flowing from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, this river is one of the busiest waterways in the world.
gerrybuckel/Flickr
In the Ojibwe language, this body of water means Flinty River… Hmmm, makes sense.
Rachel Kramer/Flickr
Running 252 miles through Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Ionia and several others, this river was known by native peoples as the river O-wash-ta-nong, meaning Far-away-river.
Barbara Eckstein/Flickr
Not to confuse you, but there are actually two Huron rivers in Michigan. One much larger one in southeast Michigan, as pictured here, and one small one the flows in Baraga County.
Jason W Lacey/Flickr
The river basin here has been inhabited by humans continuously for more than 11,000 years. At the time of European contact, the Kalamazoo River area was inhabited primarily by members of Potawatomi indigenous tribes.
Jim Liestman/Flickr
During the mid-19th century, the Ontonagon Boulder, which consisted of nearly pure copper, was removed from the river and today this mass sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Jim/Flickr
Located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, the mouth of this river in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore… Prime location, huh?
JOHN LLOYD/Flickr
This river was channelized, widened and dredged to allow for access to freighters headed to Ford’s River Rouge Plant.
Rodney Campbell/Flickr
This river is a significant contributor to the Great Lakes Waterway, which is filled with with shipping channels that permit cargo vessels to travel between the upper and lower Great Lakes.
Tina :O)/Flickr
Famous author Ernest Hemingway named an epic short story after this body of water.
Kenneth Snyder/Flickr
This river in the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula boasts some of the most impressive waterfalls in the state.
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