A stretch of the Red Cedar River will soon be more accessible for recreation.
The section of the river being called a “water trail” begins in Williamston and ends in downtown Lansing. It’s 30 miles long and features 11 launch sites for kayaks and canoes.
John Bollman with the Williamston Rotary Club says the river was previously unnavigable. Upstream, logs choked the river making it hard for kayakers to safely pass through. Downstream, trash littered the banks discouraging people from getting out on the water.
“Launch sites were not adequate, and there was really no information out to the general public on how the river could be used,” Bollman said.
Three years ago, work began to solve the problem.
A large coalition of people came together, developed a trail plan, reached out to each of the cities the river runs through, cleaned up trash and cleared out logs.
Michigan State University students also helped on the project. Their instructor Bob Wilson says his students learned about how Native Americans historically used the river as a water trail.
“They used the Red Cedar for commerce purposes, for transportation, and it’s got a particular important linkage to MSU because there is a Native American settlement site very close to where Wells Hall is located,” Wilson said.
He says the new water trail could serve similar purposes.
“It provides all sorts of tourism, recreation-based, economic opportunities,” Wilson said.
J Pierce was one of Wilson’s students in 2023. He worked on the beginning stages of the project and says he’s happy to see everything finally come together.
“It was a good experience to get out, get involved with the community and try to make an impact that we thought was positive,” he said.
Bollman says they are hoping to get this section of the Red Cedar designated as a Michigan water trail, so it’ll appear on state recreation maps and potentially eligible for new grants.
“I think it’s just important to continue to build public support around the river and recognize that this is one of the most significant natural features in Mid-Michigan and this gives you a chance to enjoy it,” Bollman said.
Bollman says the trail should be fully accessible by mid-summer.
This story was brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.