river

Loop and Swirl – Superior Falls (Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Border)

Posted on December 12, 2011December 12, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Loop and Swirl – Superior Falls (Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Border), photo by Aaron C. Jors.

On Saturday we dove into Mittengate – the lighthearted battle between Michigan & Wisconsin over the Badger State’s use of the mitten in tourism promotion.

To help keep the cheese-loving hordes at bay, we’re lucky to have the Montreal River and Superior Falls! GoWaterfalling’s page on Superior Falls explains:

Superior Falls is located on the Montreal River just a few hundred yards from Lake Superior. The Montreal River forms part of the border between Michigan and Wisconsin so the falls is technically in both states, but it is most easily visited from the Michigan side. I do not know if it can be visited from the Wisconsin side.

This is an impressive waterfall consisting of several drops and some very dramatic gorge walls. Unfortunately there is a dam a short distance above the falls and most of the water is diverted for power generation. The power company is required to maintain at least 20 cubic feet of water per second flowing over the falls. Early spring is the best time to see the falls…

The fence is a bit frustrating and often blocks your view, but it also will save you from a long, long fall into the gorge. The overlook is at the top of the gorge wall pictured below.

They also note that Northern States Power operates the Superior Falls Hydro plant in the area – you can see more photos of the falls and of the small power plant at the unofficial Superior Falls homepage.

Check this photo out bigger and in Aaron’s Waterfalls sideshow. He also has a great photo of Tannery Falls on Michigan in Pictures and there’s tons more Michigan waterfalls in our Waterfall category!

Hasselblad: White Fish Falls

Posted on December 7, 2011December 7, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

White Fish Falls, photo by Sean Depuydt.

I think these are the lower falls on the Laughing Whitefish River in the U.P. Read more about Laughing Whitefish Falls from Michigan in Pictures.

Check this out on black and in Sean’s gorgeous Hasselblad slideshow.

More black & white photography on Michigan in Pictures.

Michigan Wild & Scenic Rivers: Sturgeon River

Posted on November 5, 2011November 5, 2025 by Michigan in Pictures

Along the Sturgeon River by Coder

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
~Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968

Michigan has 16 nationally designated Wild & Scenic Rivers (management plan pdf) and tw of them are called the Sturgeon River: this one in the Ottawa National Forest in the eastern UP and the Sturgeon River in the Hiawatha National Forest in the western UP. This Sturgeon River is even the photo on the main page at rivers.gov, so it’s clear that they really liked it!! (note it’s now the Ontonagon River but still in the UP!)

Also note that Field & Stream tapped Michigan #1 for flyfishing in the USA in 2011. One of the reasons is the portion of the Sturgeon River within the Ottawa National Forest is classified as a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream!

Coder shot this in 2010 along the Sturgeon River on the way to Canyon Falls. Click to his map to see where the photo was taken. See more in his ‘Scapes gallery on Flickr.

More Wild & Scenic Rivers on Michigan in Pictures.

Golden Grandeur and a farewell to Autumn

Posted on November 1, 2011November 1, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Golden Grandeur, photo by SolsticeSol.

As October turns to November, we in Michigan know that it’s only a matter of time before the trees shed the last of their golden leaves. Thankfully, we have photos like this to keep the fires of autumn alive. More at Fall on Michigan in Pictures.

Check this out bigger and in Teresa’s Into the woods slideshow.

Misty morning on the Macatawa River

Posted on October 19, 2011October 19, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Misty morning, photo by Fellowship of the Rich.

Gorgeous photo from Holland last week from where Lake Macatawa meets the Macatawa River. Wikipedia says that the Macatawa River, also known as the Black River, drains into Lake Macatawa, adding that the name Macatawa is a mis-phoneticization of the Native American “Muck-i-ta-wog-go-me”, which means “black water.”

Check it out on black and in Rich’s massive Holland, Michigan slideshow.

More sunrises on Michigan in Pictures.

An adventure a day…

Posted on October 13, 2011 by farlane

Michigan Fall Paddle, photo by onewildwest

An adventure a day keeps the doctor away by Carol Thompson on the Great Lakes Echo is short, sweet and exactly the prescription that Michigan can be filling for an over-stressed and under-recreated nation. Carol writes:

A dose of exercise and fresh air is just what the doctor ordered.

Getting out for a bike ride is a good medicine for any Great Laker.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is partnering with Porter Health Systems in Indiana to prescribe walks, bike rides, kayak trips and other activities to patients through the Park Prescription Program. By getting out to the park, patients will get some exercise and stress relief, while hopefully boosting visitation.

Not every prescription is the same. Before they write a prescription, Porter doctors will find the right trails and activities based on the patient’s needs and abilities. Considering there are over 40 miles of trails in the Lakeshore, there’s something for everyone.

Don’t wait for your next checkup to get out for a hike or a ride. In this case, a little self-medication might be ok!

We should probably add “paddle, ski and snowshoe” to that list. Can we take a cue from out neighbors to the south and add “Michigan is good for you” to the Pure Michigan message?

Check this out bigger and in Brent’s Random slideshow.

October in Michigan is filled with light & color … and some great events!

Posted on October 1, 2011October 1, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

A River Runs Through It, my New Years Resolution version, photo by posthumus_cake (www.pinnaclephotography.net).

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.”
~John Burroughs

We’ve posted our October Michigan Event Calendar on Absolute Michigan. It’s one of Michigan’s best listings of events, featuring everything from ArtPrize in Grand Rapids to the Famous Pumpkin Train. Check them all out and learn a lot more about the 10th month!

The photo is the Big Carp River seen from one of Michigan’s premier vistas, the Lake of the Clouds Overlook in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Check it out on black and in his Porcupine Mountains slideshow. He adds that one year later, it was a blizzard! More from Matthew at pinnaclephotography.net.

Chinook Salmon … and the Grand Haven Haven Salmon Festival

Posted on September 13, 2011September 13, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Flying Salmon, photo by Mi Bob.

Michigan has two species of salmon, Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). I’m thinking this is a chinook as it looks like the spots are all the way down the tail fin. The DNR says (in part):

The salmon family, or Salmonidae, includes the salmon, trout, and whitefishes. All are characterized by adipose fin, and have a preference for cold water with a high oxygen content, making the Great Lakes an ideal habitat.

The chinook is a fairly new variety of salmon introduced into the Great Lakes in the 1870s. Sometimes called “King Salmon”, these fish did not reproduce successfully and eventually disappeared. In 1966, Great Lakes states Michigan, New York and Wisconsin, with the help of the province of Ontario reintroduced the Chinook. Great Lakes populations of Chinook are maintained by annual stream stocking programs

Chinook live in Great Lakes shoals or near-shoal waters (less than 100 foot depth(s)) as a rule. In the fall they move into the southern reaches of each of the great lakes, traveling 5-15 miles offshore as they go. In the spring they retrace their route and by the following fall, they congregate at the stream they began their journey at and begin their spawning runs upriver.

…Chinook spawn in streams over beds of large gravel, near riffles. Within two weeks after spawning, adult chinook die. Chinook compete with other salmon and trout for scarce spawning grounds. The following spring the eggs hatch, and the young usually remain in the river for one year before they migrate down to the lake.

Once in the lake, males tend to remain for 1-2 years and females for 3-4 years. The King Salmon average a weight of 30 to 40 pounds and 38 inches in length.

Young chinook in rivers eat insects, insect larvae and crustaceans; adults in the lakes eat fish almost exclusively. In the Great Lakes, smelt and alewives make up their main diet. Predators include rainbow trout, coho salmon smolts and fish-eating birds. The young also compete with trout and other salmon for food.

Anglers prize chinook partly because of their large size and the challenge they present for fishing, and partly because they make a delicious meal. While other pacific salmon species have red flesh, chinook meat is often white.

Speaking of salmon, the annual Grand Haven Salmon Festival takes place this weekend (September 16-18, 2011). It pays tribute to the annual salmon migration and features hands-on learning, education and exhibits about Michigan’s coastal waterways. There’s also arts, crafts, live music, wine, food and all kinds of family fun!

Check this out bigger and in Bob’s slideshow.

More Michigan fish on Michigan in Pictures!