In a recent newsletter, the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA) announced that funding for restoration of Buckhorn Creek has reached its full goal.

Restoration work, including removal of the dam under the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park, will begin in spring 2026. A new 80-foot bridge will be constructed as part of the project, which will restore fish passage. This restoration of fish passage is the first of its kind in more than 100 years.

“$2.26 million has been raised for this project to date,” MRWA executive director Paul Haan said. “That total includes all predevelopment, design and engineering costs since 2021, as well as construction.”

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stocks about 20,000 brown and rainbow trout in the Muskegon River at Paris Park, a mile downstream from Buckhorn Creek, each year. Restoration of the creek will give the trout a “cold-water refuge” for summer reproduction and survival.

According to Haan, the goal is to complete the project by Nov. 30, 2026. John Henry Excavating was named as the project's contractor.

For more information on the MRWA, visit https://mrwa.org/.