The Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA) announced that it reached an agreement in late March with the property owner to move forward with the removal of Nartron Dam.

The project is now in the competitive bidding stage. One of MRWA’s goals is to “complete all the design and engineering needed to obtain an EGLE permit for removal no later than the fourth quarter of 2027.” Current estimates indicate the dam will be removed at the earliest in 2029.

"There will be a lot going on behind the scenes to design and engineer the solution, a process that will take well into 2027,” said MRWA Executive Director Paul Haan. “There are a lot of questions to be resolved before we get to removal, such as total cost, future use of the property, and fundraising. It will be a number of years before any deconstruction begins. Nonetheless, the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly is thrilled with the EGLE support and the cooperation of the property owner so that a long-term solution to restore the health and connectivity of the Hersey River is made possible.”

Concerns about the dam’s condition and interest in its removal began in 2023, when the structure became visibly deteriorating. Temperature readings also showed a 7 degree increase at the base of the dam compared with the Hersey River’s average. That difference has affected the river’s ecosystem, especially its well-known brown trout population.

“Once the dam is removed, more than a half-mile of stream function and cold-water habitat will be restored,” MRWA said in its project description. “The removal of the dam will reconnect 8.3 miles of downstream waters with 12.7 miles upstream, and the Hersey River will flow unimpeded from the headwaters to the Muskegon River.”

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is providing $253,900 through its Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program. The money will cover costs for a full site assessment of the dam. Nartron Dam was one of 19 dams statewide that received funding from EGLE. The project also received $25,000 from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Fisheries Habitat Grant Program.

Planned work will not include demolition or remodeling of any other structures at the former Miller Airfield, which closed in the late 1980s.

For more details on MRWA’s plans, visit here: MRWA NARTRON DAM PROJECT.

Project information and photos courtesy of MRWA.