Looking Back On The Construction Of The Dam That Took Away The Grand River’s Rapids

After years of proposals and setbacks, the dream to return Grand Rapids' namesake to the Grand River officially kicked off this summer and has been making good progress. Construction crews, including a backhoe, have been progressively removing the dam under the water to return the river to its natural state that generations of people have known it for.

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But for many of us who have known nothing but a time when the Grand River was rapidless, there's a question of what exactly crews are removing and putting down to the riverbed.

Tommy McNeill, Townsquare Media

So, I did some digging through the Grand Rapids City Archives to find these dams that have had such a fundamental change on the river's behavior.

Grand Rapids WhiteWater & The Grand River Dams

These dams are an interesting example of how times change. Around 100 years ago, the four dams set to be removed by Grand Rapids WhiteWater were originally installed as a beautification project to keep the river levels the same year-round, mitigating the rapids as a result.

READ MORE: Can You Swim In The Grand River In Grand Rapids?

Now, we're working to undo these dams that were constructed beginning in the 1920s. Below is a photo of the dam being built just north of the Bridge St. Bridge, which is identical to the other 3 dams in this area of the Grand River.

Engineering Department, “Dam north of Bridge Street Bridge,” City of Grand Rapids Archives and Records Center, accessed July 31, 2026, https://grandrapidsmicityarchives.omeka.net/items/show/136.

This photograph shows the Grand River and the dam just north of the Bridge St Bridge. The Rowe Hotel can be seen in the background.

This is how the area north of the Bridge St. bridge appeared upon completion of the dams in 1927.

Grand Rapids Engineering Department, “Grand River Looking North from Bridge Street,” City of Grand Rapids Archives and Records Center, accessed July 31, 2026, https://grandrapidsmicityarchives.omeka.net/items/show/317.

After the dams were all successfully installed, this was how the Grand River looked circa 1931. Pictured is the exact location where crews are currently removing the dam, next to what would become the Ah-Nab-Awen Park and the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

Grand Rapids Engineering Department, “West Bank of Grand River at Interurban Bridge,” City of Grand Rapids Archives and Records Center, accessed July 31, 2026, https://grandrapidsmicityarchives.omeka.net/items/show/320.

The Grand River project is expected to be complete by the end of 2027. You can read more details about it here.