Gorge Falls on the Black River Scenic Byway
May 10, 2013
gorge falls-black river, gogebic county, MI, photo by Northwoods Apparition
I’m always happy when someone shares a photo of a waterfall I’ve never seen. Michigan in Pictures has a ton of Michigan waterfall photos, so it’s not often that this happens! The GoWaterfalling.com entry for Gorge Falls explains:
Gorge Falls is named for the deep and narrow gorge above and below the falls. This was my personal favorite of Black River Scenic Byway waterfalls. It is also one of the easier waterfalls to visit, being only a short distance from the parking area. There are a fair number of stairs to the falls overlook. It is only a short walk upstream to see Potawatomi Falls.
I do not know how hard it would be to get to the east side of the gorge, or what the views are like.
The Black River Scenic Byway starts north of US 2 near Bessemer. There are signs on US 2. Gorge Falls is about 14.5 miles north of US 2. The scenic area is on the right and is clearly marked.
Click through for more and see a map of the Black River Scenic Byway.
Check Kirk’s photo out background bigtacular and see more great shots in his slideshow!
Grand Rapids Flood of April 2013
April 25, 2013
Waterwindows, photo by Canon Screwdriver (gary syrba)
This mLive article on the historic Grand River flooding in Grand Rapids explains that April 2013 is now the third wettest month on record for the city:
Evan Webb with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids said 10.57 inches of rain had fallen in the city this month as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, its wettest month in 17 years. That should come as no surprise to West Michigan, which saw weeks of heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and led the Grand River to crest at record levels.
Grand Rapids already had shattered its longstanding April rainfall record, but just crept into the top three wettest of any month of the year.
The No. 1 spot goes to June 1892, when 13.22 inches of rain fell. Second place belongs to September 1986, when 11.85 inches doused the city.
Webb said it is possible Grand Rapids could see enough rain to put it in the No. 2 spot, but it is unlikely with only a week and a half left in the month.
mLive also has some crazy pictures of the flooding including some great aerial photos and a timeline of the flooding.
View Gary’s photo on black and see more in his Water, water, everywhere … but not a drop to drink slideshow. He writes:
All the rain we have had, and the heavy winter added to the water levels a bit around here. The floods are near records. The Grand River, which goes through the heart of the city and ends at Lake Michigan hits the flood limit at 18′. We went 3 1/2 feet over that. Many buildings flooded, many roads were covered for days, and many, many basements flooded. Our sump pump has been running non-stop for two weeks. We have been lucky… we only had about 20 gallons of water that got into the basement… though the sump pump has siphoned thousands of gallons from around our house. Many neighbors had a few inches of water in their basements. A lot of homes have dumpsters in the driveway. Pretty sad. Still… the crowds downtown looking at the floods and taking photos are amazing. People are everywhere, and most are fine.
You might also be interested in the Great Michigan Flood of 1908.
West Michigan’s Rogue River
March 28, 2013
Rogue River Reflection, photo by MichellePhotos2
Wikipedia’s Rogue River entry says that this 48 mile long river is a major tributary of the Grand River that runs through Kent and Newaygo counties and the Rogue River State Game Area.
Its headwaters are a series of ditches that drain the old Rice Lake bed near Grant for agricultural purposes.
…Originally named “Rouge River”, the river’s appellation was altered in the 19th century due to the printing error of a Wisconsin mapmaker. As a frontier waterway, the historic Rogue River was of major importance to local tribes and traders. During the lumber era in the latter 19th century its waters floated timber to the mills of the Grand River valley, and the riverboat Algoma plied its way northward along Rogue giving its name to the Kent county township of Algoma.
Rogue River is designated as “Country Scenic” under Michigan’s Natural Rivers Act. It is popular with trout fishers and local youth who have floated the river by innertube since the mid-20th century. It is intersected in parts by the White Pine Trail. It varies from 15 feet (4.6 m) wide in the upper sections to 80 feet (24 m) wide near its end and is 1 to 4 feet (0.3 to 1.2 m) deep. There are “holes” in the river up to 15 feet (4.6 m) in depth.
You can get the management plan, maps and more from the DNR’s Rogue River Page.
View Michelle’s photo on black and see more in her slideshow.
More Michigan rivers on Michigan in Pictures.
Bonanza Falls on the Big Iron River
March 12, 2013
“Bonanza Falls” – (Big Iron River) Silver City , Michigan, photo by Michigan Nut
The photo is of Bonanza Falls, about which Go Waterfalling says:
Bonanza Falls is a wide, low falls on the Big Iron River. The falls is at most 10 feet high, but in the spring the falls is 100 feet wide. In summer it is broken up into a number of segments. The bedrock here is tilted back against the flow of the river, creating many obstacles for the water to overcome.
Bonanza Falls is located about a mile south of Silver City along Route 64. This is a sign on west side of the highway visible as you head south for Bonanza Falls. A short gravel road leads to the river. The “Bonanza” refers to the mining boom times of the 1800′s.
Check this out on black, check out a long exposure and see many more in John’s Michigan Waterfalls slideshow.
Many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures.
Ice on the Chippewa River
March 6, 2013
_JMC5873aw, photo by Jeff Caverly
Wikipedia’s Chippewa River (Michigan) says that the river runs 91.8 miles from its beginning in northeast Mecosta County in the village of Barryton to where it flows into Big Cranberry Lake in southwest Clare County. It’s a tributary of the Tittabawassee River and part of the Saginaw River drainage basin.
To learn more about the river and some of the natural preserves on the river, visit the Chippewa River Watershed. You can also check out the Chippewa River Water Trail.
Get Jeff’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.
More Michigan rivers on Michigan in Pictures.
city
February 26, 2013
city, photo by buckshot.jones
Check Scott’s photo out background big and see more in his slideshow.
More Detroit on Michigan in Pictures
Bond Falls in black & white
February 21, 2013
Bond Falls, photo by wingsfan1705
Michigan in Pictures has a number of photos from Bond Falls, but there’s always room for one more. ;)
Check this out background bigtacular and see more including some detail shots in Kim’s slideshow.
More black & white photography on Michigan in Pictures.
Michigan Wild & Scenic Rivers: Manistee River
January 15, 2013
Manistee River, near Sharon, Michigan, photo by gregorydseman
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. The stretch of the Manistee River from the DNR boat ramp below Tippy Dam to the Michigan State Highway 55 Bridge is the designated stretch (click for map and river management plan). They explain:
The Manistee Wild and Scenic River is well known for beautiful scenery, excellent fishing and a variety of recreational activities. In the spring and fall, high numbers of anglers are attracted to the superb salmon and steelhead runs. During the summer, walleye and pike fishing become the primary recreational activity. The river supports a variety of other recreational uses including wildlife viewing, hiking, canoeing and hunting.
Private businesses and government agencies have developed a variety of facilities and services to meet the expanding recreation demands of the public. Commercial guided fishing is one of the most popular activities on the Manistee River. The amount of recreational use fluctuates from year to year, mostly based on the fishing runs and local economic factors. There are eight developed river access sites within the wild and scenic river corridor. The Forest Service maintains sites at High Bridge, Bear Creek, Rainbow Bend and Blacksmith Bayou. The state of Michigan operates a river access site at Tippy Dam. Private recreation sites include Big Manistee Riverview Campground and Coho Bend Campground. The U.S. Forest Service developed recreation sites along the Manistee River require a vehicle parking pass under the Recreation Enhancement Act.
Greg says he took this photo back in 1998 when the river had more water – check it out bigger and see more in his slideshow.
Detroit Panorama: City Lights Mix
January 10, 2013
Detroit, MI, photo by w4nd3rl0st (InspiredinDesMoines)
Jason put this photo together from about a dozen HDR images taken from a large park in Windsor. He notes that if you make the trek across the Detroit River, the Tunnel BBQ in Windsor is tasty and affordable.
For a real treat, view his photo background bigtacular and see more in his Detroit & Michigan slideshow.
Lots more from Detroit on Michigan in Pictures.
Enjoy your New Year’s Eve!
December 31, 2012
086>, photo by mark5032001
Here’s hoping everyone has a safe & fun New Year’s Eve as we all bid farewell to 2012 and enjoy the first moments of 2013!
View this photo from Bay City’s 4th of July celebration on black and see more in Mark’s photos from Bay City.
