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30-530: The Boardman River ( / b ɔː r d m ə n / BORD -mən ), also known as the Ottaway River ( / ɒ t ə w eɪ / AH -tə-way ) or the Boardman–Ottaway River , is a 28.2-mile-long (45.4 km) river in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan . It rises in western Kalkaska County , and flows west and north through Grand Traverse County to end in downtown Traverse City at

60-574: A mile upstream from the river's mouth at Grand Traverse Bay. The lake is located within Traverse City and Garfield Township . This lake is also a popular recreational and fishing lake. It has an abundance of bluegill , largemouth bass , northern pike , smallmouth bass , sunfish , walleye , and yellow perch . The following road bridges lay on the main course of the river, entirely within Grand Traverse County . The Boardman River drains

90-612: A temporary structure put in place to facilitate drawdown at the dam was breached, flooding the river valley. In June 2014 the Michigan DEQ issued a report identifying erosion around the temporary drawdown structure as the likely cause of the failure. Brown Bridge Dam removal was completed in January 2013 and resulted in the reestablishment of 2.5 miles of river channel. In 2017, Boardman Dam and its impoundment structure were demolished, along with an adjacent one-lane bridge carrying Cass Road over

120-442: Is either Briar Hill at 1,705 feet (520 m), or one of several points nearby in the vicinity of Cadillac . The lowest point is at the shore of Lake Erie at 571 feet (174 m). The western coast features extensive sandy beaches and dunes produced by Lake Michigan and the prevailing winds from the west. The relatively shallow Saginaw Bay is surrounded by a similarly shallow drainage basin . Several large river systems flow into

150-622: Is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km ) (3.54%) is water. The Boardman River flows from south to north in the east of the township. The township's largest lake, Silver Lake is in the southwest of the township, and is shared to the south with Blair Township. Two lines of the Great Lakes Central Railroad run through the east of the township, paralleling the Boardman River on either side. All townships listed are part of Grand Traverse County, unless otherwise stated. As of

180-530: The Grand Traverse Bay , a bay of Lake Michigan . The river's watershed drains an area of 295 square miles (760 km) through a combined 130 miles (210 km) of river and tributaries. Additionally, the Boardman River is considered one of the top ten trout streams in Michigan . Prior to European settlement, the river was known as adaawewiziibi , roughly translating from Ojibwe as "river of trade". In

210-603: The National Audubon Society have designated several locations as internationally Important Bird Areas . The Lower Peninsula is dominated by a geological basin known as the Michigan Basin . That feature is represented by a nearly circular pattern of geologic sedimentary strata in the area with a nearly uniform structural dip toward the center of the peninsula. The basin is centered in Gladwin County where

240-741: The Northern Lower Peninsula —which is more sparsely populated and largely forested—and the Southern Lower Peninsula—which is largely urban or farmland. Southern Lower Michigan is sometimes further divided into economic and cultural subregions. The more culturally and economically diverse Lower Peninsula dominates Michigan politics, and maps of it without the Upper Peninsula are sometimes mistakenly presented as "Michigan", which contributes to resentment by "Yoopers" (residents of "the U.P"). Yoopers jokingly refer to residents of

270-523: The Precambrian basement rocks are 16,000 feet (4,900 m) deep. Around the margins, such as under Mackinaw City, Michigan , the Precambrian surface is around 4,000 feet (1,200 m) down. This 4,000-foot (1,200 m) contour on the bedrock clips the northern part of the lower peninsula and continues under Lake Michigan along the west. It crosses the southern counties of Michigan and continues on to

300-513: The census of 2010, there were 16,256 people, 7,367 households, and 4,040 families residing in the township. The population density was 609 per square mile (235/km ). There were 8,194 housing units at an average density of 307 per square mile (119/km ). The racial makeup of the township was 93.87% White , 0.80% African American , 1.18% Native American , 1.06% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.67% from other races , and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of

330-672: The Lower Peninsula as "flat-landers" (referring to the region's less rugged terrain) or " trolls " (because, being south of the Mackinac Bridge , they " live under the bridge "). The Lower Peninsula is bounded on the west by Lake Michigan and on the northeast by Lake Huron , which connect at the Straits of Mackinac . In the southeast, the waterway consisting of the St. Clair River , Lake St. Clair , Detroit River , and Lake Erie separates it from

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360-424: The Lower Peninsula is 277 miles (446 km) long from north to south and 195 miles (314 km) from east to west. It contains nearly two-thirds of Michigan's total land area. The surface of the peninsula is generally level, broken by conical hills and glacial moraines usually not more than a few hundred feet tall, most common in the north. The highest point in the Lower Peninsula is not definitely established, but

390-571: The Union Street Dam began. Some trees and the small building on the dam were removed in preparation for the heavy construction in July. The process is expected to be completed in 2027. The Boardman River follows a rather unusual course. The river rises from streams and swamps in Kalkaska County , flowing generally west–southwest to west until reaching Blair Township in Grand Traverse County , where

420-614: The adjacent Great Lakes, including the Kalamazoo , Grand , Muskegon , and Manistee rivers (Lake Michigan), and the Au Sable and Tittabawassee – Shiawassee – Saginaw rivers (Lake Huron). Because of the networks of rivers and numerous lakes, no point on land is more than six miles (9.7 km) from one of these bodies of water, and at most 85 miles (137 km) from one of the Great Lakes (near Lansing ). The American Bird Conservancy and

450-410: The average family size was 2.83. In the township the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males. The median income for a household in the township

480-469: The eastern region identified as " The Thumb ". This has led to several folkloric creation myths for the area, one being that it is a handprint of Paul Bunyan , a giant lumberjack and popular European-American folk character in Michigan. When asked where they live, Lower Peninsula residents may hold up their right palm and point to a spot on it to indicate the location. The peninsula is sometimes divided into

510-399: The following municipalities ( italicized municipalities are those which the river drains but does not flow through): The Boardman River is also drains the following lakes: Lower Peninsula of Michigan The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan ;

540-564: The main course of the river. Five dams were built along the main course of the Boardman River, in upstream order: the Union Street Dam , Sabin Dam , Boardman Dam , Keystone Dam , and Brown Bridge Dam . In 1961, the Keystone Dam was washed out after flooding upstream. On October 6, 2012, while preparing to demolish Brown Bridge Dam, the highest on the river and largest in terms of impoundment,

570-489: The north beneath Lake Huron . Most monthly temperatures in the lower peninsula range from a low of 14 degrees to a high of 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Michigan's Lower Peninsula can be divided into four main regions based on geological, soil, and vegetation differences; amount of urban areas or rural areas; minority populations; and agriculture . The four principal regions listed below can further be separated into sub-regions and overlapping areas. Interstate Highways in

600-478: The other being the Upper Peninsula , which is separated by the Straits of Mackinac . It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Indiana and Ohio . Although the Upper Peninsula is commonly referred to as "the U.P.", it is uncommon for the Lower Peninsula to be called "the L.P.". Because of its recognizable shape, the Lower Peninsula is nicknamed The Mitten , with

630-409: The population. There were 7,367 households, out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and

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660-600: The province of Ontario , Canada. It is bounded on the south by the states of Indiana and Ohio . This border is irregular: the border with Indiana was moved 10 miles northward from its territorial position to give Indiana more access to Lake Michigan, and its slightly angled border with Ohio was part of the compromise which ended the Toledo War . The Lower Peninsula is a part of the Great Lakes Plain, which include large parts of Wisconsin and Ohio. At its widest points,

690-560: The region include: U.S. Highways in the region include: The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. 43°40′N 84°45′W  /  43.667°N 84.750°W  / 43.667; -84.750 Garfield Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan Garfield Township is the largest municipality in Northern Lower Michigan by population. Much of

720-469: The rest of the county, including Traverse City , was assigned to Traverse Township . However, it was renamed in 1882 in honor of recently assassinated president James A. Garfield . In 1977, Garfield Township became a charter township . According to the United States Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 27.7 square miles (72 km ), of which 26.7 square miles (69 km )

750-401: The river turns due north. Upon exiting Boardman Lake, water flows northwesterly, before turning back due east, forming a U-shape around downtown Traverse City . The river then angles northeast, finally entering the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay . Boardman Lake is a natural body of water, which would exist even without impoundment by the Union Street Dam, along the course of the river, about

780-404: The river. A new bridge for Cass Road over the new future river channel was completed the previous year. With the removal of this dam, the watercourse was realigned under the new bridge for the first time. Sabin Dam was fully removed by the end of 2018. This leaves Union Street Dam as the only remaining impoundment on the main course of the Boardman River. In early June 2024, light construction on

810-688: The township is suburban , due to its proximity to Traverse City . It is one of four charter townships in the Traverse City metropolitan area ; the others being Elmwood Township in Leelanau County , and East Bay and Long Lake townships in Grand Traverse County. The first two townships of Grand Traverse County were organized in 1853; the Old Mission Peninsula was assigned to Peninsula Township , with its present-day boundaries, and

840-574: The year 1847, Captain Horace Boardman of Naperville, Illinois , purchased land at the head of Grand Traverse Bay, at a river then known as the Ottaway River. With the arrival of Hannah-Lay in the 1850s, the river was colloquially, and later officially, renamed the Boardman River. Recent movements have sought to change the name of the river to its original name, either in full or abbreviated (i.e. Boardman–Ottaway River) Later in 1800s, as Traverse City

870-448: Was $ 41,712, and the median income for a family was $ 55,977. Males had a median income of $ 30,167 versus $ 23,672 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 26,390. About 10.1% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) serves the entirety of Garfield Township. Secondary students within

900-539: Was first being settled, the Union Street Dam was being built by the Hannah-Lay Company as a saw mill. Around this time, citizens were dumping sewage into the Boardman, which was causing severe health problems. The lake became very industrialized. The western shore of the lake was used for a log rollaway and rail yard on the Great Lakes Central Railroad , up until the early 2000s. Additionally, five dams were built along

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