Boyne River (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
Boyne River is a stream
in Northern Michigan
, named for the River Boyne
in Leinster
, Ireland
. Together with the north and south branches, the river system has approximately 22 miles (35.4 km) of mainstream and the water basin drains 40320 acre. Boyne River is Lake Charlevoix's second-largest tributary, after the Jordan River
.
. The main branch flows northwest through Boyne City
into Lake Charlevoix
at 45°12′53"N 85°00′53"W.
The North Branch Boyne River is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) long and rises in Hudson Township
in eastern Charlevoix County
at 45°10′34"N 84°48′52"W. The South Branch Boyne River is 10.5 miles (16.9 km) long and rises in Elmira Township in northwest Otsego County
at 45°05′10"N 84°48′42"W. The South Branch flows northwest across the northeast corner of Warner Township in Antrim County
.
:
The soils surrounding Boyne River's headwaters
are primarily composed of a Kalkaska-Leelanau association (a mixture of Kalkaska
and Leelanau sand
s), and tend to form steep riverbanks. Among the fish species living in Boyne River are chinook salmon
, walleye
, brook trout
, brown trout
, and rainbow trout
.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
in Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
, named for the River Boyne
River Boyne
The River Boyne is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newbury Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath and Baltray, County Louth. Salmon...
in Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Together with the north and south branches, the river system has approximately 22 miles (35.4 km) of mainstream and the water basin drains 40320 acre. Boyne River is Lake Charlevoix's second-largest tributary, after the Jordan River
Jordan River (Michigan)
The Jordan River is a stream in the northwestern part of the lower peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the largest tributary of Lake Charlevoix. The Jordan's headwaters rise from springs in the upper Jordan River Valley northwest of Mancelona in Antrim County...
.
Course
Boyne River's mainstream is approximately 5.6 miles (9 km) long, from the confluence of the north and south branches at 45°10′53"N 84°55′12"W less than a mile northwest of the village of Boyne FallsBoyne Falls, Michigan
Boyne Falls is a village in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 370 at the 2000 census. The Boyne Falls post office first opened September 5, 1874....
. The main branch flows northwest through Boyne City
Boyne City, Michigan
Boyne City is a city in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,503 at the 2000 census.Boyne City is at the southeast end of the east arm of Lake Charlevoix, where the Boyne River enters the lake...
into Lake Charlevoix
Lake Charlevoix
Lake Charlevoix is a lake in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the third largest lake in the state with a surface area of over 17,200 acres and 56 miles of shoreline...
at 45°12′53"N 85°00′53"W.
The North Branch Boyne River is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) long and rises in Hudson Township
Hudson Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan
Hudson Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 639.-Geography:...
in eastern Charlevoix County
Charlevoix County, Michigan
-Airports:*Beaver Island is served by two airlines:**Welke Airport**Beaver Island Airport-Ferry service:*Beaver Island Boat Company maintains a regular auto ferry from Charlevoix:*The Ironton Ferry at Ironton, Michigan crosses the south arm of Lake Charlevoix...
at 45°10′34"N 84°48′52"W. The South Branch Boyne River is 10.5 miles (16.9 km) long and rises in Elmira Township in northwest Otsego County
Otsego County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,301 people, 8,995 households, and 6,539 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 13,375 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
at 45°05′10"N 84°48′42"W. The South Branch flows northwest across the northeast corner of Warner Township in Antrim County
Antrim County, Michigan
-History:Antrim County was formed in 1863. In 1950 its population was 10,721. The county seat was originally located in Elk Rapids, but was moved to Bellaire in 1904 after 25 years of litigation.-Demographics:...
.
Impoundments
The river system has three major impoundmentsReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
:
- The Boyne City Mill Pond within the Boyne City limits less than a mile from the river's mouth. The Boyne City Mill Pond is not a true impoundment resulting from a dam on the river, but affects the river similarly in that itcollects sediments and provides a large surface area that tends to raise the water temperature during the summer months. The pond is called "Little Lake" in a 1901 platPlatA plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
book. - The reservoirReservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
formed by a hydroelectric dam owned by Boyne ResortsBoyne ResortsBoyne Resorts is the third largest owner and operator of ski and golf resorts in the United States and is the longest running management team at nearly 60 years. The company employs over 7,000 fulltime and seasonal staff. It operates 13 resort properties - 10 ski resorts and 11 golf courses. The...
at 45°11′38"N 84°56′53"W. The dam was built about 1906 to provide power to nearby towns. The Boyne River Power Company was consolidated with many other small power providers in west Michigan to form the Michigan Public Service Company in 1927. Consumers EnergyConsumers EnergyConsumers Energy is a public utility that provides natural gas and electricity to more than 6 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state’s Lower Peninsula counties. It is a division of CMS Energy. Its headquarters is in Jackson.-History:The company was...
bought that company in 1950 and continued to operate the power plant until October 12, 1962, after which the generating equipment was removed and the dam, buildings and land surrounding the reservoir were sold to the Boyne Mountain Lodge in 1963. I n 1982, the Boyne Mountain Resort received a license to operate a 250 kilowatt hydroelectric generator using the existing dam and 80 acre reservoir. - The Boyne River Pond at 45°10′09"N 84°55′05"W on the South Branch near Boyne Falls. The dam was built before 1900 and the water flow powered a saw mill and grist mill. M-75M-75 (Michigan highway)M-75 is a segment of state trunkline highway located in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. This highway serves as a loop off US Highway 131 , providing access to Boyne City. The highway happens to be geographically close to Interstate 75 , but they are not related.-Route...
crosses the river over the dam.
The soils surrounding Boyne River's headwaters
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
are primarily composed of a Kalkaska-Leelanau association (a mixture of Kalkaska
Kalkaska Sand
Kalkaska sand is the official soil of the U.S. state of Michigan.Kalkaska sand was identified in 1927 and named after Kalkaska County located in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This soil is a multi-layer soil composed of humus, light sand, dark sand, and yellowish sand. It is classified...
and Leelanau sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
s), and tend to form steep riverbanks. Among the fish species living in Boyne River are chinook salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
.
Tributaries
- (right) Forest Lake, identified as Mud Lake in a 1901 platPlatA plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
book - (left) North Branch Boyne River
- (left) Schoolhouse Creek
- (right) Cramer Creek
- (right) Licks Creek
- (right) Kuznick Creek
- (right) South Branch Boyne River
- (right) Moyer Creek
Drainage basin
The Boyne River system drains all or portions of the following cities, townships, and villages:- Antrim CountyAntrim County, Michigan-History:Antrim County was formed in 1863. In 1950 its population was 10,721. The county seat was originally located in Elk Rapids, but was moved to Bellaire in 1904 after 25 years of litigation.-Demographics:...
- Warner Township
- Charlevoix CountyCharlevoix County, Michigan-Airports:*Beaver Island is served by two airlines:**Welke Airport**Beaver Island Airport-Ferry service:*Beaver Island Boat Company maintains a regular auto ferry from Charlevoix:*The Ironton Ferry at Ironton, Michigan crosses the south arm of Lake Charlevoix...
- Boyne Valley TownshipBoyne Valley Township, MichiganBoyne Valley Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,215.-Geography:...
- Evangeline TownshipEvangeline Township, MichiganEvangeline Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 773 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Hudson TownshipHudson Township, Charlevoix County, MichiganHudson Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 639.-Geography:...
- Melrose TownshipMelrose Township, MichiganMelrose Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,388 at the 2000 census.The township was set off from Evangeline Township by the County Board of Supervisors in 1877.-Communities:...
- Wilson TownshipWilson Township, Charlevoix County, MichiganWilson Township is a civil township of Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,022 at the 2000 census.-Communities:In the past part of the township was known as Afton...
- Boyne Valley Township
- Otsego CountyOtsego County, Michigan-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,301 people, 8,995 households, and 6,539 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 13,375 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
- Elmira Township
- Hayes TownshipHayes Township, Otsego County, MichiganHayes Township is a civil township of Otsego County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,385 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...