Pigeon River (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
The Pigeon River is part of the Lake Huron
watershed. It is one of many rivers that have their headwaters in Otsego County
. The Pigeon River's headwaters start just north and east of Gaylord, Michigan
at the Otsego Club and Resort. From there the river flows north 42 miles (approximately 80 linear miles) through private land and the Pigeon River Country State Forest to Mullet Lake.
Much of the Pigeon River is classified by the Michigan Department Natural Resources (DNR) as a blue ribbon trout stream. with special fishing regulations to conserve and enhance the trout fishery. The Pigeon is also a designated Natural River. with special regulations regarding development along its banks.
s that nested in and migrated through the area, before the species went extinct, primarily due to over-hunting.
Another concrete dam was built, this one able to use the hydropower to generate electricity. Golden Lotus Inc. bought the property from the club and set up a retreat called Song Of The Morning Ranch (SOM). They used the dam to provide electricity.
In 1984 SOM conducted planned drawdown of the pond in order to perform maintenance work on the dam. During this drawdown, there was another dam failure, resulting in a massive sediment discharge for several days. The discharge caused a massive fish kill
immediately, and destroyed critical fish and insect habitat for many years. In an ensuing court case, Golden Lotus maintained that they'd been following standard procedures under DNR supervision.
Stricter regulations were placed on the dam operation at that point.
Another dam failure, the third in 75 years, occurred in 2008. A heavy rainstorm resulted in another large sediment release from the pond, with another massive fish and habitat kill.
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
watershed. It is one of many rivers that have their headwaters in 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...
. The Pigeon River's headwaters start just north and east of Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord, Michigan
Gaylord is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,681. It is the county seat of Otsego County. The city is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord; it is by far the smallest settlement serving as the location of an active Roman...
at the Otsego Club and Resort. From there the river flows north 42 miles (approximately 80 linear miles) through private land and the Pigeon River Country State Forest to Mullet Lake.
Much of the Pigeon River is classified by the Michigan Department Natural Resources (DNR) as a blue ribbon trout stream. with special fishing regulations to conserve and enhance the trout fishery. The Pigeon is also a designated Natural River. with special regulations regarding development along its banks.
Name
The Pigeon River was named for the huge flocks of passenger pigeonPassenger Pigeon
The Passenger Pigeon or Wild Pigeon was a bird, now extinct, that existed in North America and lived in enormous migratory flocks until the early 20th century...
s that nested in and migrated through the area, before the species went extinct, primarily due to over-hunting.
Dam Failures
There is one dam on the Pigeon located approximately one mile upstream from Sturgeon Valley Road. The original dam was an earth and log structure constructed by a private hunting and fishing club in the early to mid 20th century to create a pond called the Lansing Club pond. This dam failed in the late 1950's, washing accumulated sediment downstream, harming fish and insect populations and habitat.Another concrete dam was built, this one able to use the hydropower to generate electricity. Golden Lotus Inc. bought the property from the club and set up a retreat called Song Of The Morning Ranch (SOM). They used the dam to provide electricity.
In 1984 SOM conducted planned drawdown of the pond in order to perform maintenance work on the dam. During this drawdown, there was another dam failure, resulting in a massive sediment discharge for several days. The discharge caused a massive fish kill
Fish kill
The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off and as fish mortality, is a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalised mortality of aquatic life...
immediately, and destroyed critical fish and insect habitat for many years. In an ensuing court case, Golden Lotus maintained that they'd been following standard procedures under DNR supervision.
Stricter regulations were placed on the dam operation at that point.
Another dam failure, the third in 75 years, occurred in 2008. A heavy rainstorm resulted in another large sediment release from the pond, with another massive fish and habitat kill.