Clearing the Shiawassee River near Argentine, Michigan

CLICK on the picture for full size view
-

-


















http://bit.ly/BirdRoad

A large crew (over 30 people) came out mid-June to clean up and clear the river towards Bird Road.
Some ran chainsaws while others picked garbage and took down brush, aiding paddling recreation in the area.

It will take some diligence, perseverance and motivation to nibble away at the fallen trees blocking the river.
It's great to see people taking an active interest in maintaining such a great resource in Genesee County.

Keepers of the Shiawassee are always looking for volunteers,  chainsaws are always welcome.
-look for the group on facebook
-
-

McCaslin Lake Road Canoe Kayak Launch

-
Click on the map for a full screen detailed view of it all
-

Argentine Township / Linden Community  5 Year Parks and Recreation Plan


Shiawassee River Water Trail --- Draft –  January 2010 ---  Gould Engineering, Inc.-

Advocating the use of the Shiawassee River as a recreational water trail is highly recommended.
Development of the water trail through Argentine Township is an expansion of the 10 mile water trail system already developed to the east from the Village of Holly through the City of Fenton and
City of Linden.
By continuing efforts through Argentine Township a total of 30 miles of water trail will be created from the Village of Holly to the Village of Byron in Shiawassee County and extending into Saginaw County. The Argentine Shiawassee River Clean Up Committee is a local volunteer group that has made tremendous strides to remove debris and clear areas for safe navigation of the river. They are considered stewards of the river and are strongly encouraged to continue their efforts of protecting and promoting safe and appropriate use of the water trail.

Currently, the McCaslin Lake Road canoe/kayak launch site provides the only access to
the 10 mile stretch between the City of Linden and the Village of Bryon. The
establishment of this unimproved launch is strictly the result of heavy use by local
canoeists and kayakers. Fortunately, the township recognized this growing population
and acquired land at this site for future improvements. However, additional land
acquisition may be needed depending on physical restraints of the present site. These
improvements will provide safe access to the water, nearby parking, improved staging
and traffic circulation, signage, benches and trash receptacles, with strong
consideration toward universal design.

The township also owns 10 acres on Oakwood Drive with access to the river and approximately 2 miles west of McCaslin Lake Road. This would provide another launch opportunity midway between the launches at McCaslin Lake Road and the Village of Byron. Important factors for establishing a water trail are the provision of safe and convenient access to a navigable waterway with unobstructed passageways. The water trail between McCaslin Lake Road and the Village of Byron is un-navigable in some locations. Therefore, other trail improvements should include removing litter, clearing log
jams for navigability, installing way finding and educational signs, and providing safe installing way finding and educational signs, and providing safe portage areas where needed.

Should it be necessary, narrow or low underpasses (i.e. small culverts or low bridges) should be replaced with larger openings. However, Bridges or overpasses are costly to reconstruct, therefore, an
alternative is to provide safe portage areas. A durable path should be provided for carrying
watercraft, which should consist of more natural, engineered facilities such as pervious pavers with
openings for vegetation to grow through to help retain the natural river bank appearance, along with providing proper roadside signage forewarning motor vehicle traffic of potential portage crossings. All construction along the river, within the floodplain and/or wetlands, is subject to approval by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE).

A detailed “Shiawassee River Water Trail Plan” would help officially designate and
delineate a Shiawassee River Heritage Water Trail route, and identify trail-related
facilities that should be constructed and improvements that should be implemented to
establish a safe and navigable trail corridor for both recreational and educational
pursuits in an ecologically sensitive manner. The designation of an official water trail may
further instill a sense of trail stewardship among canoeists/kayakers to respect the quality
of the water and become good caretakers of the river.

Specific trail improvements and support facilities that should be identified on the plan may
include providing parking facilities, restrooms, handicapped access, and picnicking areas; removing litter and fallen trees for navigability; installing way finding and educational signs; and improving underpasses or providing safe providing safe portaging areas with durable paths and crossing signs.

http://argentinetownship.com/section%207-Action%20Program.pdf

-

Launch, Put-IN, Take-Out, Access Points, Bail Out Points

Shiawassee River from Fenton to Linden to Argentine

Strom Park, located on Fenton Mill Pond at Elizabeth St, has a boat launch and parking on site. Nice place to paddle when you do not want to spot vehicles. Go up the river towards Holly and you may run into a beaver dam. When you paddle back it is an easy walk to Dibbleville restaurants and stores.

Fenton Community Center on S. Leroy in the center of historic Fenton. Plenty of parking and a short walk to the river. Many city events take place at this location including a Farmers Market from August through mid-September. This section is usually shallower than further downriver.

Bush Park located on N. Leroy St. across from Dewey Automotive. Public restrooms, easy parking. Launch across the bridge at shallow area. You can also enter the park from Adelaide or Lincoln St. and take road to furthest parking in the south-east corner of the park. Launch by the old concrete bridge. It takes an hour plus to paddle to the DNR launch on Lake Ponemah from the Leroy St. bridge. This section is shallow in late July and August. There are sand and gravel bars in the center so stay to the outside of the curves. Volunteers of the most recent cleanup cut narrow paths through the fallen trees so you will need some skill to maneuver through the openings.

DNR launch for Lake Ponemah located on North Rd. You can continue to Linden paddling around the lake, entering Tupper Lake and back on the river. If you paddle the lake clockwise you’ll come to Tee Bonez. You can leave your boats on/near the docks while you enjoy refreshments. This lake is windy and choppy much of the time. Conditions worsen with the jet skis and power boats so be careful and stay close to shore, especially if you have a recreational kayak with a large, open cockpit.

Linden Mill Pond located by the Historic Linden Mill on Tickner St. You can park in the Sharp Funeral Home or library lot. There is a launch on the pond for easy in and out. Paddle up river to the lakes and back to town. Restaurants and unique shops are just a block away. Free concerts are at the gazebo Wednesday evening at 7:00 during the summer. Farmers market downtown during September.

Bridge Street, Launch the river is downhill from the north side parking lot behind the Bridge St. businesses. The water can be fast moving when the dam is open. Lots of twists and turns, some sections are shallow, wetlands area can be choked in weeds late in the season. Short ride (1 – 1 ½ hrs) to Hogan Rd. Longer paddle (3 – 4hrs) to McCasslin Lake Rd.

Hogan Road , Bridge just 1 ½ miles from downtown Linden by road but a hour plus paddle by river. Possible future site of public launch but difficult to get out in and out now. Look out for poison ivy.

McCaslin Lake Road , Final takeout for the Fenton to Linden to Argentine stretch. Parking on either side of the road. Fairly easy in and out. When paddling from Linden stay to the right when approaching Hatt (Shiawassee) Lake. You can continue to Byron but may have to portage over fallen trees.

Call Cheff’s Canoe Rental (989-288-7067).
They maintain the area from Byron to Shiatown near Vernon
Based at Walnut Hills Family Campground 7685 E. Lehring Rd. Durand MI 48429.