The Ottaway Crossing

After years of careful study to understand the impacts of dam removal, the Grand Traverse Conservation District is eager to reconnect the community with the natural beauty and exceptional recreational opportunities of the Natural Education Reserve and beyond.

The Grand Traverse Conservation District will construct a 160-foot pedestrian bridge that span the Boardman-Ottaway River at the location of the former Sabin Dam on Grand Traverse County’s Natural Education Reserve. With over 15,000 visitors to the Natural Education Reserve a year, the Ottaway Crossing footbridge will provide the missing connection between miles of popular recreational trails on both sides of the Boardman Ottaway River, including the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc.’s (TART) Boardman-Ottaway River Trail that extends 24 miles into the river valley.

 
 

Named the Ottaway Crossing, in honor of the river’s original name and the indigenous community, this impressive feat of engineering will encourage walkers, bikers, anglers and adventurers of all stripes to explore the fullness of the nearly 10 miles of trails and the natural beauty of the NER.

The footbridge is an integral part of the ongoing restoration efforts at the Natural Education Reserve, alongside initiatives such as stabilizing riverbanks, planting thousands of native trees and shrubs, and managing invasive species. Together, these efforts will transform the Natural Education Reserve into a stunning destination in our community.

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A RIVER REBORN

At the turn of the 19th century, 4 hydro-electric dams were built to harness the power of the Boardman-Ottaway River in order to supply a growing Traverse City with electricity:

  • Boardman Dam (1894)

  • Sabin Dam (1907)

  • Keystone Dam (1908; washed out in 1961)

  • Brown Bridge Dam (1921)

While once the most efficient way to generate electricity for our community, over time the dams began to deteriorate. In the late 1960s, Consumers Energy left the hydroelectric business on the Boardman -Ottaway River and sold the 310-acre property containing Sabin and Boardman Dams to Grand Traverse County for $1. Today, this land is Grand Traverse County’s Natural Education Reserve (NER).

In 2009, both the City of Traverse City and Grand Traverse County decided to remove the three remaining non-operational dams. The Conservation District was heavily involved in the dam removal process, serving as land managers for both the County and the City since 1992 - this partnership still exists today.

In 2018, Sabin Dam, which sits within the NER, was the last dam to be removed. This dam had acted as a highly-trafficked footbridge that connected the east and west sides of the river, allowing anglers, hikers, and NER visitors access to all 525 acres of remarkable property, which includes nearly five miles of Boardman-Ottaway River. With the removal of Sabin Dam, the community’s ability to cross the river was severed.

Without a way to cross the Boardman-Ottaway River, NER users must get in their cars to drive either north or south via a road bridge to access the trails on the other side of the river. With no continuous trail loop, visitors on foot must backtrack in order to experience the entirety of the NER, causing trail congestion and a less-than-ideal user experience.