Betsie River

The Betsie River is a stream in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The name is derived from the French "Riviere Aux Bec Scies", meaning river of sawbill ducks ("bec-scie"). Other alternate names include Aug-sig-o-sebe, Aux Buscies, Betsey's River, Black Robe, Gay-she-say-ing, Riviere du Pere Marquette, Sawbill Ducks, and Shelldrake Ducks.gnis|621247] The river is mostly within Benzie County (which takes its name from a variant pronunciation of the river), although the river rises in southwest Grand Traverse County and flows briefly through northern Manistee County, Michigan.

The river widens to form Betsie Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan at coord|44|37|45|N|86|14|45|W| between Frankfort and Elberta. The Betsie River is a part of Michigan's Natural Rivers Program [ [http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31431_31442-95764--,00.html Betsie River] , Michigan Department of Natural Resources]

Course

The river rises as the outflow of Green Lake at coord|44|35|31|N|85|47|40|W| in southwestern Grand Traverse County. Green Lake straddles the boundary between Grant Township on the south and Green Lake Township on the north between Karlin and Interlochen. Several nearby lakes, including Duck Lake and its tributaries, drain into Green Lake.

The river winds southwesterly from Green Lake into eastern Benzie County, and then briefly into northern Manistee County before turning northerly back into Benzie County. A dam on the river forms Homestead Pond, after which is flows mostly west and slightly north to Lake Michigan.

Drainage basin

The Betsie River drains an area of approximately convert|155026|acre|km2. in three counties. The drainage basin include about convert|93|mi|km of linear stream, convert|52|mi|km of which is part of the mainstream.

Dams

* Homestead Dam coord|44|35|48|N|86|04|48|W| [gnis|628519|Homestead Dam ] was mostly removed in 1974 and currently acts as a lamprey barrier. It impounds little water and does not impede salmon migrations. [http://www.michigandnr.com/PUBLICATIONS/PDFS/ifr/ifrlibra/status/waterbody/2004-3Betsie.pdf Betsi River] , Mark A. Tonello, "Status of the Fishery Resource Report, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, No. 2004-3, 2004] the remains of the dam are now sometimes called "Homestead Falls". [ [http://www.hanmers.com/canoetrips.html The Betsie River] , Hanmer's Canoe Trips] The dam was a power generating facility formerly owned by Consumers Energy.
* Grass Lake Dam, approximately four miles downstream from Green Lake, forms an approximately convert|90|acre|ha impoundment. The dam was constructed in 1951 to improve waterfowl habitat and northern pike fishing. The dam was installed by the state Wildlife Division and created a convert|482|acre|ha waterfowl flooding. [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Betsie_River_Plan_23126_7.pdf Betsie River Natural River Plan] , Michigan Department of Natural Resources, July 1973, revised March 12, 2002]
* Thompsonville Dam was an old power dam that failed in the spring of 1989 and was subsequently removed. Prior to its removal, the dam posed a barrier to salmon migration. Salmon and trout have access to the entire mainstream of the river, even above the Grass Lake Dam

Tributaries

* Betsie Lake coord|44|37|42|N|86|13|47|W|type:landmark_region:US [gnis|621246|Betsie Lake]
* Crystal Lake Outlet coord|44|37|32|N|86|08|18|W| [gnis|1618425|Crystal Lake Outlet]
** Crystal Lake
***Cold Creek coord|44|37|47|N|86|05|46|W| in Beulah [gnis|623561|Cold Creek]
* Rice Creek coord|44|36|19|N|86|06|51|W| [gnis|635836|Rice Creek]
* Dair Creek coord|44|33|05|N|86|03|15|W| [gnis|624461|Dair Creek]
* Little Betsie River coord|44|32|01|N|85|56|44|W| [gnis|630563|Little Betsie River]
* Pickerel Creek coord|44|35|29|N|85|50|25|W| [gnis|634772|Pickerel Creek]
** Twin Lake coord|44|34|19|N|85|49|46|W| [gnis|1615243|Twin Lake]
** Upper Twin Lake coord|44|34|19|N|85|49|17|W| [gnis|1615418|Upper Twin Lake]
* Grass Lake coord|44|36|30|N|85|51|03|W| [gnis|627199|Grass Lake]
* Mud Lake coord|44|34|31|N|85|47|55|W| [gnis|632996|Mud Lake]
* Green Lake coord|44|36|41|N|85|47|03|W| [gnis|1623734|Green Lake]
** Bridge Lake coord|44|38|21|N|85|47|07|W| [gnis|621960|Bridge Lake]
** Tullers Lake coord|44|39|15|N|85|46|43|W| [gnis|1615161|Tullers Lake]
** Cedar Hedge Lake coord|44|40|12|N|85|47|04|W| [gnis|622913|Cedar Hedge Lake]
** Mud Lake coord|44|38|36|N|85|45|28|W| [gnis|632997|Mud Lake]
** Duck Lake coord|44|37|53|N|85|44|42|W| [gnis|624946|Duck Lake]
*** Horton Creek
*** Brigham Creek coord|44|37|18|N|85|43|42|W| [gnis|2104305|Brigham Creek]
*** Mason Creek coord|44|37|51|N|85|43|26|W [gnis|631701|Mason Creek]
**** Weidenhamer Swamp coord|44|37|35|N|85|36|10|W| [gnis|2104324|Weidenhamer Swamp]
*** Tonawanda Lake coord|44|39|03|N|85|45|07|W| [gnis|1614950|Tonawanda Lake]
**** Ellis Lake coord|44|39|47|N|85|44|54|W| [gnis|625489|Ellis Lake]
***** Saunders Lake coord|44|40|17|N|85|43|56|W| [gnis|637281|Saunders Lake]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/spatialdatalibrary/pdf_maps/natural_rivers/betsie.pdf Map of the Betsie River] , Michigan Department of Natural Resources