What was up with that stink in Moores Park?

Buoy line snags smelly debris in Grand River

Posted

MONDAY, July 12 — An accumulation of debris snagged by a new buoy line in the Grand River near the old Eckert Power Station dam kicked up a stink last week after neighbors cried foul over over the putrid smell of river sediment, duckweed and dead animals.

But don’t worry: Lansing Board of Water and Light staff said they have the issue under control.

In December,  BWL installed a new buoy line as part of a series of upgrades to the Moores Park Dam. Officials said that the floating line was designed to warn boaters of the dam, as well as to prevent large items — like trees — from flowing down the river.

The problem: The buoys also stopped everything else from passing, including sediment, algae, duckweed, dead fish and animal remains. Recent heavy rainfall only made the situation worse.

Odors from the floating swamp of stink on the river could be detected from about a mile away.

In response to neighborhood complaints, BWL staff temporarily lifted the buoy line on Thursday, sending the smelly debris flowing over the dam and down the Grand River downtown. By Friday, the buildup had totally disappeared. The pungent smell was undetectable early this morning.

Officials said they plan to install a new buoy system later this year to prevent the issue from recurring. 

Comments

1 comment on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • maskimummu

    Yeah, probably just decaying flesh, but I remember being young and traipsing through Victor Woods and coming across a part of the "crick" that smelled strongly of rotten eggs. Following the strength of the scent, we found rusted out barrels in the "crick". I would not expect BWL to admit industrial sludge caught up in the detritus.

    Tuesday, July 13, 2021 Report this




Connect with us