The Betsie River (/bɛtsiː/ BET-see) is a 54.0-mile-long (86.9 km) river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is located in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of the state, flowing into Lake Michigan at Frankfort. The river's course is mostly within Benzie County, (which takes its name from a variant pronunciation of the river), although the river rises in western Grand Traverse County and flows briefly through northern Manistee County.

The river widens to form Betsie Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan between Frankfort and Elberta. The Betsie River is a part of Michigan's Natural Rivers Program.

Betsie River Wetland Delta near Elberta

Etymology

The name is derived from the French la rivière aux Bec-scies, meaning river of sawbill ducks (bec-scie). A corruption of this pronunciation led to the name of Benzie County. Other alternate historical names include the following:

  • Aug-sig-o-sebe
  • Aux Buscies River
  • Betsey's River
  • Benzie River
  • Black Robe River
  • Gay-she-say-ing
  • Riviere du Pere Marquette
  • Sawbill Ducks River
  • Shelldrake Ducks River

Course

While most sources indicate the river rises as the outflow of Green Lake in southwestern Grand Traverse County, some consider it navigable immediately south of US-31 from Tullers Lake into Green Lake. Another tributary of the river flows directly out of northern Duck Lake and into northern Green Lake, connecting with the aforementioned Tullers Lake Outlet. Although not considered part of the Betsie River today, older maps of the area do say so. 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.

Betsie River emptying into Lake Betsie, Elberta, MI (bridge shown is M-22 crossing the river outlet)

Drainage basin

The Betsie River drains an area of approximately 155,026 acres (627.37 km2) in three counties. The drainage basin include about 93 miles (150 km) of linear stream, 52 miles (84 km) of which is part of the mainstream.

Dams

  • Homestead Dam 44°35′48″N 86°04′48″W/44.59667°N 86.08000°W/ 44.59667; -86.08000 was mostly removed in 1974 and currently acts as a lamprey barrier. It impounds little water and does not impede salmon migrations. The remains of the dam are now sometimes called "Homestead Falls". The dam was a power generating facility formerly owned by Consumers Energy.
  • Grass Lake Dam, approximately 4 miles (6 km) downstream from Green Lake, forms an approximately 90-acre (36 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 482 acres (195 ha) waterfowl flooding.
  • 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.

Bridges

Below is a list of public crossings of the Betsie River:

RouteTypeMunicipalityCountyLocation
M-22 (Frankfort Avenue)State highwayBenzonia TownshipBenzie44°37′13.1″N 86°13′18.1″W/44.620306°N 86.221694°W/ 44.620306; -86.221694
Betsie Valley Trailway (west)Paved trail44°37′09.2″N 86°13′13.5″W/44.619222°N 86.220417°W/ 44.619222; -86.220417
River Road (west)County roadCrystal Lake Township44°37′05.9″N 86°10′04.0″W/44.618306°N 86.167778°W/ 44.618306; -86.167778
River Road (east)County roadBenzonia Township44°37′05.2″N 86°07′24.0″W/44.618111°N 86.123333°W/ 44.618111; -86.123333
Grace RoadCounty road44°36′16.0″N 86°06′44.3″W/44.604444°N 86.112306°W/ 44.604444; -86.112306
US 31/M-115 (Benzie Highway)State highway44°36′02.2″N 86°07′24.0″W/44.600611°N 86.123333°W/ 44.600611; -86.123333
M-115 (west)State highwayWeldon Township44°33′26.3″N 86°03′12.3″W/44.557306°N 86.053417°W/ 44.557306; -86.053417
County Line RoadCounty roadWeldon/Springdale townshipBenzie/Manistee line44°30′52.0″N 86°02′40.6″W/44.514444°N 86.044611°W/ 44.514444; -86.044611
Psutka RoadCounty roadSpringdale TownshipManistee44°29′46.4″N 86°01′47.7″W/44.496222°N 86.029917°W/ 44.496222; -86.029917
Kurick RoadCounty road44°30′05.3″N 85°58′45.2″W/44.501472°N 85.979222°W/ 44.501472; -85.979222
M-115 (east)State highway44°30′26.9″N 85°58′06.3″W/44.507472°N 85.968417°W/ 44.507472; -85.968417
Lindy RoadCounty roadWeldon TownshipBenzie44°31′13.8″N 85°57′41.5″W/44.520500°N 85.961528°W/ 44.520500; -85.961528
Wolf RoadCounty road44°31′43.1″N 85°56′55.8″W/44.528639°N 85.948833°W/ 44.528639; -85.948833
Betsie Valley Trailway (east)Paved trail44°31′48.6″N 85°56′51.6″W/44.530167°N 85.947667°W/ 44.530167; -85.947667
King RoadCounty road44°32′32.1″N 85°56′32.9″W/44.542250°N 85.942472°W/ 44.542250; -85.942472
South Thompsonville HighwayCounty roadColfax Township44°37′47.2″N 85°56′16.9″W/44.629778°N 85.938028°W/ 44.629778; -85.938028
South Carmean RoadCounty road44°33′19.6″N 85°55′05.8″W/44.555444°N 85.918278°W/ 44.555444; -85.918278
Wallin RoadCounty road44°34′13.7″N 85°53′35.0″W/44.570472°N 85.893056°W/ 44.570472; -85.893056
Nostwick RoadCounty road44°34′23.4″N 85°53′16.7″W/44.573167°N 85.887972°W/ 44.573167; -85.887972
South Reynolds RoadCounty road44°34′28.8″N 85°52′40.2″W/44.574667°N 85.877833°W/ 44.574667; -85.877833
Betsie River RoadCounty roadGrant TownshipGrand Traverse44°35′34.7″N 85°47′48.0″W/44.592972°N 85.796667°W/ 44.592972; -85.796667
Diamond Park RoadCounty roadGreen Lake Township44°37′59.5″N 85°46′55.2″W/44.633194°N 85.782000°W/ 44.633194; -85.782000
J. Maddy ParkwayCounty road44°38′29.2″N 85°46′02.2″W/44.641444°N 85.767278°W/ 44.641444; -85.767278
Birch RoadCounty road44°39′14.5″N 85°45′04.6″W/44.654028°N 85.751278°W/ 44.654028; -85.751278
US 31State highway44°39′30.9″N 85°44′59.7″W/44.658583°N 85.749917°W/ 44.658583; -85.749917

Tributaries

  • Betsie Lake 44°37′42″N 86°13′47″W/44.62833°N 86.22972°W/ 44.62833; -86.22972
  • Crystal Lake Outlet 44°37′32″N 86°08′18″W/44.62556°N 86.13833°W/ 44.62556; -86.13833 Crystal Lake Cold Creek 44°37′47″N 86°05′46″W/44.62972°N 86.09611°W/ 44.62972; -86.09611 in Beulah
  • Rice Creek 44°36′19″N 86°06′51″W/44.60528°N 86.11417°W/ 44.60528; -86.11417
  • Dair Creek 44°33′05″N 86°03′15″W/44.55139°N 86.05417°W/ 44.55139; -86.05417
  • Little Betsie River 44°32′01″N 85°56′44″W/44.53361°N 85.94556°W/ 44.53361; -85.94556
  • Pickerel Creek 44°35′29″N 85°50′25″W/44.59139°N 85.84028°W/ 44.59139; -85.84028 Twin Lake 44°34′19″N 85°49′46″W/44.57194°N 85.82944°W/ 44.57194; -85.82944 Upper Twin Lake 44°34′19″N 85°49′17″W/44.57194°N 85.82139°W/ 44.57194; -85.82139
  • Grass Lake 44°36′30″N 85°51′03″W/44.60833°N 85.85083°W/ 44.60833; -85.85083
  • Mud Lake 44°34′31″N 85°47′55″W/44.57528°N 85.79861°W/ 44.57528; -85.79861
  • Green Lake 44°36′41″N 85°47′03″W/44.61139°N 85.78417°W/ 44.61139; -85.78417 Bridge Lake 44°38′21″N 85°47′07″W/44.63917°N 85.78528°W/ 44.63917; -85.78528 Tullers Lake 44°39′15″N 85°46′43″W/44.65417°N 85.77861°W/ 44.65417; -85.77861 Cedar Hedge Lake 44°40′12″N 85°47′04″W/44.67000°N 85.78444°W/ 44.67000; -85.78444 Mud Lake 44°38′36″N 85°45′28″W/44.64333°N 85.75778°W/ 44.64333; -85.75778 Duck Lake 44°37′53″N 85°44′42″W/44.63139°N 85.74500°W/ 44.63139; -85.74500 Horton Creek Brigham Creek 44°37′18″N 85°43′42″W/44.62167°N 85.72833°W/ 44.62167; -85.72833 Mason Creek 44°37′51″N 85°43′26″W/44.63083°N 85.72389°W/ 44.63083; -85.72389 Weidenhamer Swamp 44°37′35″N 85°36′10″W/44.62639°N 85.60278°W/ 44.62639; -85.60278 Tonawanda Lake 44°39′03″N 85°45′07″W/44.65083°N 85.75194°W/ 44.65083; -85.75194 Ellis Lake 44°39′47″N 85°44′54″W/44.66306°N 85.74833°W/ 44.66306; -85.74833 Saunders Lake 44°40′17″N 85°43′56″W/44.67139°N 85.73222°W/ 44.67139; -85.73222

Notes

External links