| Boardman River Ottaway River, Boardman–Ottaway River | |
|---|---|
 The Boardman River from a pedestrian bridge near Kingsley, Michigan | |
 | |
| Native name | Adaawewiziibi (Ojibwe) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| Cities | Traverse City, South Boardman, Kalkaska |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Union Township, Grand Traverse County: Confluence of North & South Branches, Michigan |
| Mouth | |
• location | Grand Traverse Bay West Arm (Lake Michigan) in Traverse City |
| Length | 28 mi (45 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Boardman River → Grand Traverse Bay → Lake Michigan → Lake Huron |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Kids Creek, Beitner Creek, Swainston Creek, Carpenter Creek, South Branch |
| • right | North Branch |
The Boardman River (/bɔːrdmən/ BORD-mən), also known as the Ottaway River (/ɒtəweɪ/ AH-tə-way) or the Boardman–Ottaway River,[1] is a 28.2-mile-long (45.4 km)[2] river in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It rises in western Kalkaska County, and flows west and north through Grand Traverse County to end in downtown Traverse City at the Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. The river's watershed drains an area of 295 square miles (760 km2) through a combined 130 miles (210 km) of river and tributaries. Additionally, the Boardman River is considered one of the top ten trout streams in Michigan.[3]
- ^ Clark, Sierra (March 20, 2022). "Rupture, recovery: Boardman-Ottaway River's future flows from past". Traverse City Record-Eagle. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, accessed November 21, 2011
- ^ Boardman River Natural River Plan (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources.