Muskegon River

Muskegon River
Muskegon River near Newaygo, MI in September 2012
Map of the Muskegon River
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CitiesEvart, Big Rapids, Croton, Newaygo, Muskegon
Physical characteristics
SourceHoughton Lake
 • locationRoscommon County, MI
 • coordinates44°23′58″N 84°47′27″W / 44.39944°N 84.79083°W / 44.39944; -84.79083
MouthMuskegon Lake
 • location
Muskegon, MI
 • coordinates
43°15′41″N 86°14′53″W / 43.26139°N 86.24806°W / 43.26139; -86.24806
Length216 mi (348 km)
Basin size2,350 sq mi (6,100 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationMuskegon, MI

The Muskegon River (/məˈskɡən/ mə-SKEE-gən) is a 216-mile-long (348 km)[1] river in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. From its source at Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, the river flows in a generally southwesterly direction to its mouth at Lake Michigan at the eponymous city of Muskegon. The river drains an area of 2,350 square miles (6,100 km2),[2] and collects a number of tributaries, including the Little Muskegon River, Hersey River, and Clam River.

In September 2002, an article in National Geographic raised concerns about a controversial deal made with Nestlé Waters North America, giving them permission "to bottle up to 210 million gallons (about 800 million liters) a year from an aquifer north of Grand Rapids, Michigan that recharges the Muskegon River".[3]

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011
  2. ^ O'Neal, Richard (July 1997), Muskegon River Watershed Assessment (PDF), Michigan Department of Natural Resources, retrieved 30 July 2011
  3. ^ Mitchell, John G. (September 2002). "Down the Drain: The Incredible Shrinking Great Lakes". National Geographic. pp. 34–51. Archived from the original on February 7, 2010.