Near Milford in Livingston County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
That Dammed River
Photographed by Joel Seewald, September 13, 2020
1. That Dammed River Marker
Huron River: Why dam it?
Dams serve a variety of purposes. The Kent Lake Dam was built in 1947, but why? The answer comes from the "when". On the Huron River, from 1910 to 1940, power generation was the goal. From 1944 to 1970, most dams were constructed for recreational and waterfront housing development. Dams built since 1970 are mainly meant to create water retention ponds in urban areas.
The Huron River has been dammed many times. One hundred and one dams of all sizes change its flow from Oakland County's Big Lake down to Lake Erie. You can see the result of one damming right in front of you. Wildwing Lake doubled in size when the Kent Lake Dam (south of I-96, inside Island Lake State Recreation Area) was built in 1947. Originally this spring-fed lake only consisted of the portion closest to you. Once the flow of the Huron was blocked by the dame, the water level rose and spread out across the river valley, swelling Kent Lake and connecting the river to Wildwind for the first time.
Erected by Huron-Clinton Metroparks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work
this page online
Location. 42° 31.498′ N, 83° 40.838′ W. Marker is near Milford, Michigan, in Livingston County. It can be reached from Highridge Drive. Marker is in Kensington Metropark (entry fee required) on the Wildwing Trail, about 0.75 mile from the Nature Center parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brighton MI 48114, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bubbling Waters (approx. 0.6 miles away); What Happened Here? (approx. 0.6 miles away); William F. Hopkins (approx. 0.6 miles away); Kinsley S. Bingham (approx. 1.9 miles away); Homesite of Kinsley S. Bingham (approx. 1.9 miles away); Warner Homestead
Photographed by Joel Seewald, September 13, 2020
2. That Dammed River Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 8, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2020, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 989 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 18, 2020, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
