Thunder Bay River facts for kids

The Thunder Bay River is a 75.4-mile (121.3 km) long river in Michigan, a state in the United States. It flows through a lot of Alpena County and Montmorency County. A small part of Oscoda County also drains into it. The river ends at Thunder Bay on the eastern side of northern Michigan. The river's mouth is right in downtown Alpena. The Alpena Light Station stands guard there.

River Journey and Landscape

Unlike many rivers in Michigan, the Thunder Bay River drops quite a bit from where it starts. Its beginning is in southwestern Montmorency County. A hill near its source is 1,270 feet (387 m) above sea level. This is 689 feet (210 m) higher than the lake level.

There used to be a fast-flowing part of the river called the "Long Rapids." This was northwest of Alpena. The rapids carried the river down from the northern Michigan plateau to Thunder Bay. Now, these rapids are covered by Lake Winyah. This lake is also known as Seven Mile Pond. It was created by the Norway Dam, which is also called Seven Mile Dam. This dam helps make electricity.

Forests and Lakes Along the River

Much of the middle and upper parts of the Thunder Bay River flow through the Mackinaw State Forest. This is a very large area in northeastern Michigan. After logging finished in the 1910s, this land went back to the state because property taxes were not paid. The state forest has many aspen and birch trees. These are common trees in Michigan's forests that have grown back.

The biggest lake in the Thunder Bay River area is Fletcher Pond. It is also called Fletcher Floodwaters. This lake is 8,500 acres (3,400 ha) big and is in western Alpena County. It started filling up with water in 1932. Fletcher Pond is famous for having the second largest group of ospreys in the Midwest. Ospreys are large birds that hunt fish. As of 2006, people who own property around the pond were working to stop an unwanted plant. This plant is called Eurasian watermilfoil.

Fun Things to Do Along the River

The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail

As of 2007, plans were being made for a new boardwalk along the river. This boardwalk will be 2,800 feet (850 m) long. It is called the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail. It will be on the north side of the Thunder Bay River in central Alpena. The cost for this project was about $3.4 million.

The boardwalk path goes through an old industrial area. This used to be the Fletcher Paper Mill. The boardwalk will have signs and information stands. These will tell the history of the river.

Bridges Over the River

The Michigan Department of Transportation was one of the first state groups in the U.S. to build concrete bridges. They wanted to help the car industry. A good example of these bridges is 150 feet (46 m) long. It crosses the Thunder Bay River at Hillman. This bridge was built in 1922. It is a special kind of bridge called a concrete camelback bridge. People say it is the fifth longest bridge of its type in Michigan. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail will also have a new bridge for people to walk across the Thunder Bay in central Alpena.

River Animals

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Thunder Bay River has many fish. Fletcher Pond is especially good for fishing. You can find bass, pike, and panfish here. The river is also home to an "exotic" fish. This means it's not originally from here. It's called the Eurasian ruffe.