GRAND RAPIDS WHITEWATER INC

Grand Rapids WhiteWater (GRWW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed from the Green Grand Rapids initiative to champion restoration of the historic rapids in the Grand River through downtown Grand Rapids. The organization leads planning, fundraising, permitting, and community engagement to remove aging low-head dams, reconnect river habitats, and install natural rock and boulder features that create a more ecologically diverse and publicly accessible river corridor. In the last 2–3 years GRWW shifted to a revised, scaled-back project design after state and federal regulators raised concerns about the original whitewater recreation elements; the organization then advanced permitting, an endangered mussel relocation program (summer 2024), and coordination with state and federal partners. With a Finding of No Significant Impact (NRCS) and federal funding authorization secured in early 2026, GRWW and city partners have moved the Lower Reach restoration into the construction phase planning and early mobilization.