Lake Bella Vista is in northwest
Cannon Township,
Kent County in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. The lake was originally known as "Grass Lake" and once lay in the center of a marsh surrounded by pastureland as well as apple and cherry orchards. Grass Lake was one of the so-called "triplet lakes" lying along
M-44. Its sister lakes to the east are Silver Lake and Bostwick Lake. Developed by the Velting family contractors in the mid-1970s, Grass Lake was expanded and a large dike was added to the western edge to raise the water level. Residential and commercial development was soon constructed and in the early 21st century, a lakeside suburban sub-division also called "Lake Bella Vista" functions very much as a community. Lake Bella Vista is bordered by M-44, (Belding Road) on the south, 9 Mile Road on the North, Blakely Road on the West, and Myers Lake Avenue on the East. To the south are the Lockhart family orchards and the beginning of the Stout Creek watershed which cuts through forest-concealed glacial dunes bordering the Woodbrook area.
In the spring of 2013, the
Rockford High School Rowing Team used the lake for team practices during a flood which made their boathouse, on the
Grand River, inaccessible.
The residents of Lake Bella Vista are all in Rockford public schools, with elementary students attending Crestwood Elementary and middle school students attending East Rockford Middle School.
Incidents
On June 2nd, 2020, at 7:43 PM EST, Molly Rasmussen, aged 16, who attended nearby secondary school Forest Hills Eastern High, jumped into the water near the lake's dam, located on the west side, and did not resurface.
Her friends called for help immediately. The Kent County Sheriff responded to the scene, and were unable to locate her, until the Sheriff Department's diving team found her body later that night. A memorial was held at 7:00 PM on June 3rd, having 2 minutes of silence. More information is subject to arrive as to what may have caused her death.
See also
*
List of lakes in Michigan
This is a list of lakes in Michigan. The United States, American state of Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes, Great Lakes.
The number of inland lakes in Michigan depends on the minimum size. There are:
* 62,798 lakes ≥
* 26,266 lak ...
References
External links
Lake Bella Vista Homeowners Association Lake Bella Vista Portal(not affiliated with the Homeowners Association)
Lakes of Kent County, Michigan
Lakes of Michigan
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