Reeds Lake is a

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the city of

East Grand Rapids, Michigan East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,694. The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is surrounded by Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, bu ...

. Formerly the site of an early-20th-century amusement park and resort popular with residents of nearby

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, it is adjacent to the suburb's modern-day city center, and serves as a symbol for the community. It is surrounded by private residences along most of its north, east, and south shores, and by public parks municipal facilities, and a few businesses on its west and northwest shores. The Reeds Lake Triathlon takes place in early September, and the Reeds Lake Run is typically in late June. A paved/boardwalk footpath around the lake is long.

Physical characteristics

The lake covers , with a maximum depth of . It lies at an elevation of above sea level. It is bounded by

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

and

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

. The lake is fed by drainage from the surrounding area. Its outflow is to

Fisk Lake Fisk Lake is a freshwater lake in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was named for John Fisk. Now primarily valued for scenic purposes, it was originally used as a source of ice for Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Chicago meatpacking industries. It ...

; they were originally connected by a natural stream, which was deepened and widened by a steam dredge. The lake is a habitat for the

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

, as well as for several

Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating ...

species, such as the

Canada goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 250 cm (6 ft 2 in to 8 ft 2 ...

, and

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

, and other waterfowl such as

coot Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...

s and

gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, m ...

Bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

s sometimes hunt at the lake. The

Michigan Department of Natural Resources The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor a ...

stocks the lake with various fish species, including

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

and

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

. The lake is used for fishing all year, from the piers, shore, and boats during the warm season, and

ice fishing Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities. Shelters Longer ...

in the winter.

Facilities

John Collins Park, named after the city's mayor from 1933 to 1956, lies along the west shore of the lake. The park has a public boat launch which is open during daylight hours, and a private boathouse and dock for the

East Grand Rapids High School East Grand Rapids High School is a public secondary school located in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It serves grades 9–12 for the East Grand Rapids Public Schools. Athletics The EGRHS Pioneers compete in the Ottawa-Kent Conference ...

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

team. It includes wheelchair-accessible pedestrian paths, restrooms, and fishing/observation decks into the lake. Waterfront Park, developed in the early 21st century, lies on the northwest shore of the lake. Minimally developed, it includes 11 acres of undeveloped woodland and wetland, fishing and observation piers that extend into the lake, and a mix of paved and unpaved foot paths. Along the southwest shore of the lake are several municipal facilities, including East Grand Rapids Middle School, East Grand Rapids City Hall, the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety (police and fire), East Grand Rapids Public Library, and the East Grand Rapids Community Center. There is a public canoe/kayak launch behind City Hall. Private businesses along the west end of the lake include Grand Rapids Yacht Club, Rose's restaurant, and two small private

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

History

By the 1870s Reeds Lake had become a popular day trip stop for residents of

and other surrounding communities. Ramona Park, an amusement park owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, which provided regular service between the then-nearby city of Grand Rapids and Reeds Lake, was a popular destination spot for area families between 1897 and 1955. A passenger steamer by the name of ''Ramona'' was used to ferry passengers around the lake to various destinations. The Point Paulo resort was located on Reeds Lake in the early 1900s. Several stars of Vaudeville called Reeds Lake and the Ramona Theatre (which was part of Ramona Park) their favorite stop on the theatre circuit.

References

External links

* . Retrieved 9 December 2012.
Reeds Lake Run
a 5K/ 10k hosted each June. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
The Rhoades McKee Reeds Lake Triathlon
Retrieved 9 December 2012. {{authority control Lakes of Kent County, Michigan Lakes of Michigan East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Physical characteristics

Facilities

History

See also

References

External links