Red Cedar River (Michigan)

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Red Cedar River (Michigan)

The Red Cedar River is a westward flowing river

River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
in Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
which is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary is a stream or river which flows into a Mainstem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body of water....
of the Grand River

Grand River (Michigan)

The Grand River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs 260 miles through the cities of Jackson, Michigan, Lansing, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Grand Haven, Michigan....
. Its source is Cedar Lake which is located in Marion Township

Marion Township, Michigan

Marion Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:* Marion Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan* Marion Township, Livingston County, Michigan...
in the southeastern corner of Livingston County

Livingston County, Michigan

Livingston County is a Counties of the United States in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is part of the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and it runs about 45 miles through Okemos

Okemos, Michigan

Okemos is an unincorporated community in Meridian Charter Township, Michigan, Ingham County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality....
, East Lansing

East Lansing, Michigan

East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, Michigan, though a small portion lies in Clinton County, Michigan....
, including the campus of Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the List of U.S. state capitals of the U.S. state of Michigan, and the state's sixth largest city. It is located about 80 miles west-northwest of Detroit, Michigan and is mostly in Ingham County, Michigan, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan....
where it empties into the Grand River.

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Some one told me that the Red Cedar was originally named the "Wolverine" river. Is this true?

Encyclopedia

The Red Cedar River is a westward flowing river

River

Michigan

Tributary

Grand River (Michigan)

Marion Township, Michigan

Livingston County, Michigan

Okemos, Michigan

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University

Lansing, Michigan

Livingston County, Michigan

Livingston County is a Counties of the United States in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is part of the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.

It is not navigable by boats any larger than recreational size, and is not an important shipping route. Its watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean....
area is estimated at 472 square miles, and it has 12 tributaries of its own. The river is perceived by many members of the East Lansing community to be devoid of life and to be quite dangerous. However, since the national Clean Water Act in 1972, the river has greatly improved and is safe for swimming 74% of the year (the exception usually being right after heavy rains which bring higher levels of E. Coli from runoff waters). The Red Cedar is regularly monitored by MSU Water with the contaminant reports posted by the Michigan State University International Center. The river is named for the trees commonly known as "red cedar" that were prevalent and still are somewhat common near the river's source and beginning length. The tree however, is properly a type of juniper

Juniper

Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the mountains of Central America....
, Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana

Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains....
.

Importance to Michigan State University

The Red Cedar River is an iconic natural landmark to all Spartans. The name of the river is featured in the first line of MSU's fight song

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public university research university in East Lansing, Michigan, Michigan United States. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act....
, and MSU students are often found studying in the campus park along the river's banks. Students, faculty, alumni and visitors frequently feed the large community of Mallard ducks that congregate year-round near the river dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that Reservoirs surface water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates, levees, and Dike are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions....
south of the Administration Building

John A. Hannah

John Alfred Hannah was president of Michigan State University for 28 years, making him the longest serving of MSU's presidents. He is credited with transforming the school from a little-known, regional agricultural college into a world-class research institution....
, which contributes to overfeeding and E Coli contamination

Contamination

Contamination is the presence of a minor constituent in another chemical or mixture, often at the trace level. In chemistry, the term usually describes a single chemical, but in specialized fields the term can also mean chemical mixtures, even up to the level of cellular materials....
. Despite the perceived problem of E. Coli, the river boasts a large amount of life ranging from caddis and hex larva to trout and bass. The river is popular in the summer for canoeing

Canoe

A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes usually are pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be covered....
, surfing, and kayaking

Kayak

A kayak is a small human-powered boat. It typically has a covered deck, and a cockpit covered by a spraydeck. The kayak was used by the native Ainu people, Aleuts and Eskimo hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland....
. (The campus canoe dock is self-mockingly named Red Cedar Yacht Club

Yacht club

A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting. Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some prestigious ones that have been established at a lake or riverside location, like the W?rttembergischer Yacht Club in Friedrichshafen, Germany....
.) In the winter, the river often freezes over and many students enjoy playing on the ice despite the inherent danger.

Red Cedar River (Michigan)

Importance to Michigan State University

See also

External links