Clam Lake Canal

The Clam Lake Canal (sometimes called the Cadillac Canal)[3] is a man-made canal between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac in Cadillac, Michigan made by George A. Mitchell in the 1870s. The purpose of the canal was to facilitate the movement of logs to sawmills.

Clam Lake Canal
Clam Lake Canal in May 2017
Clam Lake Canal from M-115 (May 2017)
Location within the state of Michigan
Location within the state of Michigan
Location within the state of Michigan
LocationMitchell State Park
Cadillac, Michigan
Country United States
Coordinates44°14′22″N 85°27′13″W
Specifications
Maximum height above sea level1,289 ft (393 m)
StatusOpen
Maximum width48 feet (14.6 m)
History
Former namesBlack Creek[1]
Modern nameCadillac Canal[2]
Current ownerMichigan DNR
Original ownerGeorge A. Mitchell
Principal engineerClam Lake Improvement and Construction Company
Date completed1873
Geography
Connects toLake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell
(originally known as Big Clam Lake and Little Clam Lake)
Depth2.25 feet (0.69 m)
Clam Lake Canal
Clam Lake Canal historic marker
DesignatedMarch 16, 1989

The canal displays an unusual water phenomenon; it is frozen over in the first part of the winter when the lakes on each side of it are unfrozen. Then when the adjacent lakes freeze, the canal remains unfrozen.

Background

Mitchell persuaded the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad to change their original route layout between the lakes, redirecting it to the eastern end of the Little Clam Lake, in the southeast corner of Wexford County, Michigan.[4] Mitchell widened the stream to be able to float logs from one lake to the other and collect fees for the usage of the waterway.[5]

Enlargement and current use

The Clam Lake Canal has been widened six times over the years to about 50 ft or 15 m, and is used as a recreational passage between the lakes.[6][7] The canal was dedicated as a Michigan State Historic Site on March 16, 1989.[2]

Freezing phenomenon

In the winter, Clam Lake Canal often displays an unusual phenomenon; it freezes over in the first part of the winter, when the lakes on each side are unfrozen.[8] When the lakes freeze over in the mid-winter months, the canal thaws.[8]

See also

References

  1. "2 Lakes, A Canal, A Railroad, & A Bit of History". Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau. December 4, 2015. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  2. "Cadillac Canal". Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau. 2018. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  3. Forster 2018, p. 49.
  4. Irish, Brenda (September 1, 2006). "Connected by a Canal". Michigan History Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  5. Peterson, William (June 12, 1971). "Judge tells of county seat battle". Cadillac Evening News. Cadillac, Michigan.
  6. Ashlee 2005, p. 518.
  7. "Water". The Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. June 13, 1993. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021 via newspapers.com open access.
  8. Jager 2007, p. 11.

Sources

Further reading

  • Tonello, Mark A. (2012). Lake Mitchell (PDF). Status of the Fishery Resource (Report). Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
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