The Betsie River is a stream in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The name is derived from the Frenchla rivière aux Bec-scies, meaning river of sawbill ducks. Other alternate names include Aug-sig-o-sebe, Aux Buscies, Betsey's River, Black Robe, Gay-she-say-ing, Riviere du Pere Marquette, Sawbill Ducks, and Shelldrake Ducks. The river is mostly within Benzie County, although the river rises in southwest Grand Traverse County and flows briefly through northern Manistee County, Michigan. The river widens to form Betsie Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan at between Frankfort and Elberta. The Betsie River is a part of Michigan's Natural Rivers Program.
Course
While most sources indicate the river rises as the outflow of Green Lake at in southwestern Grand Traverse County, some consider it navigable immediately south of US-31 from Tuller's Lake into Green Lake. Another tributary of the river flows directly out of northern Duck Lake and into northern Green Lake, connecting with the aforementioned Tuller's Lake Outlet. Although not considered part of the Betsie River today, older maps of the area do say so. Green Lake straddles the boundary between Grant Township on the south and Green Lake Township on the north between Karlin and Interlochen. Several nearby lakes, including Duck Lake and its tributaries, drain into Green Lake. The river winds southwesterly from Green Lake into eastern Benzie County, and then briefly into northern Manistee County before turning northerly back into Benzie County. A dam on the river forms Homestead Pond, after which is flows mostly west and slightly north to Lake Michigan.
Drainage basin
The Betsie River drains an area of approximately in three counties. The drainage basin include about of linear stream, of which is part of the mainstream.
Dams
Homestead Dam was mostly removed in 1974 and currently acts as a lamprey barrier. It impounds little water and does not impede salmon migrations. The remains of the dam are now sometimes called "Homestead Falls". The dam was a power generating facility formerly owned by Consumers Energy.
Grass Lake Dam, approximately downstream from Green Lake, forms an approximately impoundment. The dam was constructed in 1951 to improve waterfowl habitat and northern pike fishing. The dam was installed by the state Wildlife Division and created a waterfowl flooding.
Thompsonville Dam was an old power dam that failed in the spring of 1989 and was subsequently removed. Prior to its removal, the dam posed a barrier to salmon migration. Salmon and trout have access to the entire mainstream of the river, even above the Grass Lake Dam.
