KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Residents in the Kalamazoo area are voicing their frustrations over the lack of action related to the condition of the Kalamazoo River following several incidents in the last few years, and general mistreatment for decades.
The latest is a parvovirus outbreak in dogs at a homeless camp near the river in downtown Kalamazoo. MLive reports multiple cases have been documented, including fatal cases, of the highly contagious virus affecting dogs.
Kalamazoo River Alliance President Ryan Baker is advising people to avoid the Kalamazoo River for now as a precaution, until city leaders, county health department personnel, or other experts give some direction. So far, there has been no official statement from any officials as of Wednesday evening, according to MLive who had reached out to several of them for comment.
Kalamazoo River mess – Courtesy Kalamazoo River Alliance
Meanwhile, residents remain upset about large amounts of trash up and down the river this year from homeless camps and the snails-pace clean-up efforts from a sediment release by Eagle Creek Renewable Energy at the Morrow Dam in Comstock Township. It also follows PFAS contamination discovered in recent years from operations by factories near the river that polluted the water for decades.
Activists say years of progress on the condition of the Kalamazoo River are quickly being unraveled. Earlier this year, the Kalamazoo River Alliance held a major clean-up event where over 3,000 pounds of trash were removed. Within just a week or two, trash had already built back up in the areas that were cleaned up, frustrating the organizers and volunteers who worked during the event.
Sediment in Kalamazoo River – Courtesy Kalamazoo River Alliance
Between trash build-up and the massive sediment released, there are serious concerns about the long-term impact on the river’s ecosystem and the effects on fish and wildlife. It also is making leisure, like kayaking, boating, and fishing, much less appealing, and in some cases dangerous.
The Kalamazoo River Alliance group was initially formed as a response to the sediment release in 2019 that has left the river’s fish and wildlife habitat decimated over several miles of the Kalamazoo River. Since then, the group has broadened out to tackle the general quality and conditions of the Kalamazoo River in the Comstock Township, downtown Kalamazoo, Parchment, and Cooper Township areas. The group says there is a general lack of pride or care, for whatever reason, when it comes to the Kalamazoo River and how it has, and is, being treated in the community.
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