The Platte River Watershed

The Platte River is recognized as one of Michigan’s Blue Ribbon Trout Streams.  The Platte is a hydraulically stable river system and its gradient is approximately 5 feet per mile, thus hinting at the root of its name, “plat” being the French word for “level or flat.”  Though the Platte technically originates as a stream draining out of Long Lake, Lake Dubonnet and Ransom Lake, the better defined channel begins as a stream from Lake Ann.  The main river also flows in and out of Bronson, Platte and Loon Lakes before it outlets to Lake Michigan in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  The Platte River Watershed covers 193 square miles and the river valley is 14 miles long, with a total of 90.5 miles of river and connecting streams. 

A variety of partners work on conservation-based projects in the watershed, including Conservation Resource Alliance, Benzie Conservation District, Platte Lake Improvement Association, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and other state, federal and private entities.

Find Road/Stream Crossings