Chippewa

The Chippewa River runs approximately 80 miles (129 km) through the Central Lower Peninsula. The main branch of the river begins in Barryton where the north and west branches are impounded before flowing south and east into  Isabella County, Lake Isabella, and Coldwater Lake. A tributary, Coldwater River, merges approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of both lakes. The river flows east into Midland County where it joins the Tittabawassee River in downtown Midland under The Tridge. The river flows through Mt. Pleasant and its various parks. The Chippewa is known for its fishing, tubing, and canoeing. Many people in the Mt. Pleasant area use the river for recreational purposes.

Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI have found and an area of concern for pollution on the Chippewa River. The Alternative Fuels Site (also known as Old Co-op site) located on Rose Avenue in Barryton, Michigan contains elevated concentration levels of  Naphthalene, Xylenes, Benzo Pyrene, Phenathreene, Mercury, Zinc, Trimethybenzene, Arsenic, Selenium, Copper, Lead, and Chromium. In addition, the soil removed was buried or piled high near sewer collection ponds on the bank of the Chippewa River further downstream. It was removed by someone who was not licensed to do so. A copy of the entire report was omitted from the Village Council minutes when they were posted after 6/8/09.