A Michigan man has been convicted of vandalism and tampering of a national park after he redirected a river by hand, creating a channel that became 200 feet wide.
With a shovel in tow, Andrew Howard, 63, from Frankfort, Michigan made his way to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The fisherman was spotted digging a new path and building a self-constructed damn from large rocks into the Platte River by a National park ranger.
His construction eventually diverted the stream into Lake Michigan, creating a stream which grew 200 feet wide in a matter of days, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
The new access to the river meant a huge flurry of fisherman could also take advantage of the new access to the river and its ‘favorable’ conditions.
Calling the bodies of water ‘natural gems’, US Attorney Mark Totten described Howard’s actions as very ‘disturbing’.
Andrew Howard, 63, was convicted of vandalism and tampering of a national park after he redirected a river by hand, creating a channel that became 200 feet wide (Pictured: Platte River after Howard’s illegal diversion)
With a shovel in tow, the fisherman was spotted by several witnesses to be digging a new channel after he failed to get access to the bay via his boat (pictured: the river before in May 2022)
He wrote in a statement: ‘The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Great Lakes are national gems, and my office takes preserving our natural treasures very seriously.’
The National Park Service (NPS) looked into the allegations for months before the fisherman was eventually charged.
The 63-year-old dammed the river after he was unable to access the bay with his boat, and once the estuary was deepened he nabbed a Coho salmon, Michigan Live reports.
A park ranger also provided receipt for a shovel the fisherman purchased from a hardware near his home prior to the incident.
A separate park ranger told the court that he witnessed Howard putting the shovel to use on the bay whilst assembling a heap of rocks – testimony which was also verified by other witnesses.
The illegal 200-feet wide diversion remained as such for the following Summer and Fall, eventually reforming after 17 months.
Pictures taken from a birds-eye view show the dramatic change in the river, which appears much deeper with a brand new stream into the lake.
Howard is set to be sentenced on two counts of federal misdemeanors for tampering and vandalism of a national park on February 7, 2024.
The maximum penalty he faces is six months in prison along with 5 years probation, a $5,000 fine and a mandatory restitution for diverting the river.
Totten said: ‘Mr. Howard had a policy dispute with the National Park Service and took matters into his own hands, breaking the law rather than using lawful means to advocate for his position.
‘His actions resulted in significant financial and ecological harm and altered the landscape so many enjoyed.’
The newly created path that allowed a large amount of fisherman to take advantage of the ‘favorable conditions’, according to assistant US Attorney Lauren Biksacky.
When the diversion was initially created certain business owners, fishing groups and even state and local officials voiced their support for the better accessibility.
Some maintained that the new channel was advantageous for the river, arguing the streams previous shallowness was a safety concern, obstructing access into Platte Bay for rescue boats, Michigan Live reports.
The Park Service does not dredge the Platte River anymore, meaning a build up of sediment, sand, making it challenging for boats trying to access the body of water.
The Platte River was previously dredged every autumn from 1968 until 2013, The Record Eagle reports
The 63-year-old now faces up to six months in prison along with 5 years probation, a $5,000 fine and a mandatory restitution for diverting the river
Since 2016, two people have died in the river – a teenager from Holt who drowned whilst swimming, and the other a 21-year-old who tragically passed away after his kayak was over-turned.
Kyle Oor, owner of Riverside Canoe Trips told the publication: ‘It would be nice for a rescue boat to be able to get out there in a timely fashion.’
According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the NPS did not like the sediment that was left on the lake’s coast as a result of the dredging.
A 2016 report by the NPS stated that regularly adding layers prevented vegetation on the dunes.
DNR maintained that the creation of the illegal channel benefited the river by reducing upstream water levels by a foot.
Salmon advocates also stated that the diversion created by Howard made it easier for Coho salmon to make their way back to the river every year.
A $500,000 NPS to eradicate dredging debris to create an ameliorated environment for the scarce piping plover bird was also put on hold.
