| Betsie River | |
|---|---|
Mouth of the Betsie River at Lake Michigan, in Frankfort
| |
  Location of mouth | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Green Lake near Interlochen |
| • coordinates | 44°35′31″N 85°47′40″W / 44.5919459°N 85.794522°W / 44.5919459; -85.794522[1] |
| Mouth | |
• location | Lake MichiganatFrankfort |
• coordinates | 44°37′45″N 86°14′45″W / 44.6291652°N 86.2459287°W / 44.6291652; -86.2459287[1] |
| Length | 54 mi (87 km) |
The Betsie River (/bɛtsiː/ BET-see) is a 54.0-mile-long (86.9 km)[2] river in the U.S. stateofMichigan. The river is located in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of the state, flowing into Lake MichiganatFrankfort. The river's course is mostly within Benzie County, (which takes its name from a variant pronunciation of the river), although the river rises in western Grand Traverse County and flows briefly through northern Manistee County.
The river widens to form Betsie Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan between Frankfort and Elberta. The Betsie River is a part of Michigan's Natural Rivers Program.[3]
The name is derived from the French la rivière aux Bec-scies, meaning river of sawbill ducks (bec-scie). A corruption of this pronunciation led to the name of Benzie County. Other alternate historical names include the following:[1]
While most sources indicate the river rises as the outflow of Green Lake in southwestern Grand Traverse County, some consider it navigable immediately south of US-31 from Tullers 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 Tullers Lake Outlet. Although not considered part of the Betsie River today, older maps of the area do say so.[4] 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.
The Betsie River drains an area of approximately 155,026 acres (627.37 km2)[5] in three counties. The drainage basin include about 93 miles (150 km) of linear stream, 52 miles (84 km) of which is part of the mainstream.[6]
Below is a list of public crossings of the Betsie River:
