Northern Mich. man convicted in shoveling trench to divert river

A 63-year-old northern Michigan fisherman was convicted Wednesday of tampering and vandalism in digging a trench to change the flow of the Platte River into Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Andrew Blair Howard of Frankfort was found guilty in a federal bench trial of tampering and vandalism at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. He was accused of shoveling a channel between the mouth of the Platte River and Lake Michigan on Aug. 15, 2022, after National Park Service officers investigated reports of a diversion of the river, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten of the Western District of Michigan in a news release.

The new river channel grew to 200 feet wide within days, creating a clear path from a boat launch to the lake for unauthorized access for large boats to enter Platte Bay, which diverted the river’s natural water flow, prosecutors said.

Howard faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. Federal prosecutors said he tampered with the river by manipulating its course and vandalized the federal park property.

Federal Magistrate Judge Ray Kent said Howard "intended to and in fact did divert the flow of the Platte River into Platte Bay."

More: Fisherman faces trial for allegedly shoveling trench to divert a northern Michigan river

Federal prosecutors said National Park rangers saw Howard digging a channel between the river and lake on Aug. 15, 2022. They observed him placing rocks to a dam to divert the river's water into the lake, and the new river channel grew to 200 feet wide, prosecutors said.

Photos from May 2022 depicted the Platte River arcing along the lake's eastern border, separated from Platte Bay by a strip of beach. On Aug. 19, the river was shown partially spilling into the lake, with less water arcing along its previous path.

"The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a Michigan jewel. Every year countless visitors enjoy its pristine waters, towering sand dunes, and rolling forests," 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."

Howard's "actions resulted in significant financial and ecological harm and altered the landscape so many enjoyed. Today and always my office commits to protect Michigan’s natural treasures," Totten said.

National Park Service Superintendent Scott Tucker said the ruling protects the park for future generations, adding that the "Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was created in 1970 to preserve and protect this spectacular place."

The river mouth had been dredged by the park service or state every fall since 1968, the year after seven people died during a Lake Michigan storm because boats were unable to easily get into the shallow Platte River mouth. The state took over dredging in 2013 because of budget constraints, and neither the state nor park service dredged in 2014 and 2015 because of high water. The National Park Service resumed dredging in 2016.

But park officials announced in their 2016 plan that they wanted to stop dredging the river mouth and restore the river's natural flow into the lake. Boats still would be able to reach Platte Bay from the boat launch on the river, but access would be more dependent on lake levels and boating equipment, the park said. Platte Bay is particularly popular for salmon fishing.

Spanning more than 71,199 acres and 65 miles of shoreline, the park attracts 1,600,000 visitors annually, according to its website. Sleeping Bear Dunes is the largest freshwater dune system in the world and features 26 inland lakes and 12 miles of rivers across the park, its website said.

jaimery@detroitnews.com

Staff Writer Carol Thompson contributed.