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Early Logging History
• The area around East Jordan and the Jordan River valley was heavily logged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, the East Jordan and Southern Railroad (1901-1961) was built to haul harvested lumber from camps in the region to larger rail networks. 
• The demand for white pine and other timber in northern Michigan drove major logging operations. According to information about the Jordan River Pathway, “The Jordan River Valley was heavily logged in the early 1900s with lumberjacks leaving behind their telltale trademark, a sea of stumps.” 
• Logging and associated development (roads, railroads, mills) had significant ecological impacts: removal of vegetation, soil destabilization, increased sedimentation into streams. In the river’s assessment, it states: “Logging, fire, road and railroad construction… altered both stream hydrology and sediment loading.” 
• The town of East Jordan itself grew around lumber activity. For example, the East Jordan Lumber Company Store Building (built in 1899) stands as physical evidence of the lumber economy’s influence in the town. 

How Logging Shaped the River & Valley
• With large-scale cutting of forests, the Jordan River watershed saw increases in run-off and changes in sediment load:
“Removal of land vegetation increased stream yield by reducing evapotranspiration losses … Fragile sandy soils, destabilized by these activities quickly eroded to the river. Excessive sand bed-load degrades fish habitat…” 
• Logging roads and railroads increased access into the forest, enabling more timber removal. The geography of the valley (steep slopes, sandy soils) made it susceptible to erosion when vegetation cover was removed.
• Once the logging peaked and then declined (as many northern Michigan forests were cut and the lumber resource diminished), the region began a long transition away from heavy industrial extraction toward recreation, conservation, and forest recovery.

Shift Toward Conservation & Recreation
• As logging declined, the forest and river corridor around the Jordan began to recover. The valley is now described as an “18,000-acre block of state-owned forest” around the river. 
• The legacy of the logging era remains visible in places: old logging roads, rail-grades, stumps, and other artifacts. The hiking trails in the valley often pass through forests that have regrown since those logging days. 

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Designation as Natural & Scenic River

What the Designation Means
• The river was designated under Michigan’s “Natural Rivers” program (officially under the authority of the State Natural Rivers Act, 1970 P.A. 231) and is cited as the first river in Michigan to receive that designation in 1972. 
• The “Natural Rivers” program aims to preserve, protect and enhance high‐quality river systems for current and future generations while allowing adjacent property owners reasonable development. 
• Under the designation, zoning rules apply to protect the river corridor: for example, within 400 feet of the river’s edge many land‐use changes, earth moving, or structure placement are regulated. 

How It Was Applied to the Jordan River
• The assessment report for the Jordan River states:
“In 1972, the Jordan River was designated the first wild-scenic river in the State of Michigan under the authority of Section 13 of P.A. 231, 1970… Designated portions are all tributaries and the mainstem … and all lands lying within 400 feet of the river’s edge.” 
• The designation covers the mainstream of the river and many of its tributaries in Antrim and Charlevoix counties. 
• The motives for designation included preserving the scenic vistas, cold-water trout habitat, and preventing “unwise development patterns” that might degrade ecological values. 

Legacy & Ongoing Protection
• Since the designation, the river has been managed with special attention to water quality, stream habitat, forested corridor protection, and recreational access (fishing, paddling, hiking). For example, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council notes the river’s headwaters, scenic vistas, and prime habitat for wildlife and fish. 
• More recently, conservation projects (such as replacing outdated culverts to restore fish passage) continue to build on the protection framework. 

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Why This Transition Matters
• The logging era left both historical and ecological footprints–it cleared vast forest tracts, changed hydrology, and increased sediment loads and stream instability. Without protection, such changes can erode habitat for trout and other species, degrade water clarity, and reduce scenic value.
• The Natural Rivers designation helped shift the balance from extraction toward long-term stewardship, recognizing the river corridor’s value for ecology, recreation, and community.

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