Mill Creek, Michigan, US

Village of Dexter (PnP)

Surfing the wave at the 4th weir

Surfing the wave at the 4th weir
Photo by Lee Green MD taken 04/18/09 @ 250 CFS

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
MILL CREEK NEAR DEXTER, MI
usgs-04173500	145 - 524 cfs	II	01h10m	106 cfs (rc= -0.8 )
	Very bony and most of the features of interest are gone. If you just want to launch in Dexter and paddle down to the Huron, it's runnable. Gauge (128 sq.mi. drainage) within a couple miles upstream, thus accurately portrays flows in this reach except when there are ice dams.

River Description

A nice little park-and-play about 150 yards long, located at the Main St. bridge in the Village of Dexter, at the west end of town. It comprises four rock weirs and a boulder field where a deteriorating low-head dam was removed in late 2008.  The drop on the run is about five feet.  The contractor has done a nice bit of work here, creating features designed for sediment control and water quality (aeration) but that provide recreational value as well.  This is a very novice-friendly, easy place for new paddlers to build skills as well as a nice surf spot for the more experienced.

There have been some changes after the winter ice, mostly for the better.

Mill Creek flows into the Huron River just downstream of this location, to join the stretch described on the American Whitewater page for the Huron (of Lower Michigan)  It's a nice place to launch and do both in one run.

There's an easy seal launch off the grassy bank on river right above the first weir.

The river-right side of the first weir is a really nice side surf at low flows, and a decent spot to do 360s at mid flows. It's a good place to practice ferries, back and forth between the small river left and large river right eddies.  At high flows it is fun if you can stay in it, but the eddies flush out so you only get one shot at it. It's flushy at high flows, so as you drop in, paddle like nuts upstream.

Next is a boulder field that extends from just upstream of the bridge all the way under the bridge.  For paddling practice, its value is to float through it angled but just at current speed, and maneuver around the rocks.  It's very shallow.  The boulder field is what makes this stretch Class II; it does require maneuvering, but nothing challenging. On river left at the very top of the boulder field is a smallish eddy that can be boofed into. It's good practice to try to hit it.

The 2nd weir, right at the downstream edge of the bridge, is somewhat side-surfable on river right, but is hard to stay in at low and medium flows because of its irregular edge.  It becomes a good front surf in river center at high flows. The current line here is good for squirts at most levels, and the large eddies on left and right are good practice for beginners to ferry between.

The 3rd and 4th weirs are the best part at normal flows. Third weir flushes out as the flow approaches 400 cfs. The standing wave at 3rd weir can be surfed by the skilful. This wave used to be the larger of the two but now is somewhat smaller and takes care to stay on. Eddies on both sides are good practice, and the ferry between is challenging enough to be worth working on. If you miss it you drop back through the 4th weir. Before the rocks shifted, attainment back up along river left was feasible, but no longer.

The 4th weir has good eddies and a nice ferry back and forth between. It has the best surf wave on the section - probably the best in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This wave has gotten significantly larger since the ice season, and is now a credible practice spot for solid intermediate boaters. It's wide enough for good carving. Ferry on from the eddy on river left.

If you flip, tuck! The whole rapid is pretty shallow and the rocks are limestone blocks that were placed right off the truck, not smoothed, so they'll whack ya a good 'un if you don't watch 'em. Generally not a problem, but it's definitely somewhere you want to be doing your C-to-C or sweep roll, not a face-exposed move.  Swims are harmless - just walk over to the bank and get back in the boat - but only in the pools! The rough-shaped boulders all over the bottom make for serious foot pin potential, don't attempt to stand in the current.  The pool after the 4th weir's wave train, before the railroad bridge, is deep enough to be a nice place to practice rolls. Stay below the rusted-out parking lot drain pipe on river right if you're going to practice rolls though. There are too many shallow rocks above there.

Take out on river right below the 4th weir, and it's a short carry back up under the bridge to do it again.

The gauge for this stretch is located some 2 miles upstream.  If there is any ice around, partial ice dams form in strainers in a wooded area just below the gauge, causing the gauge to read falsely high.

Local amenities include family-oriented Warrior Creek Park, which occupies the river-right bank below the bridge, and within easy (2 minute) walking distance the Dexter Pub, Loreen's Village Cafe, the Dexter Bakery, Joe and Rosie's Coffee & Tea (with wi-fi) and the local A&W.  If you forgot your duct tape, the local ACE hardware is in that 2-minute radius too.  The sheriff department office and fire station is the building at the east end of the bridge you just paddled under, in the unlikely event of emergency.  (You've read about those sketchy parking areas where cars get broken into? Not a problem here.)  The Village is developing the adjacent land on the upstream side of the bridge into a park.