Officials warn of landslides along Muskegon River

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]In Newaygo, authorities are warning residents and river users to use extreme caution along a portion of the Muskegon River. Ongoing landslides along the riverbank are creating dangerous conditions, specially with Memorial Day weekend recreation expected to pick up.

[00:00:15]News 8's Tessa Krash joining us now live with the latest. Tessa.

[00:00:22]Well, I'm about a mile upstream from the area that officials are concerned about.

[00:00:27]The area where the lines landslides are happening is actually on private properties. While we were able to get a glimpse, which we will show you in just a second, we weren't access was limited.

[00:00:37]You know, emergency officials tell us that a lot of this started after the heavy rainfall we saw last month in April. I'm sure we can all remember when the Muskegon River had very high water levels and that essentially wore at the riverbanks causing it to give way. And take a look at this map. The area of concern stretches between mile marker three and mile marker four along the Muskegon River. Officials say that this that area is about 150 ft tall, that bank.

[00:01:05]Which has been collapsing creating what they call a imminent threat to several homes nearby. While it's been happening for some time, emergency management says it's especially important for people to be aware heading into the busy holiday weekend. Unstable ground, falling debris, and sudden bank collapses could pose serious dangers for anyone on the river. And property property owners tell me that it's a busy river and area for the river for recreation. I spoke with the Newaygo County Emergency Management Director who's urging people to stay away from the shoreline in this area and watch for warning signs like falling trees, muddy water, shifting sediment, and unpredictable currents.

[00:01:47]We want them to be aware that this is a hazard. Please stay away from this area.

[00:01:52]It might look fun to climb on the bank, but it is not stable. It is not safe. Um don't put yourself at risk and don't put the homes at risk, please.

[00:02:07]I do want to add that that area of the river that we're talking about is about 12 ft tall. That's not the same throughout the Muskegon River. I mean, we're looking out over here. It's not too tall over here, but be sure to stay with us on News 8 at 5:00 and 6:00.

[00:02:20]We'll tell you more about what officials are concerned about as we head into the next few days and what property property owners are doing to mitigate these concerns. That's all coming up. For now, live in Newaygo County, Tessa Krush, News 8.