Flat River (Michigan)

Flat River
River
Flat River upstream from Whites Bridge, Fall 2006
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Counties	Montcalm, Kent, Ionia
Cities	Belvidere Township, Lowell, Greenville, Belding
Source
- location	Montcalm County
- elevation	915 ft (279 m)
- coordinates	43°26′23″N 85°6′7″W / 43.43972°N 85.10194°W / 43.43972; -85.10194
Mouth
- location	Grand River
- elevation	617 ft (188 m)
- coordinates	42°55′40″N 85°20′19″W / 42.92778°N 85.33861°W / 42.92778; -85.33861Coordinates: 42°55′40″N 85°20′19″W / 42.92778°N 85.33861°W / 42.92778; -85.33861
Length	70 mi (113 km)
Basin	560 sq mi (1,450 km2)

The Flat River is a tributary of the Grand River in the western part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises as the outflow of the six lakes (Six Lakes) system in Belvidere Township, west of Edmore in Montcalm County. It flows mostly south and slightly west through Montcalm County, Ionia County, and Kent County, flowing into the Grand River in Lowell. Other cities it flows through along the way include Greenville and Belding.

Two historic covered bridges cross the river. One, the Fallasburg Bridge, in Vergennes Township, Kent County is in Fallasburg County Park a few miles north of Lowell. The other, Whites Bridge is a few miles to the northeast in adjacent northwest Keene Township, Ionia County, near Smyrna. On July 7, 2013, an arson fire destroyed White's Bridge. Fund-raising efforts are underway in attempt to have the bridge rebuilt. At the time of its destruction, it was the oldest covered bridge of its kind in Michigan.

There are 5 dams along the river: Greenville, Belding, Whites Bridge, Burroughs and Lowell.

It is the river named in the song "Sad Ballad of Jack Haggerty", sometimes known as "Flat River Girl."