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There were other boat launches in Frankfort and Empire they could have used, maybe 20 minutes away. That river is not very traversable as it has a weir on it.

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"The Park Service no longer dredges the Platte River. As a result, sediment and sand build up, reducing the ability to get boats to Lake Michigan."

I didn't get whether this was before or after the channel was dug, and whether there was any causation

The dude dug the canal because they stopped dredging the mouth of the river. Used to be much easier for people on the river to get in and out, and also there is a boat launch near the mouth of the river that is super useful, but lately you may not be able to make it out into lake Michigan.

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