Buck Creek – HUC code: 40500060510

Size and Location

The Buck Creek Watershed is a tributary of the Grand River and is in Kent and Allegan counties stretching 20.3 miles long. It rises in northern Allegan County, flows through rural areas of Byron and Gaines Townships, and then through the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming as an urban stream to enter the Grand River in Grandville. The Grand River is a tributary of Lake Michigan. The creek drains portions of Byron Township, Gaines Township, the City of Kentwood, the City of Wyoming, the City of Grandville, and Grand Rapids. Pine Hill Creek and Sharps Creek enter Buck Creek in the city of Wyoming. Other tributaries have been incorporated into the Kent County drain system. The Buck Creek Watershed covers 23,392 acres. Land use in the Watershed is 95% urban, 3% agricultural, 2% other, <1% open space, and <1% open water.

Read the full subwatershed summary here.

Watershed Group

Friends of Buck Creek

Follow the Friends of Buck Creek on Facebook and Join the Facebook group for more information.

Buck Creek is a 20.3-mile-long (32.7 km) tributary of the Grand River in Kent and Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises in northern Allegan County in Byron and Gaines townships, and flows through the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming as an urban stream to enter the Grand River in Grandville. The Grand River is a tributary of Lake Michigan. The creek drains portions of Byron Township, Gaines Township, the City of Kentwood, the City of Wyoming, the City of Grandville, and Grand Rapids. Pine Hill Creek and Sharps Creek enter Buck Creek in the city of Wyoming. Other tributaries have been incorporated into the Kent County drain system. 

Buck Creek Trail

The City of Grandville and the City of Wyoming teamed up to build a trail system that follows Buck Creek. The project started over 30 years ago and has developed into a system of beautiful trails along the creek. The trail is currently in three segments. One from the Baldwin Street Trailhead in Jenison, Michigan to Broadway St. in Grandville. The next is down Canal St. to the Grandville segment which goes through Wedgewood Park. The third piece is the Wyoming segment which starts at Lemery Park, goes through the Buck Creek Nature preserve and finishes out at Palmer Park.