River Etiquette

Sign Project

ARPOA led a major initiative to install river etiquette signs during 2021-23. The purpose of these signs was to raise awareness and encourage proper behavior by river users to better protect our river property. ARPOA heard the concerns of property owners who were negatively impacted by the behavior of river users, and we believed education through signage could make a difference. 

Click here to for a printable version of our river etiquette sign for display at your rental property

Phase I of the project included installation of 24 signs along the main and south branch, including river road ends, DNR launch sites, all canoe liveries in both Grayling and Roscommon, and city/county/village launch sites during 2021.  Phase II included installation of similar signs along the North Branch, in partnership with the North Branch Area Foundation in the fall of 2022.

During the final phase, an informational sign was installed upon the Back Bridge in downtown Grayling in October 2023.  The sign includes float times to downstream take-out locations and conveys appropriate river etiquette attitudes. It replaced an older wooden sign that had stood for decades.  The new sign was designed and made locally by Xpress Copy Center of Grayling.    Howard Johnson and David Smith, along with a local experienced sign installer, Lee Barnett, of Frederic (and his son, Gibson) installed the 84 inches x 48 inches sign.

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Special thanks to the River Etiquette Sign committee of ARPOA, comprised of project chair Howard Johnson with the late Boyd Dillon, Dolph Greenberg (current ARPOA president), and David Smith (former ARPOA president) and the many other volunteers that helped with the sign installation: Marie Harrington, Jim Lawless, Carolyn Johnson, Micki Levin, Steve Loudon, David Fisher, Tom Buhr, Tom Wessels, Tony Molis, Cris Jones, Joe Hemming, and Ralph Rucinski.