MI Man Charged After Diverting River At Sleeping Bear Dunes: Officials

FRANKFORT, MI — A Michigan man is in trouble after prosecutors said he diverted the waters of the Platte River at Sleeping Bear Dunes last summer.

Andrew Blair Howard, 62, of Frankfort, was charged with one count of tampering and one count of vandalism at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, according to the U.S. Attorney's Western District of Michigan.

Howard could spend up to six months in jail and five years’ probation. He could also face a $5,000 fine, in addition to restitution.

"These allegations of tampering and vandalism by a man-made diversion of water at Platte River are disturbing," U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said. "The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Great Lakes are national gems, and my office takes preserving our natural treasures very seriously."

August 15, 2022, National Park Service law enforcement officers investigated a diversion of the Platte River's waters within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, along the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula.

Prosecutors did not explain how they believe Howard created the diversion. National Park Service photos showed a canal was created between a sand split that separated the river from Lake Michigan.