Why Did This Michigan Creek Temporarily Turn Bright Green?

A creek in West Michigan turned a bright shade of green on Monday (12/12) and officials are stumped as to why it happened.

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Local Resident Makes Eerie Discovery

Grand Rapids resident Steven Littell was the first to discover that Plaster Creek had turned bright green. Plaster Creek runs along the border between Grand Rapids and Wyoming, Michigan. Littell shared photos and video of his discovery with WOOD-TV.

“My significant other and I were driving by, and she said, ‘Look at the creek,’ I stopped and it was fluorescent green," Littell tells the TV station. "It was like almost glowing. So I got out and got a couple shots.”

Littell was worried that someone may have been illegally dumping something into the creek. He also shared his concern that if it was something toxic, it could present an environmental disaster, as the creek eventually feeds Lake Michigan.

No Official Testing Taking Place

Jeff Johnston is a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. He theorizes that the bright green color may have been from a dye test used to determine where water flows.

“The color appears to have been from a dye test, likely performed near where the color was observed, and that material dissipates quickly,” he said.

City officials in Grand Rapids agreed but noted that the city wasn't conducting any tests on Monday.

Water in the creek ran bright green for about an hour before the color completely dissipated.

A similar situation materialized last year in Macomb County when Cranberry Creek mysteriously turned bright green.