Since Michigan State University opened its doors in 1855, the Red Cedar River has been at the heart of campus life.
Thousands of students cross it every day without giving it much thought, but the river has played a much bigger role than simply dividing campus. It inspires traditions, influences university history and serves as a place for recreation, research and environmental stewardship.
Despite its central path through campus, there may be a lot the Spartan community doesn’t know about the Red Cedar River, from its historical uses and its ties to traditions to the way students use it today.
From resource to tradition
Most Spartans are familiar with the first line of the MSU fight song: “On the banks of the Red Cedar/ There’s a school that’s known to all.” But the lyrics points to more than a familiar landmark — they reflect the relationship between the river and Michigan State University that dates to the university’s earliest days, long before the fight song was written in 1915 when MSU was still known as Michigan Agricultural College.
Flowing roughly 51 miles from Livingston County to its junction with the Grand River in Lansing, the Red Cedar River has been intertwined with the university since it was founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855.
In the university’s early years, the river was an important resource used for construction and campus operations. Sand and clay from the riverbanks helped produce bricks used in early campus buildings, and the river supplied water for campus boilers.
Over time, the Red Cedar’s role on campus evolved far beyond its original practical purpose. What began as a resource that helped build the university has become a symbol of Spartan identity and a living classroom for generations of students. By the time composer Francis Irving Lankey and lyricist Arthur L. Sayles wrote the fight song in 1915, the river was already deeply embedded into campus life and MSU’s identity.
More than a century later, the opening line of “Victory for MSU” continues to serve as a reminder that the river has not simply flowed alongside Michigan State but has helped shape its history and traditions.
A living laboratory
In several MSU laboratory courses, the Red Cedar River serves as the classroom. Students gain hands-on experience conducting activities such as electrofishing, collecting biological samples and studying the river’s ecosystem.
Daniel Hayes, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife professor emeritus, who taught Fisheries and Wildlife 101L: Introduction to Field Methods, is one of several faculty members who use the river as an outdoor classroom.
During the fall semester, the class meets at the river twice. Early in the semester, students learn field techniques such as electrofishing to study fish populations. Later, they return to collect and identify aquatic insects while discussing river ecology.
“It’s not too big, it’s not too deep, it’s not too small. It’s the right size to bring a group of people into,” Hayes said about how the size of the river works well for teaching.
Hayes said the Red Cedar’s location in the heart of campus makes it an especially valuable teaching resource. Because the river is just steps from the classroom, students can spend more time gaining hands-on field experience instead of traveling to an off-campus site.
Hayes also emphasized the misconceptions many students have about the Red Cedar River.
Because of the river’s brownish coloration, which is influenced by its natural substrate and sediment, some students assume it is polluted or unable to support much life. However, Hayes said this perception does not reflect the river’s actual ecosystem. The Red Cedar supports a diverse aquatic community, including up to 30 species of fish.
Hayes explained that these preconceived notions often leave students surprised by what they discover when they study the river closely. Through the hands-on coursework, students discover the complexity of the ecosystem firsthand and gain a deeper understanding of the river’s ecological value.
“Some of the most effective learning occurs when something really surprises us or breaks our preconceptions,” Hayes said.
Conducting lab courses on the river also allows students to practice place-based learning, where they can build connections between scientific concepts and the local environment they are studying.
“They start to gain some ownership over the river, but that also translates to ownership over their own learning,” Hayes said.
Recreational activities
One of the central ways students and the Spartan community can connect with the Red Cedar is by kayaking, canoeing or fishing, and there have been recent changes that allow for broader enjoyment of such activities.
Recent regulation changes made in 2025 by the MSU Board of Trustees enabled the expansion of fishing opportunities within the Red Cedar.
The previous wildlife ordinance, established in the 1960s, restricted fishing on campus to designated areas, while the revised ordinance allows broader catch-and-release fishing under university guidelines. Now, those with a valid Michigan fishing license can fish along nearly all of the Red Cedar that flows through campus.
While kayaking and canoeing have long been permitted on the Red Cedar River, MSU has invested in infrastructure to improve river access. In 2024, the university installed an accessible kayak and canoe launch near Jenison Field House and a downstream portage around the campus weir.
For those who just want to relax, more than 40 hammock poles are installed around campus, including along the Red Cedar, providing designated spaces that also serve to protect the campus arboretum from damage caused by hammocks attached to trees.
Together, these changes reflect a broader effort to make the Red Cedar more accessible, encouraging students and community members to experience the river and campus as a recreational and natural resource.
Past traditions
Throughout MSU’s history, the river has served as a gathering place for students, hosting traditions that brought the Spartan community together through celebration and competition.
One of the most well-known historical traditions was the freshman-sophomore tug-of-war, where students competed to pull their opponents into the Red Cedar. The event became a symbol of class rivalry and school spirit before eventually disappearing from campus traditions.
Another major event was the annual Water Carnival, a student-led celebration that featured elaborate floats and activities centered around the Red Cedar. The event brought together students and the campus community, highlighting the river’s role as a central part of student life.
Although these traditions are no longer held today, they reflect a time when the Red Cedar was not only a natural feature of campus but also a place where Spartan traditions were created and celebrated.
Restoration efforts
Throughout the years, MSU has launched several initiatives to improve and maintain the health of the Red Cedar River, from community cleanup events to long-term restoration projects. Most notably, the university’s riverbank restoration effort has been ongoing since 2019, working to reduce erosion and restore native habitats.
The project has included stabilizing sections of the riverbank, using natural materials and native plantings to reduce erosion and improve habitats along the river. These efforts aim to address challenges the Red Cedar has faced over time, including accelerated erosion, sediment buildup and impacts from increased stormwater runoff associated with urban development.
Beyond long-term restoration projects, MSU and community organizations have also hosted volunteer cleanup events that allow students and community members to directly contribute to the river’s preservation.
Events such as the Red Cedar River Cleanup bring together students, faculty, staff and residents to support the health of the river. Through hands-on efforts like litter removal and habitat restoration, this biannual event highlights the role that the campus community plays in protecting one of MSU’s most recognizable natural features.
Although some Spartans assume the Red Cedar is polluted because of its brownish color, water quality is also regularly monitored. The Ingham County Health Department and state agencies test the river for indicators such as E. coli to determine whether it meets recreational water quality standards, while MSU continues to monitor the watershed and reduce stormwater impacts through restoration and management efforts.
While restoration projects address long-term ecological challenges, community cleanup efforts show how individual actions within the Spartan community can also make an impact on the Red Cedar’s future.
