Kawkawlin Township is a civil township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 4,419 as of the 2020 census. It is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology
The name Kawkawlin comes from the Ojibwe word ogaakaaning, which means "place of pike (fish)" (referring to the Kawkawlin River, which was historically known for its abundance of pike).
Communities
The township has four unincorporated communities within its borders:
- Brissette Beach is located on Brissette Beach Road between the Saginaw Bay shoreline and Tobico Marshes. (Elevation: 587 ft./179 m.)
- Linwood on the border with Fraser Township.
- Linwood Beach is at Cottage Grove Road and Linwood Beach Road and the Saginaw Bay shoreline. (Elevation: 584 ft. /178 m.)
- Three Churches Corner is off Interstate 75 at Fraser and Beaver roads. (Elevation: 607 ft./185 m.)
The community of Kawkawlin is not in Kawkawlin Township, but just south of the Kawkawlin River and the southern border of the township in Monitor Township.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Kawkawlin Township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 21.81%, is water.