Michigan has five high hazard dams are considered to be in poor condition, the same category that the Edenville Dam was in before breaking in mid-May.
Escalated enforcement action at the dams located in Cheboygan, Ottawa Schoolcraft and St. Joseph counties has not been taken as the state works to amicably resolve the issues at the dams, a state environmental official said Friday.
The high hazard dams in poor condition include the Buttermilk Creek Detention Dam in Ottawa County, Cornwall Creek Dam in Cheboygan County, the Manistique Papers Dam in Schoolcraft County, the Little Black River Structure B in Cheboygan County and the Portage Plant Dam in St. Joseph County.
Of the 85 state-regulated high hazard dams, the state considers six in poor condition, including Edenville; 19 are in fair condition; 59 are in satisfactory condition; and one is unrated.
A dam is considered "high hazard" based on the potential impact to downstream entities should the dam break.
State enforcement typically begins with a notice to the dam owner of issues, followed by violation notices and then orders to limit operations or remove the dams for noncompliance, said Luke Trumble, a dam safety engineer with the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy's Dam Safety Unit.
There had been no request to the Edenville Dam owner to lower lake levels prior to the failure in May, in part, because of a court order that mandated Wixom Lake levels be kept at a certain level, Trumble said.
"We were in the stage where we were trying to solve the issues amicably with the owner," he said.
The state took over jurisdiction of the dam in 2018, when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked the dam's hydropower generation license. After the state took over jurisdiction, it was tasked with getting up to speed on the dam's condition, which was complicated by the fact that some federal documentation on the dam was protected.
Trumble and fellow dam safety engineer Dan DeVaun outlined the state's dam inspection, classification and response efforts during a Friday call with media.
Trumble and DeVaun and their supervisor make up the three-member Dam Safety Unit that is responsible for 1,059 dams and is funded at roughly $350,000 a year.
Buttermilk Creek Detention Dam
The Buttermilk Creek Detention Dam largely is considered in poor condition because more analysis is needed.
There was an unauthorized modification made to the dam's auxiliary spillway in 2018, Trumble said. While state officials judge the dam still can handle a 200-year flood, it's unknown whether it could handle a larger storm without that spillway capacity.
"We have directed the owner of that dam to submit a plan to address that deficiency and that is expected this month," Trumble said.
Cornwall Creek Dam
The state-owned spillway at Cornwall Creek Dam has deteriorated with age, and the state is working on designs, permits and funding to improve it.
"We’re anticipating that this project will be out for bid in the fall and hopefully up for completion in 2021," DeVaun said.
Manistique Papers Dam
The state is working to remove the Manistique Papers Dam over the next three to five years.
The owner is in bankruptcy and no longer engaged in the process, but the height of the water behind the dam has been decreased significantly during the removal process, Trumble said.
LIttle Black River Structure B
There is a small sinkhole near the city-owned Little Black River Structure B, which is being monitored, according to EGLE officials. Grant funding is being pursued to fix the dam.
Portage Plant Dam
The state is planning enforcement action against the Portage Plant Dam, who has been delinquent and non-responsive to state inquiries, Trumble said.
The state last inspected the dam in 2013 and found the dam had deteriorated with age.
"That one's in the planning phase of how to pursue enforcement," Trumble said.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
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