Cheboygan Dam teeters near spillover as tensions escalate Up North

Cheboygan residents near the community’s dam on the Cheboygan River He remained on hold for release on Monday.Bad weather news provides no relief as water levels are dangerously close to spilling over the dam, potentially causing it to collapse.

According to a Facebook post on Monday, April 13 Water levels reached the “ready” mark on emergency managers’ “ready, set, go” alert system, according to the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office. The definition of “ready” means residents must:

• Prepare a travel bag (medication, important documents, etc.) and review your family plan.

• Secure outdoor gear and move valuables to higher levels.

• Avoid riverbanks and low lying areas.

• Watch for official updates and be ready to take action.

The “ready, set, go” security approach includes these steps:

• Ready: When water falls 12 inches below the top of the dam and levels rise 3 inches or more per day. Plan and/or pack in case evacuation is necessary.

• To arrange: When water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, water levels are increasing at a rate of 3 inches per day, or when levels are increasing by 3 inches per day and are predicted to reach the top of the dam within 48 hours. Prepare by packing and preparing your family, pets, and vehicle for the potential departure.

• To go: Situations where water levels are 1 inch below the top of the dam and there is a high probability of the dam being breached and the potential for failure to occur. Follow evacuation orders; Barricades may be placed around the perimeter.

Officials say residents will receive an IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) emergency alert on their phones if an evacuation order is issued.

Latest updates: Cheboygan Dam and water levels as residents prepare to evacuate

sheriff’s office Monday afternoon Posted on Facebook A map showing the potential flood “precautionary zone” downstream from the dam, showing areas of potential flooding along both river banks extending to North Main Street and North Huron Street on the river’s northwest bank and to South A Street on the southeast bank. The Cheboygan River flows northeast through the city before ending north of Lake Huron.

“Water levels are unpredictable,” sheriff’s officials said, adding that the warning area displayed along the river “is a target area for potential flooding.”

“Please avoid this area if possible. Community members in this area should pack a travel bag and secure valuables. The Alert Zone will be updated as the situation evolves.”

Those living outside the warning area should still maintain high awareness and watch for hazards. Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page Sheriff’s officials said they are receiving information for updates.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division has also created a web page where the latest information can be obtained. michigan.gov/cheboygandam.

Cheboygan County Sheriff Todd Ross encouraged residents to seek information about the evolving dam situation through official channels.

“There’s a lot of misinformation floating around right now about people who may not be affected by this but aren’t,” he said.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center on Friday, April 10.

Michigan Department of Transportation also Removed US 23 scale bridge in Cheboygan On Monday, April 13, officials closed the road to road traffic as a preventative measure while continuing to monitor water levels at the Cheboygan Canal and Dam Complex.

According to MDOT, the purpose of closing the bridge is to protect against potential damage from debris flowing down the Cheboygan River and to keep vehicle occupants and pedestrians safe. During the bridge closure, traffic will be directed south to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge.

MDOT officials said there is no timeline for reopening the bridge and that the bridge needs to be inspected before reopening. An operator from the Cheboygan County Highway Commission will be on site and ready to open the bridge in an emergency if needed.

Efforts focus on getting more water flowing through the dam

A large mechanical crane was used overnight into Monday morning to lift gates at the dam to allow more water to flow, and agencies such as the DNR, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Consumers Energy were working Monday to activate disabled hydroelectric turbines at the dam to allow more water to flow.

According to Michigan State Police, the water level was 13.75 inches above the top of the dam as of Monday afternoon, up 2.25 inches from the previous day. Water levels spilling over a dam, known as overflow, are considered dangerous due to the potential for structural damage and failure.

Meteorologist: Crisis caused by a series of weather events

Jim Keysor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, said the Cheboygan Dam is facing an onslaught of headwaters far beyond the usual.

“We had a lot of late-season snowfall in this area, especially in March, as we moved toward Cheboygan, part of that area had up to 2 feet of snow and a lot of water, around 3 or 4 inches,” he said.

“There was a lot of water accumulation in the snowpack at the end of the season, and now we’ve had well above normal precipitation in that area in the last few weeks as well. Everything came together to cause a lot of water all at once.”

The short-term forecast doesn’t look good for relief.

“We have several systems that will be bringing rain to the area over the next few days, and so some of these areas that are already waterlogged could get at least another two or three inches of rain next week,” Keysor said. “And of course there’s nowhere for him to go right now.”

He said some of the soil in the area also remained frozen, meaning that precipitation, rather than being absorbed, flowed more quickly into tributaries and eventually into the Cheboygan River.

Cheboygan Dam dates back to the 1800s

First completed in 1869, the Cheboygan Dam and Dam is over 150 years old. The current dam structure used for hydroelectric power was completed in 1922. It is a 21-foot-tall, 580-foot-long dam that raises or lowers recreational boats approximately 15-16 feet, connecting Lake Huron to the Inland Waterway, a 38-mile series of rivers and lakes in Emmet and Cheboygan counties that includes Crooked Lake, Crooked River, Burt Lake, Indian River, Mullett. Lake and Cheboygan River.

More: State activates emergency center amid risk of Cheboygan Dam failure

The dam breach would not only cause flash flooding impacts in the Cheboygan area, but would also cause other impacts to water levels and associated waterways. Heather Huffstutler, executive director of the nonprofit Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, said she and her staff do not have engineering or hydrology data to predict potential impacts.

“The Cheboygan River watershed is an important watershed in Northern Michigan for biodiversity, recreation and local economies,” he said. “The basin is the largest at the tip of the Mitt area, covering more than 900,000 acres.” That’s about the same size as Wayne and Oakland counties combined.

“This means more than six river systems and more than six inland lakes flow into the Cheboygan River system and culminate at the Cheboygan Pond and Dam facility,” Huffstutler said. he said.

Local people were alarmed: ‘This is an unexplored region’

Kathy Eustice lives on the Cheboygan River, about two miles upstream from the dam.

“We’re used to water coming in like this in the spring,” he said. “But we’ve never encountered anything like this. This is uncharted territory.”

Eustice attended yoga class on Monday as usual; “life goes on,” he said. But he also started taking precautions, throwing stuff in his car, filling up the gas tank on the way home, and parking the car outside the garage in case the power went out.

“I have concerns; this is something that’s out of my control,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of anxiety out there and people with misinformation.”

Further upriver, Indian River Marina co-owner Michael Ryan is sandbagging around his riverside snack shop, where the water has risen enough to flood the ground.

“I’ve owned the marina for about 13 years, and even when I talk to locals who have lived here much longer than I have, we’ve never seen the marina at these high levels before,” he said.

“Most of our docks are either underwater or 6 to 12 inches from underwater.”

Ryan said he pumped water from the store and his property; but this means putting water back into the river. “This is a losing battle,” he said.

More: Latest situation at Cheboygan Dam, water levels as residents prepare to evacuate

About Cheboygan lake and dam

The Cheboygan Pool and Dam Complex consists of the Cheboygan Pool and Dam as well as a privately owned hydroelectric facility, the DNR said. The complex is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Some important details about the Cheboygan Dam are as follows: World Dams:

• Primary Purpose: Hydroelectric

• Dam Capacity: 83,000 acre feet

• Surveillance: It is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Jalen Williams, Jared Greenleaf, Jillian Fellows and Sarah Moore contributed to this report. Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

This article was first published in the Detroit Free Press: Cheboygan Dam in danger of spilling over as tensions rise