By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Goodrich — On Monday night the Goodrich Village Council voted 4-1 to move forward with a Dam Feasibility study. Council member David Lucik voted no.
In May, the Village of Goodrich was one of 22 Michigan communities with dams that received grant funding to help reduce risks and protect residents. The funding is through the Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program (DRRGP) as authorized by the Michigan Legislature. The program was created after four Midland area dams failed in 2020, causing billions of dollars in damages. A total of $14 million in funding was earmarked for state dams.
The village received a $180,000 grant with a $20,000 match for a feasibility study for the Goodrich Dam on Kearsley Creek. The century old dam has become a financial burden for the village due to its deteriorating condition and concern for long-term management.
On Monday Kevin Cook and John Tanner from Wade Trim to discuss the extensive project.
The study is proposed to investigate options and provide a final deliverable of three alternatives: repair, replace, or remove. Included will be concrete coring, soil boring and dive inspections of existing dam along with spillway evaluation, geotechnical and hydrology investigations.
The feasibility study which will take up to one year to complete, will provide the framework for future grants for repair, replacement or removal.
“We understand everyone in the community has varying opinions about the Dam,” said Cook. “This is a study that will give the community options, recommendations and costs. We’ll present all of our findings.”
Council member Lucik, who has been in the community for more than 45 years said all he’s seen over the years are dam studies.
“They put a few Band-Aids on the dam, but it’s the same dam we had 45 years ago,” said Lucik. “I am definitely against studying anymore. Let’s look for an alternative, a spillway, a new dam, something. But not a study for $200,000. I think there’s a lot of fluff in this study. I want meat and potatoes.”
Council President Shannon McCafferty, said the study intent is to get the best options.
“We need to make a decision on what’s going to happen with the dam,” she said. “Hopefully this will be the last feasibility study.”
Michigan Dams are inspected at least once every three years for high hazard potential dams, once every four years for significant hazard dams, and once every five years for low hazard potential.
In December 2016 Lucas Trumble, dam safety engineer of the MDEQ dam safety unit, completed the inspection in Goodrich. The dam was then inspected and passed in May 2020. It was reported the Goodrich dam’s significant hazard rating has nothing to do with condition, rather based on the downstream impact if the dam were to fail. The rating is not based on the likelihood of failure. The bus garage and a few homes downstream on the Kearsley Creek could be impacted.
A dam inspection is due by Dec. 31, 2024 and Wade Trim will contact Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to coordinate the work.