Goodrich – Decisions will have to be made soon concerning the overall stability of the village dam.
Following a May 20 inspection of the 100- year-old village dam, a report was released that cites the structural elements of the dam continue to deteriorate, indicating the structure has a significant hazard potential, due in part to the amount of structures and residents downstream from the dam.
For that reason, the report is requiring the village to update their EAP (Emergency Action Plan) by Dec. 31, in conjunction with the Genesee County Emergency Management. The report states the most recent copy of their plan on file is dated March 31, 2001.
‘The biggest problem is the fluctuation in the water caused by the gate at the dam,? said Paul Wessel, of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
‘The village will have to develop an operation plan for stop log and lift gate removal by Dec. 31.?
The report states this was requested in the previous inspection report and has not yet been completed.
The report is also asking the village to conduct a complete study on the long- term costs of dam repair, as well as a dam removal or replacement study, to put forth a proposed plan of action to Wessel’s office by Dec. 31.
‘The village has a decision to make and it’s not an easy one,? said Wessel.
Byron Lane, the chief of the dam safety program for the MDEQ, said the village will be required to hire a consulting engineering firm to determine the cost of required repairs. ‘We have a consultant directory on our website,? he said. ‘I believe the village will have enough time between now and Dec. 31 to get it done.?
Lane said because the village is the owner of the dam, it is their decision to make.
‘The cost to repair the dam is one of the many factors they will need to consider,? he said. ‘I don’t know what priorities they have. I have seen other dam owners select a costly repair because the people wanted the dam for recreation, aesthetics or for its history. Each individual case seems to vary.?
The village dam, Lane said, isn’t the only one with problems.
‘There are 2,500 dam owners all across the state of Michigan,? he noted. ‘Many have dams with failing infrastructure and they just don’t have the money to fix them. I don’t see many applications for new dams. An owner has to go through a lot to build a dam these days.?
Lane said if the village decides to remove the dam, the Department of Natural Resources has a fisheries division to enhance and protect Michigan’s fisheries and will help toward funding a dam removal.
‘From my experience, there are not enough people who live on the pond who could support the financial obligation to restore the dam. As I have said before, it is a decision the local government will have to make, and there are no government funds to rebuild a dam,? said Lane.
Village council members had not received a copy of the dam report at press time.