The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Water Resources Division (WRD) has posted a public notice to the MiWaters home page. The notice is also being sent to Wixom Lake property owners whose parcels are adjacent to Edenville Dam. The notice is to give property owners an opportunity to comment on recent design work performed under emergency order of EGLE. The work involved the creation of design documents to stabilize the dams. To view the document, click on this link.
Today it was announced Four Lakes Task Force will receive a $750,000 grant for booms on Secord and Smallwood dams.
Booms control surface debris, provide for public safety boat barriers and define zones of no-entry around dams. The boom consists of 10-foot HDPE (high-density polyethylene AKA plastic) modular units which link together to form an unlimited length of boom lines. The boom line is anchored to the shore and to the bottom of the lake to provide a secure barrier around the spillway. As we work through the Special Assessment for the operations and maintenance of the dams, we've received questions about how the dams will operate and what benefit they bring. Below is a brief explanation with links to articles published in the past that explain these concepts.
~ ~ ~ The dams will be operated as "run of the river" facilities. This means the dam gates are operated to keep a normal "legal" lake level, such that the outflow from the dam is equal to the water flowing into it. The dams will not store additional water in the lake, therefore the lake levels will not fluctuate as much as they did when the dams produced power. The lake level is more stable and downstream of the dam, the river will be a natural flow, with less negative impact on the shoreline. GEI Consultants completed the Semi-Quantitative Risk Analysis (SQRA) process for the northern two dams, which resulted in a recommended inflow design flood (IDF) for both dams. The recommendation will allow the dams to safely pass a 10,000-year storm event, which corresponds to a 1 in 10,000-year Annual Exceedance Probability (0.01% AEP). AEP is the chance or probability of a natural hazard event (usually a rainfall or flooding event) occurring annually and is usually expressed as a percentage. It should be noted that the May 2020 floods for the Secord and Smallwood dams were estimated to be between the 100- to 200-year flood (1% to 0.5% AEP).
Secord, Smallwood, Edenville, Tobacco and Sanford dams were built in the 1920s for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation, with the additional benefit of recreation. The dams are now being repaired and restored to return the lakes to their normal legal levels which will restore the benefits of a healthy ecosystem and recreational uses of the bodies of water. This provides economic benefit to the region as well as a lifestyle enhancement, all improving the quality of life in the region. Without private hydro power generation, a county can own a dam that creates a lake, but assessments will be needed to operate and maintain the lakes and dams. Properties that have deeded access are in the Four Lakes Special Assessment District. We are reviewing those benefit factors with the property owners. FLTF is constructing a temporary bridge between Sanford Dam and the embankment as part of the stabilization process. The dam will be above the water level and is movable. This temporary bridge will provide worker access to the dam and will be in place for several months. it will be removed at the completion of stabilization, later in 2022. Visitors to Sanford Village Park will be able to see the structure.
Four Lakes Task Force made considerable progress on dam stabilization for Secord, Smallwood, Wixom and Sanford lakes during the last year. FLTF estimates about $20 million in funding is needed to stabilize the dams and properties. This work is necessary to minimize further shoreline erosion, protect properties, prevent further damage and erosion downstream, and safeguard property owners. All work conducted on the lakes and dams will be the foundation for final dam and lake level restoration.
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