Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 12th, at 12:00 PM, the Gladwin and Midland county Boards of Commissioners will jointly meet at Meridian High School (3303 N Meridian Rd, Sanford, MI). The public is welcome to attend and there will be a public comment period.
Based on the Public Sector Consultants (PSC) Report of its 2022 Survey which was published last week, of those that participated in the survey:
Please be advised that flood debris removal on the Wixom and Sanford lakebottom lands has begun and will continue through the summer. You will see equipment and crews on the bottomlands of both lakes removing uprooted trees, loose stumps, dock parts, boat lifts, hazardous substances like gas cans, watercraft, and other man-made objects within the 100-year floodplain. Trees and stumps attached to the lake bottom will be left in place. Some mowing of vegetation on the lake bottom will be done as part of this project, but only enough to allow crews to find and remove debris.
Monthly dam restoration progress meeting to discuss value engineering, dam restoration, permitting, and a natural resources restoration study. Participants included representatives from Four Lakes Task Force, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, GEI Consultants and Spicer Group.
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. 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.
Over the last year, Four Lakes Task Force laid foundational pieces for recovery and restoration. These accomplishments positioned us well for 2022 and we remain optimistic and hopeful that we can successfully restore the lakes if the community works together and stays positive and focused.
In 2021 we were able to connect with many property owners through 16 public meetings, 60 news flashes and 64 website updates. Our erosion team was also hard at work stabilizing over two miles of shoreline. |
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