FLTF has made significant progress on Sanford and Edenville permitting to the point it is likely Sanford Dam will go to public comment for permitting in May. Edenville may take a little longer, however, FLTF will have a project to upgrade the embankments and add a cutoff wall this year, with a plan for a total restoration bid by the end of this year.  The FLTF Webinar from April 26, 2023 provided a detailed status update. 

Last week FLTF received the construction bids for Sanford Dam from two out-of-state construction companies, the bids were higher than expected.

The momentum on dam reconstruction has been positive these last several weeks. Check out our Construction Newsletter for greater detail about Secord and Smallwood dams, which have been issued construction permits and are being rebuilt.

There are a variety of informational sessions scheduled for the coming months. Stay informed by being involved!

• April 20: Mid-Michigan Dam Restoration Projects – Informational Session on EGLE Permitting Process for Downstream, 6 p.m. Register here

Interest rate increases have been a big headwind for our project. We recently met with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) about the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Plan (CWIFP). FLTF provided input to the rulemaking on this program last year, with $7.5 billion appropriated to this program. Rule making will be completed later this year, and funds available in 2024. These are for very large projects and the USACE was very confident that the FLTF project qualifies. Some of the benefits are listed below, but this would give us a rate below other available financing and get us back to an interest rate much closer to the facilities that were available to the project with the USDA loan. 

Due to active construction at Secord and Smallwood dams, public fishing access will be closed for the duration of construction. Public fishing access at the Tobacco spillway will be temporarily closed. We expect to reopen it in several weeks (end of April/early May).

Learn more about acceptable activities on the lakebottoms here.

Posted on Behalf of Great Lakes Fishery Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

From May 9-18 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission will deliver sea lamprey control on three Tittabawassee River tributaries: Tobacco River, Little Molasses River and Black Creek. Sea lampreys are parasitic fish invasive to the Great Lakes. The lampricide stream treatments, using TFM, will target larval lampreys. Lampricides do not pose a risk to human health or to the environment. They do not remain after application and naturally break down in the environment.

The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) committee welcomes Doug Bellomo to the group. Doug is a vice president in the water business line at AECOM focusing on flood risk management and resilience.