MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Following the collapse of the Edenville and Sanford dams near Midland, we asked the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) about the safety of the dams in the Upper Peninsula.
EGLE has responded with the following statement about the Midland area dam failure:
| EGLE assumed regulatory authority for the 96-year-old Edenville Dam in late 2018 after its license to generate hydropower was revoked by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. EGLE was in the process of reviewing federal records and conducted an initial inspection in October of 2018, finding that it was in fair structural condition. However, EGLE had strong concerns that the dam did not have enough spillway capacity – which allows water to flow out of the Wixom Lake impoundment –to meet state requirements. EGLE expressed those concerns to the owners’ consultants and was continuing conversations about that deficiency. EGLE had taken enforcement action against the dam’s owner for drawing down water levels without permission and for damage to natural resources as a result of those drawdowns. EGLE was pursuing additional enforcement action at the time of the breach. Michigan has 2,523 dams. Of those, 1,153 are regulated by either state (1,061 state) or federal (92) agencies. Some 1,370 smaller dams are not regulated. Of regulated dams, 803 are privately owned and 350 are publicly owned. Lack of investment in dam infrastructure is not uncommon in Michigan dams, which have suffered from deferred maintenance over the course of decades. That, combined with the historic rainfall and flooding, were factors in the Edenville Dam failure. |
A new GIS mapping tool listing every dam regulated by the State of Michigan, and information about their conditions, is available from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
The tool provides the location of each of the 1059 state-regulated dams structures, ownership information, the body of water it regulates, date of its last reported inspection, hazard potential, and an assessment of its condition. It does not list the 99 Michigan dams regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, nor smaller, unregulated dam structures.
We looked through the map. Here are some of the results we found in the Upper Peninsula with either increased hazard potential or low condition assesments.
Dam: Drummond Hunting & Fishing Club Dam
| DamID | 1175 |
| Pond Name | |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Low |
| Owner Name | Maxton Land Company |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 06-May-03 |
| River | Stony Creek |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
Dam: Jocko Creek Dam
| DamID | 1493 |
| Pond Name | Jocko Pond |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Low |
| Owner Name | Hiawatha Sportsmen’s Club |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 24-May-13 |
| River | Jocko Creek |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
Dam: Gulliver Lake Dam
| DamID | 2018 |
| Pond Name | Gulliver Lake |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Low |
| Owner Name | Gulliver Lake Association |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 307 |
| Last Inspection Date | 12-Oct-18 |
| River | Gulliver Lake Outlet |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
Dam: Carpenter Dam (Indian Lake Dam)
| DamID | 271 |
| Pond Name | Indian Lake |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Significant |
| Owner Name | Schoolcraft County Dr. Commissioner |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 307/Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 12-Oct-18 |
| River | Indian River |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
Dam: Carp Intake Dam
| DamID | 158 |
| Pond Name | Carp Intake Basin |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | High |
| Owner Name | C. R. Development, LLC |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 01-Nov-18 |
| River | Carp River |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
Dam: Gribben Tailings Basin Dam
| DamID | 113 |
| Pond Name | Gribben Tailings Basin |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Significant |
| Owner Name | Tilden Mining Company LC |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 09-Dec-16 |
| River | Trib to Goose Lake Outlet |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
Dam: Ogden Lake Dam
| DamID | 841 |
| Pond Name | Lake Sally and Ogden Lake |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | High |
| Owner Name | Tilden Mining Company LC |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 01-Aug-18 |
| River | Ely Creek |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
Dam: Bulldog Lake Dam
| DamID | 870 |
| Pond Name | Bulldog White Deer Lakes |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Low |
| Owner Name | Ottawa National Forest |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 08-Sep-05 |
| River | Yellow Dog River |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
Dam: Redridge Dam
| DamID | 91 |
| Pond Name | |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Significant |
| Owner Name | Stanton Township |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 19-May-14 |
| River | Salmon Trout River |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
Dam: Calumet Dam
| DamID | 752 |
| Pond Name | Calumet Lake |
| Downstream Hazard Potential | Low |
| Owner Name | Calumet Charter Township |
| Regulatory Authority | Part 315 |
| Last Inspection Date | 01-Oct-12 |
| River | Slaughterhouse Creek |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |