Editor’s note: Follow live coverage of the threat to the Cheboygan dam and flooding across northern Michigan here.
Cheboygan — A northern Michigan town remained braced for a potential dam failure and evacuation as more rain moved into the area Monday night and accelerated snowmelt swelled the Cheboygan River, causing state and local authorities to take urgent measures to prevent a disaster.
As water levels rose to 12 inches below the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex crest overnight, crews used a large crane to remove massive gates from several bays along the structure in an attempt to remove as many impediments as possible to the river’s flow.
As more rain moved into the area Monday evening, weather forecasters said roads and structures near lakes upstream of the Cheboygan Dam would continue to see rising water levels.
The National Weather Service said up to an inch of more rainfall was possible overnight, “which will exacerbate ongoing flooding.”
The agency advised that high water is likely to last “through the week, and potentially longer.”
With more rain in the forecast this week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is trying to prevent a dam breach that could cause flooding in downtown Cheboygan near Lake Huron, as well as significant erosion along the embankment that holds together a narrow shipping lock.
The gate removals took place between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Monday, around the same time that the privately owned hydroelectric portion of the dam increased its flow to help mitigate the same high water levels, said Michelle Crook, a senior engineer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The overnight activity was preceded by the placement of five pumps at the dam to move more water around it; the removal of an old wooden debris screen in front of the dam; the placement of sandbags along areas of the dam officials are hoping to protect; and the restart of the dam’s hydroelectric turbines that have been idled since 2023, Crook said.
Even with all of those efforts, the DNR was exploring additional options to mitigate the high levels as more rain is forecast for the week across the northern Lower Peninsula, adding more pressure to the beleaguered Cheboygan Dam.
The northern Michigan branch of the National Weather Service reported that about 0.2 inches of rain fell in Traverse City on Monday, as of late afternoon, along with 0.12 inches in Houghton Lake, 0.04 inches in Alpena and 0.01 inches in Sault Ste. Marie.
“This is a huge, huge drainage basin,” Crook said of the amount of snowmelt and rain coalescing behind the dam. “It all comes through this area, from Black Lake, Mullet Lake, Burt Lake, all the way over to Crooked Lake. It’s almost to Lake Michigan.”
The Cheboygan Dam is a hydroelectric dam built in 1922, according to the National Dam Inventory maintained by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It is a high-hazard dam, meaning it could cause destruction and potential loss of life if it were to fail. The dam was in “fair” condition when it was inspected in September 2022, according to the FERC inventory.
In a video posted on social media by State Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, Cheboygan County Sheriff Todd Ross said officials aren’t yet worried about potential loss of life.
“There’s a lot of misinformation going around right now on people that could be affected by this that aren’t going to be,” he said.
The threat of a dam failure came Monday as several rivers swelled across the northern Lower Peninsula, causing flooding and other damage. The rising rivers included sections of the Au Sable River near Mio, where washouts led to multiple road closures in Oscoda County.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Kelley Irelan, a lifelong Mio resident who works at AuSable River Outfitters in Mio. The Mio Dam, she said, is “definitely opened up and getting beaten up pretty bad.”
Au Sable River floods homes east of Mio
Ron Buck, who lives in Mio, downriver from the dam on East Drive, said Monday that water was beginning to enter his home. He said he moved some of his belongings to higher levels and hopes more rain doesn’t come.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Two weeks ago, I still had ice and snow here that was all backed up, and now I’ve got to deal with all this water.”
Buck said he’s lived in his home for nine years and has never seen anything like the current flooding that he and his neighbors are experiencing.
“It’s too much water. It’s too much thaw. But it’s pure Michigan,” Buck said.
Buck’s neighbor, Mark Harwin, said his riverfront home usually has about 20 feet of lawn and a 6-8 foot berm that separates it from the river. But on Monday, the water was nearing his home.
“I’m kind of on a peninsula right now,” he said, standing outside his home. “I’ve been walking around through other people’s yards and whatnot because there’s water on pretty much all sides of where we are.”
Harwin said he’s staying abreast of updates from state agencies in case he needs to evacuate.
“We got the warning yesterday … that the dam gates were open and it’s been rising pretty much ever since until this morning, when it seems to have leveled off to where it is right now.”
Buck said he didn’t have any plans to evacuate.
“As long as it don’t keep raining, I think I’m gonna be good,” he said. “I’m gonna wait it out. It’s all I can do.”
Cheboygan residents brace for ‘dam-ageddon’
Customers at Katfisher Bait & Tackle in Cheboygan, a bait shop upstream of the Cheboygan Dam, referred to the flooding as “dam-ageddon” on Monday afternoon, shop owner Kat Henshaw said.
While officials sounded alarms about potential major flooding, the community was largely operating business as usual as long as the dam holds, she said.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen, to be quite honest with you,” Henshaw said. “I know there’s a lot of people down there working, trying to prepare for something.
“We’re getting rain tonight. … I think that might push it over the edge. And what happens when it pushes over the edge, I don’t know.”
Water levels are “very high” upstream of the dam and on Mullet and Burt lakes because of the recent rains and melting ice and snow, Henshaw said.
Cheboygan might have power shut off due to flooding
Consumers Energy might shut off power in the Cheboygan area if flooding progresses, the company said Monday. Flooding and wet ground conditions may threaten electrical equipment and infrastructure. A temporary shutoff will reduce the risk of electrical hazards.
“We understand how difficult it can be to face flooding and the added concern of losing power,” said Greg Salisbury, Consumers’ president of electric distribution. “Every step we take is grounded in safety, and we’ll continue working closely with local officials while doing everything we can to support the community through this.”
Consumers Energy only considers a “public safety power shutoff” when severe weather or extreme conditions create a high risk to people, homes, businesses and essential services, the Jackson-based utility company said in a Monday press release. Company officials are placing a mobile substation on a local walking path to support the local hospital and other critical infrastructure.
The Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office warned residents Monday that the dam’s water levels have reached the “READY” mark as rain continued to be in the forecast for the next few days, and the National Weather Service declared a flood watch until 8 a.m., Wednesday, April 15.
Under the “READY, SET, GO” safety system that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is using to address the swelling waterway, the READY mark means water is 12 inches below the top of the dam, with levels rising 3 inches a day or more. That’s when residents in the area should plan or pack in case an evacuation is ordered.
With up to 2 inches of rain in the weather forecast over the coming days for the watershed that feeds the dam, Michigan Department of Natural Resources crews have activated five pumps to divert water around the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex in downtown Cheboygan.
The Michigan Department of Transportation closed the US-23 drawbridge in Cheboygan on Monday and will raise it to protect drivers and pedestrians, according to a department press release. Engineers have not seen significant erosion around the bridge, but increased river flow could scour the sediment away from the 86-year-old bridge’s footing.
Traffic will be detoured to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, which is upstream of the dam. There is no timeline for reopening the US-23 drawbridge. It will need to be inspected before it is reopened.
What officials are urging Cheboygan area residents to do
On Monday, the sheriff’s office urged residents to prepare a go-bag containing essential items, such as medications and important documents. It also said they should review their family’s evacuation plans, monitor official updates, and be ready to act. Before leaving, residents should secure outdoor items and move valuables to higher levels. Finally, the office said residents should avoid riverbanks and low-lying areas while traveling.
In the ready, set, go system, SET means residents should pack and prepare their families and pets for a possible departure when the water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or a prediction that the water will top the dam within 48 hours.
In the last step, GO, residents will be ordered to evacuate when the water level is 1 inch below the top of the dam, with a high probability of topping it and the possibility of the dam failing. Individuals should follow evacuation orders and be aware that roadblocks may be installed around the perimeters, according to officials.
The dam is not producing power, said Bob Stuber, executive director of Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition, a coalition of conservation nonprofits.
The dam is part of a lock system that allows boats to move up and down the Cheboygan River, Stuber said. The DNR manages the lock system.
Consumers Energy is working with the DNR and Michigan State Police to provide temporary electrical power to the dam to increase water flows downstream, spokesman Brian Wheeler said in an email.
Although the Cheboygan Dam is a hydroelectric dam, Consumers does not own, operate, or buy power from it.
Flood warnings issued for Au Sable, Manistee, Muskegon rivers
Flooding could happen throughout northern Michigan early this week, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Gaylord warned Monday.
Heavy rain and snowmelt have caused high water levels in the Cheboygan River basin and along the river upstream of the dam, including the Maple River, Crooked Lake, Burt Lake, Indian River, Mullet Lake and Sturgeon River. Water is rising along lakes and rivers and over roadways.
Meteorologists issued a flood warning for most of Cheboygan and Emmet counties shortly after midnight Monday. They said the “prolonged flooding event” could last through Sunday or when water levels recede.
Meteorologists predicted major flooding along the Au Sable River in Oscoda County through Sunday morning as well as on the Manistee River in Wexford County “until further notice.”
They forecast minor flooding on the Pine River near Rudyard in Chippewa County from Tuesday through Thursday morning and minor flooding on the Rifle River in Arenac County through late Thursday evening.
There is also a flood warning for the Chocolay River in Marquette County through Thursday.
National Weather Service meteorologists in Grand Rapids warned there could be flooding on the Muskegon River in Clare, Osceola, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Newaygo and Oceana counties.
Parts of Isabella, Gratiot, Montcalm and Muskegon counties in central and west central Lower Michigan may also be flooded following storms on Monday and Tuesday, the weather service said.
Meteorologists cautioned against driving through floodwaters.
Roads washed out near Tunnel of Trees
A couple of roads in the northern Lower Peninsula have washed away due to heavy rains in the area, according to officials and residents.
On Monday, the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office in Petoskey warned motorists to avoid traveling on M-119 between Island View and Division roads because the roadway has been washed out, presumably due to flooding.
“Please seek an alternative route,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “Updates about the roads will continue as more information becomes available. Stay safe and remain vigilant.”
The more than a mile-long affected area is part of Michigan’s famous Tunnel of Trees, a 20-mile stretch of scenic highway, hugging the Lake Michigan coastline.
Michigan Department of Transportation officials said on Monday that a culvert beneath the highway between Good Hart and Cross Village failed overnight.
“MDOT personnel are evaluating the washout and will develop a repair plan, though no timeline for repairs is yet known,” they said in a statement. “MDOT has partnered with the Emmet County Road Commission to establish a detour route on Island View Road and North State Road.”
State officials also said that M-119 is closed near Stutsmanville Road south of Good Hart.
“While the roadway at that location has not yet been damaged, a washout on the side slope is very close to the roadway edge, and the road has been closed out of caution,” they said. “MDOT is still evaluating that location to determine the options to stabilize the slope.”
Meanwhile, traffic is being detoured on West Stutsmanville Road and Terpening Road.
Elsewhere, the Kalkaska County Road Commission said Monday that it has closed Gregg Road near Loon Lake Road.
How state, local officials have been trying to divert water from Cheboygan dam
On Sunday, DNR officials said crews added more pumps to divert water around the dam complex because of forecasts for rain over several days.
The DNR said it placed 1,500 sandbags along the lock on Thursday and added more sandbags in strategic locations around the dam on Saturday. The sandbagging is expected to be a buffer for rising water and help channel the water, the department said.
In addition, crews on Saturday removed an old wooden debris screen in front of the dam’s Gate No. 6 after determining the removal wouldn’t damage the dam, DNR spokeswoman Laurie Abel said. This is expected to help more water flow out and lower the water level behind the dam, Abel said.
Under flooding protocols, residents near the waterway would be ordered to evacuate if the water level is 1 inch below the top of the dam, but they are asked to prepare amid rising levels before then.
On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the area due to rising water levels at the dam.
The forecast for the Cheboygan area Monday was partly sunny with a high of 52, with scattered thunderstorms Monday night. There is a 30%-60% chance of scattered showers Tuesday and a 40% chance Tuesday night.
The rain is expected to continue through Wednesday and Thursday, including a chance of thunderstorms Thursday night.
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Staff Writer Charles E. Ramirez, Staff Photographer David Guralnick and Politics Editor Chad Livengood contributed.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Cheboygan braces for dam failure, power shutoff as flood waters rush in
Reporting by Carol Thompson, Beth LeBlanc and Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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