Huron-Clinton Metroparks is moving forward with a plan to remove part of the Flat Rock Dam, after a tentative agreement for the town of Flat Rock to purchase it fell through.
Metroparks offered last year to sell the dam for $5 and provide $4.5 million in funding to install a fish ladder and help fund the dam’s operations. The dam is considered to be in fair condition but is classified as a high-hazard potential dam by the state, which means a failure could cause the loss of life or serious damage to critical infrastructure and the environment.
Flat Rock Mayor Steven Beller said after looking into the conditions around the dam and the costs of maintaining and operating it, which took about a year, the city council decided that buying the dam didn’t feel like a financially responsible decision for a town as small as Flat Rock.
The city council voted unanimously not to buy the dam at its July 20 meeting.
“No one on council … wanted to take on the future financial responsibility. It wouldn’t be fair to the residents,” he said. “To take on $25-$35 million (in) future cost just isn’t fiscally responsible.”
Beller said the sentiment in town seems to be that most residents want the dam to stay.
The Flat Rock dam was built in the 1920s to supply hydroelectric power to a lamp factory owned by Ford. It assembled headlights and other lighting systems from 1923 to 1950, when the factory stopped operating.
Metroparks officials decided to move forward with partially removing the dam and installing rock arches at its Aug. 13 meeting. Under its plan, wetlands and water levels would be maintained in the impoundment behind the dam, preserving recreation and wildlife habitats, enhancing fish passage and reducing the risk of infrastructure failure.
“Our first priority has always been the health and safety of the region and the environment,” said CEO Amy McMillan in a statement.
Partial removal and installing rock arches will cost at least $13 million, according to Metroparks estimates. The design and permitting stages are expected to take about two years, the release said, which will include more chances for public feedback.
Permitting will follow design, and Metroparks will seek bids from construction contractors. The body has about $920,000 in grant funding for design and permitting from the National Oceanic Administration Fisheries Regional Partnership, and Metroparks plans to pursue additional grants.
Metroparks staff originally recommended partial removal and putting in rock arches in the summer of 2025, but the board chose to delay voting to renew its attempt to sell the dam to Flat Rock.
“I think residents are understanding that no matter what, it’s going to be a long process,” Beller said.
jcardi@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Metroparks votes to remove part of Flat Rock Dam, put in rock arches
Reporting by Julia Cardi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Julia Cardi, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
