Cheboygan dam water level update: Water fluctuates as crews work to bring in more high-capacity pumps

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Water levels on the Cheboygan dam rose again overnight after falling nearly an inch Tuesday.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, the water level at the dam was 6.6 inches from the top. During a press conference around 11:45 a.m., Laurie Abel with the Michigan Department of Resources, said water levels were fluctuating, adding that the level had dropped some.

"It flows, it rises, it falls. The level is going to change slightly throughout the day," she said. "So, if you're watching it closely, you're going to see that, and you don't want to get into that panic stage of ‘Oh my gosh, we’re down near that 6!' until it continuously drops significantly."

If the water level rises just a bit more, residents downstream of the dam will be moved into the ‘set’ phase of the state's ‘ready, set, go’ safety plan:

Ready: When water is 12 inches below the top of the dam with levels rising 3 inches a day or more. Plan and/or pack in the event an evacuation becomes necessary.
Set: When water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or levels rising 3 inches per day and predicted to top the dam within 48 hours. Prepare by packing and preparing your family, pets and vehicle for potential departure.
Go: When water levels are 1 inch below the top of the dam with a high probability of topping it, with the potential for failure occurring. Follow evacuation orders; roadblocks may be installed around the perimeters.

What you can do:

Residents who live between the Cheboygan dam and Lake Huron should begin packing a go-bag in case an evacuation is ordered.

On Monday, the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office released a map of areas that could be impacted by flooding should water clear the top of the dam.

The sheriff's office said to remember to make sure this bag has medications and important documents. Residents should also secure outdoor items and move valuables to higher levels.

If water levels rise another 6 inches, residents should prepare their families, pets, and vehicles for a potential evacuation.

Residents are also urged to sign up for emergency alerts for the latest updates on water levels and evacuation orders.

If you must drive, use caution as there are many roads in Cheboygan County with standing water. These roads may not be marked with signs because the road commission does not have enough signage.

What they're doing:

Currently, the dam is open, and all six gates have been removed to allow the water to flow.

Pumps and sand bags have been added, with the DNR bringing in larger capacity pumps on Tuesday. Abel said those pumps will be hooked up Wednesday, and even more are expected to arrive. In total, 11 pumps will be running when they are all set up.

Richard Hill, the Gaylord District supervisor for the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division, said that crews are working to finish adding sandbags to prepare if the water continues to rise.

"We’re working from all different angles of this," said Mike Janisse, leader of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Incident Management Team that is deployed to Cheboygan. "We have many cooperators and everyone is putting forth a strong effort."

The lock on the dam remains closed because it is designed for a controlled flow of water as it raises or lifts boats to make the transition from Lake Huron to the Inland Waterway. Allowing an uncontrolled flow could damage the lock’s infrastructure and cause erosion that could catastrophically damage a privately-owned hydroelectric power house or cause erosion around the lock, jeopardizing the dam, according to the DNR.

US-23 bridge closure

The US-23 bascule bridge in Cheboygan has been raised to protect against potential damage from debris floating on the river.

According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, engineers have not yet found significant erosion around the bridge’s foundation, increased water flow in the river has the potential to scour the river sediment away from footings.

Safety of drivers and pedestrians is also a concern. If the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex were to fail, people on the bridge could be at risk.

During the closure, US-23 traffic will be detoured south to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, which is upstream from the dam complex.

There is no timeline for reopening the US-23 bascule bridge, which will need to be inspected before it can be opened.

The Source: Information from the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, Michigan DNR, and Michigan's Emergency Management & Homeland Security were used.