Whitmer: 'We are in crisis mode' with Cheboygan dam water levels rising
FOX 2 - Residents downstream of the Cheboygan dam are currently preparing to evacuate in the "set" phase of ready, set, go alert in case of water levels rising less than six inches from the top.
By the numbers:
The current measurement is the water is 5.04 inches from the top according to the 4 p.m. update, having raised 0.24 inches since this morning's measurement.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer helped give an update alongside officials calling the overtop concerns a severe moment, but crediting the crews working around the clock.
"My administration will continue to monitor the situation and work with local communities to get them the resources that they need," Whitmer said. "We are in crisis mode now. Recovery mode will take additional work and we will continue these partnerships."
During the press conference one of the officials said there are there are three structures identified as at-risk, in the inundation zone including a condominium complex and two of them businesses with everyone involved being notified.
DNR crews are placing sandbags and to guide water flow and to help prevent erosion, Scott Bowen of the DNR said, adding that a substantial crew is on-site working around the clock.
"They've been working hard to get the electro, hydroelectric powerhouse up and running to increase the flow of the water through the dam," Bowen said. "They've been placed in pumps to reroute water around the dam, and they really done yeoman's work to, to move water. Our partners in these efforts have been outstanding."
Related: Cheboygan dam water level update: Residents told to prepare vehicles, families for evacuations
Whitmer praised the work of those at the dam.
"We know that crews have been working incredibly hard to put down sandbags, place pumps, remove gates, restart the turbine and increase the flow of water around and through the dam," she said. "We're continuing to explore more options to prevent dam failure and keep water from flowing over the dam."
Whitmer declared a state of emergency for 33 counties due to the flooding across the state including the situation in Cheboygan to deploy extra resources.
Evacuation area
State Sen. John Damoose (R) said Cheboygan County and those he represents are still waiting to be reimbursed for the damage from last year's ice storms.
Dig deeper:
"(Governor Gretchen Whitmer) went to bat for us with the federal government. And sadly, I think you're going to have to do it again," he said. We've got our work cut out for us and in the months and works, months. And, ahead, we're going to have to work to get funding. This is going to be an expensive disaster. Make no mistake, we're still working on getting funding for the ice storm. That hasn't happened yet, but we need to keep working on that."
A US Coast Guard commander said the infrastructure of the dam is sound and that once the waters subside, operations will function normally.
"With the great efforts that have been taken by this team here that you've heard about, there are no current concerns with that complex and any of its infrastructure," said Cmdr. Daniel Parker, the deputy sector commander of the Coast Guard Sector, Northern Great Lakes. "But the infrastructure itself is sound. And when the waters recede, they will be able to resume normal operations."
Residents who live between the Cheboygan dam and Lake Huron should be preparing to leave their homes in case they need to evacuate.
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.
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 are 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.
"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 for this report is from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and various state and local leaders including from representatives of the DNR.