Work continues today at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex and three dams on the Black River – Alverno, Kleber and Tower – to keep water flowing and prevent flooding at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam.
Led by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Incident Management Team, workers removed a jam of wood and other river-borne debris from the Tower Dam on the Black River, which feeds into the Cheboygan River. They also opened gates to increase water flow through Kleber Dam and continued sand bagging, cleaning debris gates and monitoring at Alverno Dam, the dam immediately upstream from the Cheboygan Dam. Small, grass-covered sinkholes near the Alverno Dam will be plugged with bentonite, a clay material often used to seal old wells, to keep them from seeping.
“Besides all of these activities, we have people out in boats removing debris from the river so that dam gates stay clear,” said Mike Janisse, co-leader of the Incident Management Team. “We are monitoring water levels throughout the day.”
In Cheboygan, the privately owned hydroelectric plant continues operating and 16 large-capacity pumps are moving water through and over the dam.
“The hydroelectric turbines have been operating well and playing an integral role in keeping water levels stable as peak flow is expected over the next couple of days,” said Richard Hill, who co-leads the Incident Management Team with Janisse.
Peak river flow is expected within the next 48 hours or so.
Spring rains and melting snow from a record March snowfall have caused rivers across the watershed to swell. As water continues to rise across the state, residents are encouraged to stay out of floodwater, as it may contain hidden dangers such as floating debris and contamination from sewage and chemicals that pose serious health and safety risks.
Cheboygan County emergency management officials are monitoring the situation and using the “Ready, Set, Go” system to advise residents about potential evacuations. You can find updates by following the
Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page.
The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) activated the Joint Information Center (JIC) as the source of state agency information dissemination. Find links to and sign up to receive
MSP and SEOC news releases and follow
Facebook and
X or the latest information from the JIC.
