Water levels at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex have receded to more than 11 inches below the top of the structure, an encouraging sign as the multi-agency response continues for a third week.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has worked closely with local partners to support response efforts in Cheboygan County. The DNR placed Incident Management Team liaison officers inside the Cheboygan County Emergency Operations Center once it was fully activated. This ensured local officials had direct, real-time access to information as the situation evolved.
Governor Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) Friday, April 10 to coordinate and support response efforts to rising water levels at the complex.
Since then, daily coordination meetings brought together a wide range of partners including the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, county and city officials and local contractors. These meetings have kept everyone aligned and informed.
“The Incident Management Team has remained in close contact with our county partners throughout the response, connecting multiple times a day using different communication methods,” said Tom Barnes, lead Liaison Officer for the IMT. “During our meetings, we shared updates on what was happening and what people could expect next.”
Barnes highlighted the role of community and partner agencies in managing the high waters and unusual snow melt that led to the threat of overtopping at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex. “This was truly a team effort,” he said. “We’re grateful for the support, expertise, and dedication shown by our partners and the community every step of the way.”
Lt. Jeremy Runstrom, emergency management director for Cheboygan County, echoed those sentiments.
“During this historic flooding event, the Cheboygan County Emergency Operations Center was in full operation with a coordinated response with local, state and federal partners, bringing agencies together to ensure we were all tracking and responding in real time,” said Runstrom. “It is critical that everyone works and operates together. The response with the DNR Incident Management Team stands as a strong example of what a unified, coordinated effort can accomplish to protect our community in a time of need.”
Since April 10, the DNR has worked with local, state, federal and private partners to keep water flowing through the Cheboygan Dam as efficiently as possible. These steps have included working with a number of cooperators to maintain the privately owned Alverno, Kleber, and Tower dams upstream, dams which are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The team has cooperated to remove six gates from the Cheboygan Dam, get the privately owned hydroelectric plant at the Cheboygan Dam running and clean debris from the Black River and the Cheboygan River to keep it from clogging dams.
“The cooperative effort and team work across all levels of government and agencies has been nothing short of amazing,” said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, deputy state director of Emergency Management and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. “The State Emergency Operations Center remains engaged and ready to support the DNR and local officials until all needs are met and water levels have stabilized.”
Cheboygan County emergency management officials are using the “Ready, Set, Go” system to advise residents about potential evacuations. You can find updates by signing up for the 211 information service,
sign-up for local alerts and check the
Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
For more information, visit
Michigan.gov/cheboygandam, sign up to receive
MSP and SEOC news releases and follow MSP/EMHSD on
Facebook and
X.
