Residents Weigh Pros and Cons of Dam Removal

While removing obsolete dams can foster a number of long-term environmental benefits that include improved water quality and revitalized fisheries, a successful decision-making process must also consider social and economic impacts.

Such a public consultation process began in 2005 to discuss the fate of four dams on the Boardman River in Traverse City. The dams total 103 feet of vertical head and if removed would represent the largest dam removal in Michigan.

“Many communities deal with one dam at a time. We’re dealing with four,” says Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator Mark Breederland. “It’s the most extensive study of its kind in Michigan.”

Breederland, co-facilitator of the Boardman River Dams Committee, notes that the planning process has been “extremely transparent” and involves many local residents whose lives and homes would likely be impacted by dam removal.

Decommissioned in 2005/2006, the dams no longer generate hydropower and have reverted to city and county ownership. In light of needed repairs and high maintenance costs, the municipalities are weighing the pros and cons of removal.

A Settlement Agreement was formally signed in July 2005 to assist with decommissioning and disposition of the Boardman river dams. The Settlement Agreement team includes representatives of eight agencies including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Michigan Hydroelectric Relicensing Coalition, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners, City of Traverse City—City Council, and the Traverse City Board of Light & Power.

The group coordinated public meetings in 2005 and recently hired a facilitator to oversee the public process and comprehensive societal, economic, engineering and environmental studies to determine all reasonable and feasible options for the future of the dams, including dam retention and dam removal.

Upcoming milestones include completion of a feasibility study by fall 2007 and recommendations on the future of the four dams in 2008.