From the turnout at our Dam Summit on September 17, 2008, it seems we struck an important chord in Northeast Michigan.  Over 80 people attended the meeting to hear more about dams and learn about the removal process. Because dam failures are increasingly threatening our natural resources, conservation organizations and community partners need to address the issue.

Executive Director of the Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited, Bryan Burroughs, PhD, gave an informative presentation about his work with dam removal (view the presentation). He noted the study of dam removal is a very new area and we need to advance our knowledge to make strategic dam removal decisions. Because the majority of dam removals have been performed opportunistically and these are expensive projects, we need to plan ahead and remove the dams which will have the greatest benefit to our environment. By developing a proactive removal process, we won’t be as vulnerable when dam failures arise.

“We’re going to have to get very good at this,” Burroughs noted when referring to dam removal. There are approximately 2.5 million dams in the United States, one on nearly every major and minor river system in the lower 48 states. Of the estimated 2.5 million dams in the U.S., 76,000 are six feet or greater in height; a minimum size for dam safety regulatory concerns. Of these 76,000 dams, 80% or 60,000 are expected to be 50 years of age or older by the year 2020. Given that the average design life expectancy of dams is approximately 50 years, this indicates that a large number of dams in the U.S. will be in need of maintenance or considered for removal.

To learn more about the removal process, Gary Noble, Executive Director of the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, presented a case study of the Hersey Dam removal. The village of Hersey took a proactive approach to remove dilapidated dam structures and return the river to its original streambed. Mark Johnson, a Project Manager from Conservation Resource Alliance, presented the Green River Dam Removal Project. This removal balanced economic, social and environmental factors on  a state-designated natural river.

Huron Pines hopes to take an active coordination role in strategic dam planning and removal. We’re excited about the opportunity to achieve both river restoration and local community goals by kicking off a program to address issues associated with dams. There is a lot of work that needs to be done across Northeast Michigan and getting a pro-active, region wide program going will involve a lot of different partners. The partners at our recent Dam Summit, and their enthusiasm to get a program going, offers a lot of hope for making significant progress on this issue.

From left: Mark Johnson, Bryan Burroughs, Gary Noble and Brad Jensen

Thanks again to the Frank “Bob” Perrin Lansing Chapter of Trout Unlimited for helping fund the Summit.

Resources

Learn more about Dam Removal.