UPDATE: As of Saturday at 1 p.m., the temporary dam has stopped the flow of water through the existing dam. Any risk of leaking or dam failure is eliminated.
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The Michigan Department of Transportation and Village of Lake Orion crews will begin emergency repairs on the Paint Creek dam under the M-24 bridge on Friday morning.
The repairs, according to MDOT, will begin at 9 a.m. and are out of an abundance of caution.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 18, crews will perform a detailed underwater inspection at the dam, and repairs will begin Saturday morning.
The first part of repairs will include installing a temporary dam along the bank of the Lake Orion dam which will divert water away from the Paint Creek dam. Next, crews will install another temporary dam downstream of the Paint Creek dam.
It's expected that repairs will take about a month, and will include a combination of steel sheeting, concrete and large rocks, plus soil stabilization to ensure safe operations of the dam and spillway.
Residents in Lake Orion may see water levels of Lake Orion go down for a few days as they install the temporary dam, and the drawdown is scheduled for Sept. 12.
Multiple agencies, including city officials, Lake Orion police, fire, county, state and Homeland Security officials do have a plan in place in case the dam's condition changes.
They say it is highly unlikely there will be a change in condition of the dam.
Those plans include police and fire going door-to-door for emergency evacuations of residents and pets.
M-24 will remain open during the repairs, but there will be lane closures needed at times during the construction.
