(WXYZ) — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on Thursday issued an emergency order to Boyce Hydro Power LLC to perform Edenville Dam repairs.
The dam had significant damage from May's flooding, and since the dam failure, the Tobacco River hasn't flowed in a natural path, but instead has been flowing along the dam, through the breach and down the Tittabawassee River, a release states.
Because of this, it's been difficult to make temporary repairs to the M-30 causeway bridge. This poses a threat to residents downstream if another flood happens due to the weakened portion of the dam.
“The continued rerouting of the Tobacco River is delaying necessary safety measures and fixes that are important to stabilize the area affected by the Edenville Dam’s failure,” said Liesl Clark, director of EGLE. “We don’t want residents who live downstream to face another devastating flood. Boyce needs to step up and do what’s right for the community and property owners, make sure that no further damage is done to natural resources and allow for critical infrastructure work.”
Through the emergency order, Boyce, which owns the Edenville Dam, must expedite modifications to the Tobacco spillway. The company must also restore the Tittabawassee River to its former channel below the spillway and divert the river away from the breach through the dam. Lastly, Boyce must remove sediment and debris in the river from the spillway.
More information on the Edenville Dam can be found here.
