Crews added more pumps over the weekend at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex in downtown Cheboygan as rising water pushed the river closer to a flood threshold that could trigger evacuations. By Sunday afternoon, the water was within 15 inches of the top of the dam after sitting 18 inches below it on Friday when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency.
The Department of Natural Resources said five pumps were now working to move water from behind the dam to the spillway in front, where it can flow toward Lake Huron. Two pumps were active Friday, three more were added by Saturday afternoon and were running by nightfall, and Richard Hill said the team is still trying to secure additional pumps. All of the dam gates on the DNR-managed portion are fully open, and Hill said the crews are moving through as much water as they can.
The water has risen under pressure from more rain and snowmelt, with up to 2 inches of rain forecast over the coming days for the watershed feeding the dam. The DNR said the river increased 3 inches overnight, and Laurie Abel said the river was 20 inches below the top of the dam on Saturday. Officials have also warned that if the level gets to 1 inch below the top of the dam, residents near the waterway would be ordered to evacuate under flooding protocols.
The weekend response also included 2,000 sandbags, the removal of an old wooden debris screen in front of Gate No. 6 after crews determined it would not damage the dam, and extra monitoring equipment installed by the U.S. Geological Survey. DNR staffers are also working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to look at reopening a hydroelectric generation station at the site, which the agency said would add water-flow capacity.
Cheboygan County emergency officials are urging residents to sign up for Be Alert notifications or call 211 for updates on how to prepare and on possible evacuations. DNR officials described a “ready, set, go” approach, with more public safety measures planned if the water reaches 12 inches below the top of the dam. For now, the question is not whether the system is being watched closely. It is whether the next round of rain and snowmelt forces the water past the point where officials move from preparation to evacuation.
