Cooperative Agreement F24AC02591

SANBACK DAM IS A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD DAM ON BEECHWOOD CREEK IN ROSE CITY, MI, AND IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND RATED AS UNSATISFACTORY BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, GREAT LAKES, AND ENERGY DAM SAFETY PROGRAM, PROMPTING A NEED FOR ACTION. THE DAM BLOCKS AQUATIC ORGANISM PASSAGE AND IS CONTRIBUTING THERMAL POLLUTION TO BEECHWOOD CREEK AND HOUGHTON CREEK, A DESIGNATED NATURAL RIVER AND TROUT STREAM TO WHICH IT FLOWS. THE DAM IS IN A SEVERELY DETERIORATED CONDITION, AND A FUTURE FAILURE WOULD CAUSE MAJOR ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE DUE TO UNCONTROLLED CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT MOBILIZATION. DAM FAILURE COULD ALSO BE A SERIOUS THREAT TO HUMAN SAFETY, PROPERTY, AND DOWNSTREAM INFRASTRUCTURE. THE CITY OF ROSE CITY, WHICH OWNS THE DAM AND SURROUNDING PARK, APPROACHED HURON PINES FOR ASSISTANCE WITH DAM REMOVAL, AND OTHER PROJECT PARTNERS ARE WIDELY SUPPORTIVE OF FULL DAM REMOVAL WITH POST-RESTORATION NATURAL CHANNEL DESIGN STREAM RESTORATION AND WETLAND RESTORATION. THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN INCLUDES CONTROLLED DEWATERING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A RIGOROUS SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN TO ENSURE THAT CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS ARE NOT MOBILIZING DOWNSTREAM TO THE RIFLE RIVER AND ULTIMATELY SAGINAW BAY. THE WETLAND RESTORATION WILL INCLUDE PLANTING DIVERSE NATIVE SPECIES SUCH AS MILKWEED FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY AND VARIOUS POLLINATOR SPECIES. THE REMOVAL OF THE DAM AND ASSOCIATED RIVER CHANNEL RESTORATION WILL RECONNECT APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES OF UPSTREAM HABITAT, WHICH BENEFITS WILD BROOK TROUT AND OTHER DESIRABLE AQUATIC ORGANISMS (USFWS SEA LAMPREY CONTROL PROGRAM STAFF HAVE REVIEWED AND GREEN-LIGHTED THIS PROJECT FROM A LAMPREY CONTROL PERSPECTIVE). BROOK TROUT AND OTHER FISH, MACROINVERTEBRATES, AND OTHER AQUATIC ORGANISMS WILL ALSO BE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED FROM THE RISK OF A FUTURE DAM FAILURE, WHICH WOULD HAVE DRASTIC NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON FISH, WILDLIFE, AND HABITAT IN HOUGHTON CREEK, THE RIFLE RIVER, AND LIKELY EXTENDING TO SAGINAW BAY COASTAL WETLANDS ADJACENT TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIFLE RIVER. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN: 1 SIGNIFICANT-HAZARD DAM REMOVED 0.5 UPSTREAM MILES OF COLDWATER STREAM RECONNECTED 14.47 ACRES OF WETLAND HABITAT IMPROVED AND PROTECTED THROUGH INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT AND NATIVE PLANTINGS PROTECTION OF 70 MILES OF DOWNSTREAM COLDWATER HABITAT IN HOUGHTON CREEK AND THE RIFLE RIVER, SAGINAW BAY, AND COASTAL WETLANDS NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE RIFLE RIVER DUE TO AVOIDANCE OF POTENTIAL DAM FAILURE OF SANBACK DAM AND ENGAGEMENT OF 50 ROSE CITY COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE DESIGN AND PARK SPACE VISIONING PROCESS, POST-DAM REMOVAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECT UPDATES THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA UPDATES TO EDUCATE AND INFORM THE PUBLIC.