Gretchen Whitmer said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Follow him on Twitter @travfed, (Kaytie Boomer/The Bay City Times via AP), (Jake May/The Flint Journal, MLive.com via AP), Midland, Michigan bracing for record flooding as heavy rainfall breaches dams, license revoked by federal regulators in 2018, Michigan city could be under 9 feet of water after dams burst amid heavy rain, declined comment to the Detroit Free Press. The others are Sanford (located in Midland County), Edenville and Smallwood (All downstream). Bone said the county board signed off on numerous documents as the deal progressed and had been supportive of the acquisition plan. To contact us, click on the Departments Link to locate the department you are trying to reach. Major floods occurred on June 24, 2017, September 13, 1986, March 21, 1948, and June 3, 1943. Source: Beaverton Police Department. Oversight then transferred to the state. Don't knowingly lie about anyone LIVE STREAM: Gov. "I don't have a solid answer to where we go from here, but I do know that we want to be part of the solution and do whatever we can to help," he said. Major floods occurred on June 24, 2017, September 13, 1986; March 21, 1948; March 8, 1946; and June 3, 1943. Beaverton manager doesn't blame Boyce Hydro for failed dams, https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Beaverton-manager-doesn-rsquo-t-blame-Boyce-Hydro-15287128.php, Photo: Screenshot Of Video By Ryan Kaleto, Midland Brewing Company crafts recipe for success, Building Main Street, not Wall Street: Time to lead is now. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Four Lakes Task Force is now "collaborating with the counties, lake communities and regulatory authorities on the best path forward as we assess the issues and work toward recovery. Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. “My neighbor, Big Frank, came pounding on … The top of the earth embankment is at elevation 682.8. "It's devastating up here," said Woodard, president of the approximately 2,000-member association for seven years. person will not be tolerated. In 1985 the Beaverton Dam was refurbished and placed back into service by the City of Beaverton. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for one county after two dams failed in the area -- following heavy rains and flash floods across the state. The four dams on the Tittabawassee River create Wixom, Sanford, Secord and Smallwood lakes. Beaverton City Manager Heath Kaplan is thankful for everyone’s safety, and noted the Beaverton Dam is structurally sound. A two-county authority on Tuesday halted the planned purchase of century-old dams it had hoped to improve in mid-Michigan after two failed last week, causing devastating flooding in Midland County. In 2019, Midland County Circuit Judge Stephen Carras issued an order supporting the establishment of the Special Assessment District, a geographic boundary of waterfront properties along or near the four lakes to share financial responsibility to acquire, repair, improve, operate and maintain the dams. This was done to protect the embankment and powerhouse from overtopping and routes the probable maximum flood flow around the left end of the embankment in a wooded area. The Four Lakes Lake Task Force said Tuesday that a planned acquisition of mid-Michigan dams is on hold following devastating flooding due to dam breaches in Midland last week (Anthony Clark via Storyful). People help each other travel from one home to another using an inflatable raft on Oakridge Road on Wixom Lake, May 19, in Beaverton, Michigan. The city invested $1.1 million into the dam, which was built in the early 1900s. In 2018, the state rated the Edenville Dam -- built in 1924 -- in unsatisfactory condition. His house is drying prior to repair assessments being made, he said. The top of the earth embankment is at elevation 709.8. The first assessment — which was estimated at $350 for each residential property owner with less than 300 feet of frontage and $88 for backlot parcels — was to appear on winter tax bills in 2021 and last about 20 years, according to the task force. Still, some dealing with the flooding and evacuations remained aware of the dangers posed by the virus. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. The failures came after years of federal concern over the Edenville Dam's inadequate spillway capacity, among other deficiencies, that eventually led to the revocation of the dam's power license. or anything. The lake is fed by the north and middle branch of the Tobacco River and Cedar River. Any of these can be used to alert the dam operator and appropriate agencies of a potential problem. ", WHITMER ISSUED A STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER 2 DAMS WERE BREACHED IN MIDLAND COUNTY. The Smallwood Reservoir is immediately downstream of the Secord Dam and has significant amount of development along its banks. "We plan to do our due diligence and ensure that we have a full vetting of all the information and that we've got a plan going forward," she said. The maximum storage capacity is 2,390 acre-feed with a drainage area of 487 square miles. Updated 2:53 AM ET, Wed May 20, 2020 Floodwater surrounds Wixom Lake Gas & Launch, Tuesday, May 19 along the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, … Mark Musselman brings a chair to the front of his house from the back yard, wading through floodwater, May 19, in Edenville, Michigan. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC. The main objective is we'll be looking for a solution.". Whitmer also urged residents who may not have evacuated to get somewhere safe immediately. The Boyce and task force agreement called for either of the entities to perform necessary repairs and upgrades to all of the dams by the end of 2023. Boyce Hydro was to continue operating the dams through January 2022 under the plans with the task force. (Kaytie Boomer/The Bay City Times via AP). Gladwin County: Residents along Tittabawassee, Cedar rivers evacuate immediately. Woodard lives on the lake about seven months out of the year and said his house and pole barn there flooded within minutes of the dam failure. In response to the floodwaters, several shelters in high schools and family centers opened across the region, FOX2 reported. Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. This photo shows a view of the Edenville Dam on Wixom Lake in Edenville, Michigan, May 19. It is the last in a series of four dams operated by Boyce Hydro, LLC. MICHIGAN FLOOD HITS RECORD LEVEL, DAM BREACHES 'HISTORIC EVENT' PLAYING OUT IN MIDST OF CORONAVIRUS, WHITMER SAYS, Whitmer, who described the damage as a 500-year-flood event, said it is "going to have a major impact on this community and on our state for the time to come. Whitmer provides update on flooding, dam breach in mid-Michigan. Midland City Manager Brad Kaye said the Sanford Dam is overflowing, but "it's not entirely clear what the structure" is like underneath. But with the teams in place working on solutions, he remains hopeful about the future, he said. We'd love to hear eyewitness Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Cots at some area schools set up Tuesday as shelters were spaced apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Here is where to go in Midland, Gladwin, Midland County records 22nd death since pandemic start, Midland County records 2 more COVID deaths Tuesday, Auction to offer unique items, raise money for Dow turf field lights, Photos: Thanksgiving meals donated to Sanford residents by Michigan State Police, Kroger. So far, no deaths or injuries have been reported as a result of the flooding. © 2020 www.detroitnews.com. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday. The Edenville Dam, on the border of Midland and Gladwin counties, failed late Tuesday, causing another dam downstream to be overtopped by water and forcing mass evacuations along the Tittabawassee River. The task force said Tuesday it understands the flooding has created personal and economic hardships, and that at this time, it will not pursue funding that would result in the special assessment districts for the lake communities.