DNR adds more pumps to Cheboygan dam area as more rain is forecast
Department of Natural Resources crews added more pumps to divert water across the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex over the weekend as specialists forecast more rain for the northern Lower Peninsula within the coming days.
Rising water ranges on the dam prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency on Friday, when water was 18 inches beneath the highest of the dam. By Sunday afternoon, water had risen to inside 15 inches of the highest, in accordance to a DNR press launch. But more rain and snowmelt threatened the waterway.
Under flooding protocols, residents close to the waterway can be ordered to evacuate if the water degree is 1 inch beneath the highest of the dam, however they’re requested to put together amid rising ranges earlier than then.
An aerial picture of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam reveals water shifting by means of the system and crews taking flood precautionary measures, together with pumps and sandbags, on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
“Because more rain is expected, Cheboygan County emergency officials are asking residents to sign up for Be Alert notifications or call 211 for updates on how to prepare and possible evacuations,” stated DNR spokesperson Laurie Abel in an electronic mail.
With up to 2 inches of rain within the climate forecast over the approaching days for the watershed that feeds the dam, DNR crews have activated 5 pumps to divert water across the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex in downtown Cheboygan. Abel stated two pumps had been lively Friday, and three had been added by Saturday afternoon and had been operational by dusk.
The pumps transfer water from behind the dam to the spillway in entrance, the place it could circulate out towards Lake Huron.
Richard Hill, Gaylord District supervisor for the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division, stated within the launch that the group is working to procure extra pumps.
“All of the dam gates on the DNR-managed portion of the dam are fully open to handle this flow. The pumps add to the capacity,” Hill stated. “We are putting through as much water as we can.”
Hill stated DNR staffers are working carefully with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the dam, to take a look at choices for re-opening a hydroelectric era station on the dam website to transfer more water.
“Our objectives for this incident are to work closely with FERC and the operators and owners of the hydro building to look at options,” Hill stated. “Some water is going through the bypass valves on that part of the dam.”
The DNR stated making {the electrical} era station operational would add water circulate capability.
Two thousand sandbags are in place, and the DNR stated it is potential more could also be added. The sandbagging is anticipated to be a buffer for rising water and assist channel the water, the division stated.
Crews have put in extra pumps on the Cheboygan Dam to assist transfer more water by means of and handle rising water ranges.
In addition, crews eliminated an previous wood particles display in entrance of the dam’s Gate No. 6 after figuring out the removing would not injury the dam, Abel stated. It’s anticipated to assist more water circulate out and decrease the water degree behind the dam, she stated.
The US Geological Survey additionally put in more water degree monitoring gear, the DNR stated.
How the water ranges have modified
When the governor declared a state of emergency Friday, Whitmer stated the river was 18 inches beneath the highest of the Cheboygan Dam. It had elevated 3 inches in a single day, in accordance to the DNR. But on Saturday, the river was 20 inches beneath the highest of the dam, Abel stated.
That quantity dropped to 15 inches by Sunday afternoon. Abel stated that rain on Sunday and hotter temperatures creating snowmelt upstream are inflicting an increase in water ranges within the area that flows into the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
More public security measures shall be taken if it reaches 12 inches beneath the highest of the dam in an method that DNR officers known as “ready, set, go”:
Ready: When water is 12 inches beneath the highest of the dam with ranges rising 3 inches a day or more, folks ought to plan or pack in case an evacuation is ordered.
Set: People ought to pack and put together their households and pets for a potential departure when the water reaches 6 inches beneath the highest of the dam, with water ranges rising at a price of three inches per day or a prediction that the water will prime the dam inside 48 hours.
Go: People shall be ordered to evacuate when the water degree is 1 inch beneath the highest of the dam, with a excessive likelihood of topping it and the potential for the dam failing. Individuals ought to observe evacuation orders and bear in mind that roadblocks could also be put in across the perimeters, the DNR stated.
“Our No. 1 priority in all the coordinated efforts being undertaken is safety,” stated John Pepin, DNR deputy public data officer. “Preparedness is key. The more informed and prepared people are for potential danger, the safer they will be if it ultimately occurs.”
Rain over the weekend and to eat
Patrick Bak, a meteorologist on the National Weather Service’s Gaylord workplace, stated Sunday afternoon that the Cheboygan area has probably had much less an inch of rain since Saturday evening. Rainfall has been heavier additional south, in communities such as Charlevoix and Gaylord.
He stated rain was ongoing Sunday afternoon within the northern Lower Peninsula, however he forecast a break within the rain by Sunday night. More rainfall is anticipated to arrive later.
Bak stated Monday daytime and night “looks quieter,” however more rain is forecast for late Monday evening and Tuesday.
Why water ranges are rising and endangering the Cheboygan Dam
The rising water ranges on the lock and dam on the river stem from latest rainfall and snowmelt following a report snowfall in March. Ice has additionally been thawing within the lakes above the dam, Abel stated.
Officials warned that the excessive waters current risks, together with the potential to wash away shorelines and banks, and to sweep folks and objects away in the event that they get caught within the river’s fast-moving currents.
The emergency declaration authorizes the state to use all out there sources to help within the native response and restoration operations. Whitmer urged residents to join native alerts.
“Water levels are below the crest of the dam, but conditions could change quickly with more rain coming,” Whitmer stated Friday. “This emergency declaration will help local, state, and federal officials protect Michiganders and property.”
asnabes@detroitnews.com
This article initially appeared on The Detroit News: DNR adds more pumps to Cheboygan dam area as more rain is forecast
