As of 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the water levels at Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex reached 6.48 inches below the top.
The county has a three-step "ready, set and go" evacuation plan. The "set" stage goes into effect when the water levels reach six inches below the top of the dam or are predicted to top the dam within 48 hours (see full details about the set stage below).
Residents will be told to prepare their family, pets and vehicles for potential departure during that stage.
“If we get to evacuation stage, I will send out IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert Warning System) messages, which is the wireless alert system,” Cheboygan County Emergency Manager Jeremy Runstrom told WCMU. "[This] will target all the areas that will be affected by raising water levels.”
During a press conference Tuesday evening, officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said they are doing everything in their power to keep water levels down.
That includes installing new water pumps that can divert 10,000 gallons of water per minute. They also brought in a large crane to place several large sandbags known as "super sacks" to help control the flow of water at strategic locations around the dam.
“If this dam were to breach, it would not be the some of the big failures you may have seen on TV or what we saw in Edenville," said DNR Engineer Michelle Crook. "You would not get that big wave crest coming forward."
Mike Janisse from the DNR added that the dam’s infrastructure won’t immediately crumble if water spills over.
“It's going to start eroding and the erosion is going to start and work its way back into the dam,” Janisse said. “That’s why you won’t see a big wall of water.”
Parts of the county were told to evacuate Tuesday afternoon following a levee breach at the Little Black River watershed, which was unrelated to the Cheboygan Dam and Lock Complex. That evacuation order was lifted Wednesday afternoon.
"Ready, set, go" safety plan
- Ready (phase 1): When water is 12 inches below the top of the dam with levels rising 3 inches a day or more. Plan and/or pack in the event an evacuation becomes necessary.
- Set (phase 2): When water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or levels rising 3 inches per day and predicted to top the dam within 48 hours. Prepare by packing and preparing your family, pets and vehicle for potential departure.
- Go (phase 3): When water levels are 1 inch below the top of the dam with a high probability of topping it, with the potential for failure occurring. Follow evacuation orders; roadblocks may be installed around the perimeters.
The Cheboygan County Emergency Management Office and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are also encouraging people to:
- Sign up for Be-Alert notifications
- Follow the local social media pages
- Ensure Wireless Emergency Alerts are enabled on their mobile devices
- Call 211 for information about preparedness and potential evacuation
- Check for the latest up-to-date information on the dam and lock complex on the state of Michigan's website
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