State reps seek funding for Cornwall Flooding, DNR looking into options
CHEBOYGAN COUNTY — The effort to stop Cornwall Flooding Dam from being drawn down has received support at the state level from Representatives Cam Cavitt and Ken Borton.
In April, Cavitt introduced House Bill 4380, which would free up funds to go toward repairing the dam. The bill was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, which Cavitt and Borton both serve on, but was voted down.
“We were told that it wasn't a priority for the governor and that was unfortunate,” Cavitt said.
On May 8, Cavitt sent a letter to Lott asking that more environmental testing be done to fully understand the impacts of the drawdown.
“The proposed removal of the Cornwall Dam in Cheboygan County is a case in point. Absent a permit, Michigan’s Inland Lakes and Streams Act, MCL 324.30101 et seq., prohibits the diminishment of an inland lake which, by definition, includes an impoundment such as the Cornwall Flooding,” Cavitt stated in the letter.
“But such a permit cannot be granted absent prior consideration of the possible effects of a draw down on the impoundment’s uses for recreation, fish and wildlife, aesthetics, local government, agriculture, commerce, and industry purposes. Indeed, there is a flat prohibition against authorizing the unlawful impairment or destruction of any of the waters or other natural resources of our state.”
More: Cornwall Flooding lake to be drawn down to meet dam safety measures
More: 'It's a special place': Cheboygan locals seek funding to save Cornwall Flooding
According to Randy Claramunt, chief of the Fisheries Division at the DNR, they do have the required permits for the drawdown. Additionally, drawing down the water levels would be necessary for repairs anyway.
“There's a whole set of criteria on those drawdowns in terms of the rate, the amount, etc. So, that would be the intent anyway,” Claramunt said. “If we move forward with a repair, (we’ll) probably have to draw it down, in which case, all of those environmental terms do have to be addressed, it doesn't matter if we're removing or repairing a dam.”
Claramunt said the DNR has been looking into options for Cornwall for several years, however, dams have become less popular due to environmental concerns so funding for dam repair is difficult to obtain. Additionally, Cornwall is designated as a high-hazard dam, making it even more difficult to get funding for repair over funding for removal.
Especially after the Midland Dam failure in 2020, much of the funding has been put towards dam removal, rather than repair.
Cavitt is seeking $1.5 million to repair the dam, which he said would be enough to fully replace it. Claramunt, however, said $1.5 million would be enough for the initial repairs but not enough to maintain the dam.
“We have to approach this first from a public safety concern and then whatever long-term strategy we have is dependent upon assessments both of the environment and other things that are impacted no matter which direction we go,” Claramunt said. “So I understand the representative’s concerns, we evaluate habitat restoration projects, we're looking at all environmental variables, but public safety always supersedes those.”
Cheboygan resident Curtis Goldsborough has been involved in a grassroots campaign to save Cornwall Flooding. He said having support from the state representatives means a lot to the people involved.
“They're going to continue to fight for (Cornwall) down there through some additional avenues and ultimately, to have their support is fantastic. They're representing the voice of so many people up here and that's what they're in their positions to do,” Goldsborough said.
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The Cornwall Creek Dam is an earthen dam built in 1966 for recreational purposes. Inspectors have rated the dam as in poor condition and suggested that immediate action be taken.
According to Claramunt, the DNR is pursuing a geotechnical inspection to get a more accurate idea of the state of the structure. In the meantime, they are submitting an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding to repair the dam. The DNR applied to the funding in 2021 but did not receive it.
The result of this inspection will determine if the drawdown will happen in the fall or not.
“There's really good scientific information on the impacts of dams and rivers and watersheds and the vast majority of studies show their negative effects. However, there are exceptions to every rule and from a natural resources and fishery standpoint in particular, Cornwall is really the exception. It would be a net fisheries loss if we lost the dam and the impoundment,” Claramunt said.
“The problem is, it's not only money to repair it, but it's also money for continued inspection and maintenance that, as a division of the department, we just don't have the resources to do. So that puts us all between a rock and a hard place.”
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: State reps, DNR seek funding for Cornwall Flooding
