As a state, we are hearing daily updates of the devastation by floodwaters up north  and how Cheboygan's dam is faring at any given moment. Weather conditions are changing, worldwide. So perhaps the timing is fortuitous for Manchester to step back and take a look the future of the Ford Dam on City Road. At the April 20 meeting of the Manchester City Council, Dan DeVaun of GEI Consultants presented the firm's proposal for either ongoing maintenance or the removal of the structure adjacent to City Hall.

The dam is inspected bi-annually and the City receives a report from EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) on the results of the inspection. Recent years' inspections have revealed no surprises, and the December, 2025 EGLE report considers the Ford Manchester Dam to be in Fair condition, but much ongoing maintenance and repair work is mandated or recommended by EGLE to retain the designation of Fair. Such work is to be completed by December 31, 2028, although coordination with EGLE may increase this time if planning is underway.

The City Council has decided to engage GEI to proceed with a feasibility study and to hold at least two public forums, to bring in residents into the discussion before deciding on continuing maintenance and repair, or full removal. City Manager Michael Sessions outlined the costs and benefits of both choices and detailed in his report to Council that, "The data clearly shows that regulatory changes — particularly related to safety and compliance — could substantially increase long-term costs and create ongoing financial uncertainty." He further reported to the City Council that GEI Consultants have previously reported that: "Maintaining the dam presents a significant long-term financial obligation, with estimated 50-year life cycle costs of approximately $4.68 million in today’s dollars and $22.43 million in future dollars under current regulatory conditions. If regulatory requirements increase, those costs rise to approximately $9.88 million in today’s dollars and $36.69 million in future dollars."

Alternatively, he wrote: "dam removal represents a higher upfront but one-time investment, with estimated costs ranging from $5.32 million to $7.47 million for clean sediment conditions and $6.22 million to $8.37 million for contaminated sediment, depending on the level of restoration. While significant, these costs may be offset through state and federal funding sources, particularly given the dam’s classification as a high hazard structure."

The project itself, including feasibility study, public input, and completion is anticipated to take 3-5 years, according to the GEI proposal. City Council and City Administration invite feedback in these public input sessions, which will help to guide the course on what type of investment should occur to make this project a success. Public input sessions will be scheduled as the project progresses, and announced in the Mirror.