City supports study of potential futures for river surrounding Ford Dam
Ford Dam. Photo credit: Sara Swanson.
by Sara Swanson
Last week the City of Manchester was presented with a unique opportunity to work a University of Michigan class to better understand and visualize different potential futures for the Ford Dam and the River Raisin in its vicinity.
The city is facing the decision of what to do with the aging Ford Dam, located adjacent to City Hall at 912 City Road, and options range from continuing to repair and maintain it, to removing it and restoring the river channel to something similar to its pre-dam state. The last inspection by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE ) was in December last year and the dam was reported to be in fair condition however much ongoing maintenance and repair work is mandated or recommended by EGLE to retain the designation of fair. Both the option to repair and remove are projected to be costly. The City engaged GEI Consultants last spring to perform a feasibility study on the options
Lisa DuRussel, a member of the City of Manchester Parks Commission and an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, approached the City of Manchester regarding a potential grant opportunity through the University of Michigan’s Michigan Community Impact Grant Program. She proposed a project titled “Reimagining the River Raisin: Exploring a Changing River Landscape” in which she and her students would work collaboratively with the city, the River Raisin Watershed Council, and the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office to study potential future conditions along the River Raisin, particularly in the area surrounding the Ford Dam.
The City stated multiple times that no decision about the removal has been made and this project, if it goes ahead, will not select a preferred scenario but will make the implications and possibilities of different futures more understandable ahead of the decision. The results of this project would complement the feasibility study being undertaken GEI.
The project going ahead is dependent on receiving a $50,000 grant from the University of Michigan. Last Monday, Manchester City Council approved City Manager, Michael Sessions, sending a letter of support for the grant.
In the letter Session states,
“It is important to emphasize that the City of Manchester has made no decision regarding the future of the Ford Dam, including whether the dam should be repaired, modified, or removed. Our support for this grant application should not be interpreted as an endorsement of dam removal or any particular outcome. Rather, the City supports an objective, comprehensive, and informed evaluation of available alternatives so that future decisions can be made with a clear understanding of their potential benefits, impacts, costs, and tradeoffs.”
“We are particularly interested in the project’s ability to translate complex technical information into accessible maps, illustrations, and other visual resources that can assist with public education and community engagement. The opportunity to explore potential changes to the river corridor, adjacent properties, ecological conditions, recreational opportunities, and public spaces would provide valuable information as the City continues its evaluation.”
Manchester is very much not alone in facing this type of decision. If it goes ahead, the project also aims to document lessons from Manchester that may be useful to other small Michigan communities confronting aging or obsolete dams, and how Manchester prepares to make this decision could provide a roadmap for other communities in the future.
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