There are plans in the works that will soon decide the fate of four northern Michigan dams.
There are plans in the works that will soon decide the fate of four northern Michigan dams. Recently the committee working on the project released new details that outline their plan of action for the Boardman River Dams in Traverse City.
It's a multi-million dollar proposal that if approved could decide the fate of the Boardman River Dams. Union Street Dam, Sabin Dam, Boardman Dam and Brown Bridge Dam are all a part of the future plans.
"Some people think we should keep the dams others think we should removal three dams so we could have that free flowing river," said Boardman River Dam Committee Project Coordinator Sandra Sroonian.
Sroonian says it's a project they've been working for years --but this time they are one step closer to seeing a change. But making changes to doesn't come easy, so the committee is asking the public to help them choose a plan.
The Boardman River Dam committee has come up with six alternative plans, one of those plans includes fixing and repairing this dam. That's first alternative...something Sroonian says could bring in money to the area.
"There could be cost benefits for tourism for people who want to come and use the river," said Sroonian. But some of the proposed changes are more extreme including completely removing three of the dams.
"You would lose the surface impoundments that exist so property owners that currently would be looking at a pond would be looking at a river," said Sroonian, "Many of them believe they're losing their property value if they lose their ponds."
The third option use all four dams to generate hydro electric power, but all of these plans don't come without a cost.
"The cost would range anywhere from if were to retain the dams the cost is about 1.8 million," said Sroonian, "All the way up to 30 million if we remove the dams."
She says the goal is to mold all of the alternatives into one plan that the community can live with. The Boardman River Dam Committee says there are two meetings left before they will move forward with the project.
The next meeting will be held November 12th. They expect to have a decision on a final plan by December.
