Courts have sided with the Pigeon River Country Association and Trout Unlimited, ordering Pigeon River be returned to natural state
VANDERBILT, MI -- The courts have told a non-profit they must completely remove a dam that provides electricity and access to a yoga retreat and it all has to do with a river that runs through it.
This dam has been the center of controversy for more than 50 years and recently, a judge demanded it's returned to its natural state, a process that could cost more than a million dollars.
"It’s our access to our buildings, what else can I say?" said Carol Armour, the chair of the Golden Lotus Board of Directors.
The dam supplies power and access to "Song of the Morning" Yoga Retreat, but soon, it could look like it did 100 years ago.
"The Pigeon River belongs to all of the people in the State of Michigan so what we want is the dam removed so the river flows freely through," said Ray Hoobler, the President of the Pigeon River Country Association.
The dam issue began in 2008, when sediment from the dam caused a major fish kill. The State of Michigan, along with the Pigeon River Country Association and Trout Unlimited, filed a lawsuit against Golden Lotus, the non-profit that runs the yoga retreat. An agreement was made to make the dam free-flowing, but confusion caused the issue to head back to the courts.
"You can remove a dam and leave enough in to block fish passage and still call it removing the dam, you clearly didn't remove all the dam," said Bryan Burroughs, the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Golden Lotus lawyer William Schlecte says they agreed to remove the dam's gates while leaving the bridge intact. But Trout Unlimited and the Pigeon River Country Association says their interpretation of the agreement was to remove everything. The judge agreed.
"They’ve thrown a huge monkey wrench into a very good plan to get the pigeon river restored as rapidly as possible," said Schlecte.
And Schlecte says the decision will be appealed, which he says could cause the issue to be in courts for another five to six years.
