Goodrich- Plenty of questions, few answers, one big leak.
The only conclusion reached after a state inspection crew surveyed the village dam on Tuesday was that the village is going to need to make some repairs.
However, that statement made by Paul Wessel, engineer for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, has left Pete Morey, the village council’s street administrator, frustrated.
‘Paul really didn’t give us any answers. We are going to call in our own engineer, WadeTrim, to inspect the dam again because we still just don’t know how big the problem is, and we won’t know until the state gives us their report six weeks from now.?
So the questions remain the same. If the repairs are significant, does the village have the money to repair the dam or will the dam need to be removed due to lack of funds?
‘There is no imminent danger,? said Wessel. ‘I would not order the water to be drawn down as a safety precaution. The problem is at the toe of the spillway. Water is going under the concrete and coming back out again. As a short-term solution, I have asked the Goodrich Village Department of Public Works to place extra- heavy rocks at the toe of the spillage erosion to scour protection. It will help to dissipate energy.?
Wessel said the village will be required to make more than one repair. ‘The cost to fix the dam will depend on the scope of the repairs. Obviously, due to the age and condition of the dam, the owner, the village, will have to look toward a long term solution. The three options are still the same. Replacement, repair or removal of the dam,? said Wessel.
Byron Lane, chief of the dam safety program for the MDEQ, clarified the inspection process.
‘There will be measures they will have to take for the long-term stability of the dam. The report, which will be given to the village in approximately six weeks, will be specific to what the issues are. We don’t price things out or give options. Our job is to point out the problem. We will give them a long enough time frame in which to fix the problems. There is zero money at the state level to repair or replace a dam, however there is money available to remove it. The village, considered the owner of the dam, is on their own to repair it, and they will need to repair the dam within their budget.?
Lane said once the village receives the report by Wessel, it will be at that point when the council will need to call in a consulting civil engineer to discuss options. That person, he said, will also be able to determine the cost for each repair.
‘From my experience, there are not enough people who live on the pond who could support the financial obligation to restore the dam. As I have said before, it is a decision the local government will have to make, and there are no government funds,? said Lane.
Lane said the Village of Goodrich isn’t alone.
‘There are 2,500 dam owners all across the state of Michigan that have dams with failing infrastructure and they just don’t have the money to fix them. However, a few communities have come up with funding to repair and restore their dams, and others have made the decision to remove their dam.?
Lane said if the village decides to remove the dam, the Department of Natural Resources has a fisheries division to enhance and protect Michigan’s fisheries and will help toward funding a dam removal.
Lane said he doesn’t see many applications for new dams. ‘An owner has to go through a lot to build a dam these days.?

By Rebecca Kelley
Staff Writer
Goodrich- Plenty of questions, few answers, one big leak.
The only conclusion reached after a state inspection crew surveyed the village dam on Tuesday was that the village is going to need to make some repairs.
However, that statement made by Paul Wessel, engineer for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, has left Pete Morey, the village council’s street administrator, frustrated.
‘Paul really didn’t give us any answers. We are going to call in our own engineer, WadeTrim, to inspect the dam again because we still just don’t know how big the problem is, and we won’t know until the state gives us their report six weeks from now.?
So the questions remain the same. If the repairs are significant, does the village have the money to repair the dam or will the dam need to be removed due to lack of funds?
‘There is no imminent danger,? said Wessel. ‘I would not order the water to be drawn down as a safety precaution. The problem is at the toe of the spillway. Water is going under the concrete and coming back out again. As a short-term solution, I have asked the Goodrich Village Department of Public Works to place extra- heavy rocks at the toe of the spillage erosion to scour protection. It will help to dissipate energy.?
Wessel said the village will be required to make more than one repair. ‘The cost to fix the dam will depend on the scope of the repairs. Obviously, due to the age and condition of the dam, the owner, the village, will have to look toward a long term solution. The three options are still the same. Replacement, repair or removal of the dam,? said Wessel.
Byron Lane, chief of the dam safety program for the MDEQ, clarified the inspection process.
‘There will be measures they will have to take for the long-term stability of the dam. The report, which will be given to the village in approximately six weeks, will be specific to what the issues are. We don’t price things out or give options. Our job is to point out the problem. We will give them a long enough time frame in which to fix the problems. There is zero money at the state level to repair or replace a dam, however there is money available to remove it. The village, considered the owner of the dam, is on their own to repair it, and they will need to repair the dam within their budget.?
Lane said once the village receives the report by Wessel, it will be at that point when the council will need to call in a consulting civil engineer to discuss options. That person, he said, will also be able to determine the cost for each repair.
‘From my experience, there are not enough people who live on the pond who could support the financial obligation to restore the dam. As I have said before, it is a decision the local government will have to make, and there are no government funds,? said Lane.
Lane said the Village of Goodrich isn’t alone.
‘There are 2,500 dam owners all across the state of Michigan that have dams with failing infrastructure and they just don’t have the money to fix them. However, a few communities have come up with funding to repair and restore their dams, and others have made the decision to remove their dam.?
Lane said if the village decides to remove the dam, the Department of Natural Resources has a fisheries division to enhance and protect Michigan’s fisheries and will help toward funding a dam removal.
Lane said he doesn’t see many applications for new dams. ‘An owner has to go through a lot to build a dam these days.?