Goodrich- A mid-September storm that dumped record rainfall of more 4.16 inches in the village area and 6.06 inches of rain in Ortonville swelled the mill pond and nearly covered the Hegel Road bridge.
The report issued by Pete Morey, village street administrator and councilmember, was presented Monday night at the village meeting.
The village dam has been an issue recently following a May 20 state inspection. The report cites the structural elements of the dam continue to deteriorate, indicating the structure has a significant hazard potential.
‘The last time I saw water that high was in the 1970s,? said Morey. ‘The dam worked perfectly, given the amount of water that fell during that time period.?
The 100-year-old village dam has three gates holding back the Kearsley Creek water flowing north toward Flint. Under normal water flow one gate is kept open to sustain the level of the mill pond, said Morey.
‘We opened the second gate on Saturday night at about 5:30 p.m. and the water dropped slightly,? said Morey. ‘However, by 2 p.m. Monday the water hit the bridge deck’about 3 1/2 feet higher than it should be.?
Morey said the two gates were chained open about another 8 inches, which allowed enough water to go out until the runoff from the storm subsided.
‘The third gate should never be used, that would flood the Goodrich bus garage,? he said.
Morey said the dam holds back 52-square miles of water to the south of the dam. In addition, both Lake Louise and Tody Lake grass dams are upstream from the village dam.
The DEQ report is also asking the village to conduct a complete study on the long-term costs of dam repair, as well as a dam removal or replacement study, to put forth a proposed plan of action.
Morey said that during 2008 the village spent about $20,000 in repairs on the dam. The state has resources to remove the dam, but not to repair or replace the 100-year-old structure, he said.