A
ce tu y-old
dam
that
o
lo ge
se ves
a
pu pose
will
be
emoved
i
Michiga
i
o de
to
esto e
atu al
ecosystems
of
the
egio .
The
Sa back
Dam
o
Beechwood
C eek
i
Rose
City
was
co st ucted
i
1920
to
powe
a
flou
mill
a d
late
a
lumbe
mill.
Today,
it
sta ds
as
a
c umbli g
co c ete
st uctu e
a d
has
t a sfo med
i to
a
safety
haza d
fo
both
people
a d
wildlife.Cu e tly,
it
blocks
fish
a d
othe
aquatic
a imals
f om
movi g
th ough
the
c eek
a d
wa ms
the
wate ,
th eate i g
the
cold
wate
habitats
of
Beechwood
a d
Houghto
c eeks,
impo ta t
pa ts
of
the
Sagi aw
Bay
wate shed.
Thus,
the
US
Fish
a d
Wildlife
Se vice
Midwest
Coastal
P og am
is
wo ki g
with
pa t e s
to
emove
the
dam.
This
will
help
eope
a
half-mile
upst eam
habitat
that
had
bee
cut
off
fo
ove
a
ce tu y.Acco di g
to
su veys,
Beechwood
C eek
suppo ts
ma y
ative
a d
atu alised
fishes,
i cludi g
b ook,
b ow
a d
ai bow
t out;
slimy
sculpi ;
black ose
dace;
c eek
chub;
b ook
stickleback;
b assy
mi ow;
fathead
mi ow;
a d
white
sucke .Mo eove ,
if
the
dam
fails,
it
could
se d
la ge
amou ts
of
sa d,
silt
a d
o ga ic
mate ial
dow st eam.
Sedime t
behi d
the
dam
co tai s
a se ic
at
levels
above
eside tial
safety
sta da ds.
A
sudde
elease
of
this
co tami ated
sedime t
could
kill
fish,
bu y
se sitive
habitats
fo
miles,
a d
impact
the
Rifle
Rive ,
a
popula
t out
fishi g
desti atio ,
befo e
eve tually
eachi g
Sagi aw
Bay
a d
its
valuable
coastal
wetla ds.
A
collabo ative
p oject
Due
to
all
such
co ce s,
Rose
City,
which
ow s
Sa back
Dam
a d
ea by
Metcalf
Pa k
asked
Hu o
Pi es
Resou ce
Co se vatio
a d
Developme t
Cou cil
(Hu o
Pi es)
fo
help.
Local
a d
state
pa t e s
st o gly
suppo t
the
emoval
of
the
dam
a d
the
pla
to
esto e
the
st eam
cha el
a d
su ou di g
wetla ds
o ce
the
dam
is
go e.
This
wo k
will
imp ove
safety
a d
e ha ce
impo ta t
wildlife
habitats.To
help
suppo t
the
p oject,
the
Midwest
Coastal
P og am
a d
Hu o
Pi es
established
a
coope ative
ag eeme t
i
August
2024,
fu ded
i
pa t
by
the
G eat
Lakes
Resto atio
I itiative
(GLRI).
Additio al
fi a cial
a d
tech ical
assista ce
will
be
p ovided
by
the
Michiga
Depa tme t
of
E vi o me t,
G eat
Lakes,
a d
E e gy
(EGLE);
the
Michiga
Depa tme t
of
Natu al
Resou ces
(DNR);
the
Sagi aw
Bay
Wate shed
I itiative
Netwo k
(WIN);
the
Me sho -Neuma
Chapte
of
T out
U limited;
a d
the
Walte s
Family
Fou datio .
Most
of
the
p oject
cost
is
bei g
cove ed
by
the
EGLE
Dam
Risk
Reductio
G a t
P og am
a d
the
DNR
Fishe ies
Habitat
G a t
P og am.
Befo e
the
Coastal
P og am
joi ed
the
effo t,
Hu o
Pi es,
EGLE,
a d
othe
pa t e s
completed
p oject
desig
a d
pe mitti g.
Pla
of
actio
The
emoval
pla
i cludes
ca efully
co t olled
dewate i g
a d
a
detailed
sedime t
ma ageme t
app oach
to
e su e
co tami ated
sedime ts
stay
co tai ed
a d
do ‘t
t avel
dow st eam
to
the
Rifle
Rive
o
Sagi aw
Bay.
Wetla d
esto atio
will
i clude
emovi g
i vasive
vegetatio
a d
pla ti g
ative
pla ts,
such
as
milkweed—to
suppo t
mo a ch
butte flies
a d
othe
polli ato s.O ce
complete,
the
p oject
will
eco ect
a
half
mile
of
cold
wate
st eam,
allowi g
fish
a d
othe
aquatic
o ga isms
to
move
f eely,
imp ove
14
ac es
of
wetla d
habitat,
a d
p otect
mo e
tha
70
miles
of
dow st eam
cold
wate
habitat
i
Houghto
C eek,
the
Rifle
Rive ,
a d
Sagi aw
Bay.
The
p oject
is
expected
to
e gage
at
least
50
Rose
City
eside ts
th ough
commu ity
eve ts,
volu tee
oppo tu ities,
a d
p oject
updates.
