Map showing the location and four dams and on the Boardman River, near Traverse City, Michigan. Photos and Map courtesy of Boardman River Dams Committee and ECT.

The Boardman Rivers Dam Committee has identified seven options for the four dams (Union Street, Sabin, Boardman and Brown Bridge) on the Boardman River in northwest lower Michigan. 

The seven options were narrowed down from 81 that the committee had developed previously.  The seven options are:  1) Retain/repair all dams, 2) Remove Sabin and Boardman dams, retain/repair Union Street and Brown Bridge dams, 3) Modify all dams, 4) Remove Sabin Dam, retain/repair Union Street Dam, modify Boardman and Brown Bridge dams, 5) Retain/repair Union Street dam, remove all others, 6) Remove all dams, and 7) Modify Union Street Dam, remove all others. 

Each option will be analyzed by looking at its environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts.  For each option the term “modify” will have to be defined and a description of the modification will be developed. 

The hydro-generation equipment at the Boardman and Sabin dams was purchased by Charles Peterson several months ago.  At the February meeting, Peterson informed the committee of his plans to generate electricity at Boardman and Sabin dams, believing it to be economically feasible and environmentally desirable to generate power.  In order to generate power, Mr. Peterson will have to reapply for a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license and meet Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) dam safety requirements.  He also proposed a revenue sharing plan, with a substantial increase of money from previous operations. 

Boardman Pond has been drawn down 15 feet to meet the mandated MDEQ safety requirements at Boardman Dam.  As a result of the drawdown, land has been exposed where there was normally water.  The committee hired a law firm to render an opinion on who owned the bottom land.  The law firm’s opinion was the exposed bottom land belongs to Grand Traverse County, and not the private landowner. 

Things are beginning to come together as the Boardman River Dam Committee needs to make final recommendations to the City of Traverse and Grand Traverse County on the fate of the four dams on the Boardman River by December 2008.  The city and county both own two dams and will make the final decision on the disposition of their respective dams sometime after December 2008.