Looking downstream at Boardman Pond when it was drawdown because of safety concerns at Boardman Dam. Photo: Boardman.org website

On December 16, 2008, the citizen-based Boardman Rivers Dam Committee (BRDC) developed two recommendations for the disposition of the four dams (Union Street, Sabin, Boardman, and Brown Bridge) on the Boardman River.  These recommendations were developed after three years of monthly meetings designed to gather information on the engineering, environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts for various alternatives.  Public input was also gathered through an opinion survey, community workshops and outreach activities.  The Implementation Team (IT) comprised of state, tribal, federal, city, county and other interest groups unanimously approved the BRDC’s recommendations.  The Consultant Team (Environmental Consulting & Technologies and URS) presented the recommendations to the City of Traverse City (CTC) and Grand Traverse County (GTC) commissioners on January 26, 2009.

The two recommendations presented to the commissioners were:  1) Repair and retain all the dams; and 2) Modify Union Street Dam and remove all others.  Option 1 is status quo and includes:  Great Lakes salmon will continue to be blocked at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) weir below Union Street Dam; sea lamprey will continue to be blocked at or near Union Street Dam; and CTC and GTC should request proposals to restore hydropower generation at Sabin, Boardman and Brown Bridge dams.  The estimated cost to repair and relicense the dams for hydropower is from $9.69 to $17.18 million.  The biggest cost ($6.5 to $8.5 million) is to provide fish passage at the dams.  So far, one individual has expressed interest to the dams’ owners in restoring hydropower at the dams, along with a profit sharing plan.  Option 2 is to modify Union Street Dam to allow passage of Great Lakes fish (except for salmon), continue to block sea lamprey and accommodate kayaking, if possible.  The other three dams will be partially removed to reconnect the fragmented river above Union Street Dam.  The issue of fish passage at the dams under both Options will be addressed through a fishery management plan and Boardman River Assessment Management Plan involving state, tribal, federal and public interests. 

A third alternative called the “Consultant Team” was presented to the commissioners for reference purposes.  This alternative was based on information from the November 2008 BRDC meeting and reflects a compromise of all the participants.  The consultant Team option included:  modification of Union Street Dam to pass all fish except salmon and construct a rock ramp to accommodate kayaking; salmon would be blocked at MDNR’s weir and sea lamprey would be blocked at or near Union Street; Sabin and Brown Bridge dams would be partially removed; steelhead would be blocked at or near the old Brown Bridge Dam site; and Boardman Dam would be restored to generate hydropower, modified to pass steelhead and Boardman Pond would be restored to pre-drawn size (original impoundment).

At the January 26 meeting, the commissioners heard comments from the general public and asked numerous questions about restoring hydropower at the dams.  Many of the public’s comments were similar to ones heard at the November and December 2008 BRDC meetings and were in favor of dam removal or dam retention.  The CTC and GTC agreed whatever decision they make will be from a system perspective and not based on individual dam ownership. 

Overall, the citizen-based effort did an outstanding job identifying all the issues related to dam removal or dam retention.  The dedication and compassion displayed by members of the BRDC was impressive, as they attended several meetings a month for over three years, fighting for what they truly believed.  The CTC and GTC have a tough decision to make, but at least they know where the community stands before they make their decision.  Expectations are high that this community driven process can be used on similar projects across the country.

The USFWS programs involved in the three year process included the East Lansing Ecological Services Office (Burr Fisher and Craig Czarnecki), Marquette and Ludington Sea Lamprey Program Offices (Greg Klinger, Jessica Barber, Denny Lavis and Jeff Slade) and the Green Bay National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (Mark Holey and Rick Westerhof).  A total of $35,000 dollars was awarded to help with the disposition of the Boardman River dams.  The Coastal Program provided $10,000 and the National Fish Passage Program provided $25,000.