State crews scrambled to stack sandbags along the Cheboygan Lock and Dam this week after fast-melting snow and recent rains sent the Mullett Lake watershed climbing. By Friday morning, residents around Cheboygan were waking up to closed boat launches, heavy equipment, and workers lining the riverbanks while officials kept a 24-hour watch. Local emergency managers warned that floating ice and high flows could change conditions in a hurry.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, all dam gates remain fully open as staff monitors water levels around the clock. Earlier this week, the agency reported the Cheboygan Dam water level at roughly 21 to 21.5 inches below the top. The DNR said its Emergency Action Plan would kick in if the level reaches 12 inches below the crest, triggering additional notifications to local police, fire, and emergency services. “We are watching the water level 24 hours a day,” DNR Gaylord district supervisor Rich Hill said in the bulletin.
State crews have placed about 1,500 sandbags along the lock, and the Cheboygan County Emergency Management Office reported that a large piece of upstream ice broke a safety cable, according to CBS Detroit. The outlet also noted that the Cheboygan Dam boating access site and the Major City Park launch were closed while officials evaluated the situation, and that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered the State Emergency Operations Center to begin operations Friday morning.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service are warning of a stretch of unsettled weather that could add more runoff to the system. Even so, there have been no reports so far of major flooding downstream, according to WCMU Public Radio. The station reported that downstream impacts have been limited to date, although localized flooding is possible where tributaries feed into the Cheboygan River.
How officials are responding
State and federal officials have been weighing options to increase outflow from the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex, including the possibility of briefly firing up a previously damaged hydroelectric generator to push more water through, CBS Detroit reported. The DNR notes that the complex is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and that crews are coordinating closely with local emergency managers as conditions evolve.
What residents should know
Officials are urging residents to sign up for local alerts through the state’s MIReady portal and to steer well clear of high, fast-moving water. Closed boat launches should be treated as off limits until authorities give the all clear. For sign-ups and local notifications, visit MIReady, and call 911 if you encounter flooded roads or face imminent danger.
