DNR warns Big Creek Dam is failing; replacement estimated at $3.47 million, removal $900,000

Tim Cwalinski and Doug Schultz of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources briefed the Crawford County Board on structural problems at Big Creek Dam on June 11, 2026. They said state inspections from 2013 through 2025 documented escalating concerns, including a large and widening crack in the original riser structure and bowing of the concrete headwall.

DNR staff said the dam currently retains roughly four feet of stop-log boards and that stop-logs were gradually removed in 2025 to lower water levels and reduce downstream risk. DNR engineers estimate that full replacement would cost approximately $3.47 million, while removing the entire structure is being estimated at about $900,000. The agency characterized the structure as "not feasibly repairable" in its presentation and said removal is being actively evaluated.

To help inform engineering and design for removal or other alternatives, DNR awarded a $75,000 Habitat Improvement Account grant to Michigan Trout Unlimited to advance habitat-improvement planning. The board heard that the dam was built in 1964 to provide impoundment fishing and cold-water discharge to benefit downstream trout, and that the dam impounds about 97 acres with maximum depth near 18 feet.

Chairperson Jamison and board members asked procedural and timing questions; no formal county funding decision was taken at the meeting. The DNR presentation concluded with the agency recommending continued planning and an engineering review to clarify trade-offs between replacement, removal, and long-term maintenance.