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Lake manager Chase Shepke urges comprehensive redesign of Houghton, Higgins and Saint Helen control structures
Summary
Lake manager Chase Shepke told the Roscommon County Board the county faces downstream constraints, disputed EGLE’s cited 50 CFS low‑flow standard, and recommended compiling past studies or pursuing an EGLE‑approved low‑flow spillway before finalizing design and bids.
Lake manager Chase Shepke told the Roscommon County Board on March 25 that persistent downstream constraints and conflicting studies complicate plans to redesign lake level control structures for Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake and Lake Saint Helen.
Shepke said Lake Saint Helen was about two inches over summer lake level and Higgins Lake about 0.5 inch over, and that the most immediate restriction at Saint Helen is a low bridge and at Higgins Lake the road culverts: "If you wanna get rid of more water faster, you gotta do something about that bridge," he said. Shepke also described operation of flop gates and said opening a second gate often does not yield additional flow because culverts are the limiting factor.
The lake manager raised questions about the basis for a 50 cubic feet per second (CFS) low‑flow requirement that EGLE has been citing during spawning season. He said he FOIAed permit and historic materials to trace the source and could not find documentation that the 50 CFS figure applies year‑round: "I couldn't find anything... I FOIAed the DNR. I couldn't find anything that says 50 CFS," he said. He recommended assembling the existing MSU, U‑of‑M and other reports, identifying contradictions, and then seeking either an EGLE‑approved low‑flow spillway or a concrete low‑flow spillway similar to the Houghton Lake design to provide a defensible basis for gate operations and design.
Board members and the lake manager discussed study options: Shepke said a professional engineer (PE) study is typically required by statute, though a professor's peer review could be a lower‑cost advisory step; he estimated the full process could take 1.5–2 years if a comprehensive, defensible operations manual and design are pursued. He also warned that a temporary restrictor plate or minor retrofit could leave the county with ongoing maintenance costs because the original sheeting under some structures is about 70 years old.
Several residents and property owners echoed operational concerns during public comment, asking whether the Reedsburg Dam and downstream management had been considered and urging the county to bring all DNR and EGLE actions into the design review. The board directed staff to clarify legal authority, gather historic studies, and formalize a bid packet and timeline at a subsequent work session before submitting final bids.
