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Former commissioner urges reinstatement of lake-gate logs, cites high Houghton Lake levels
Summary
A former Roscommon County commissioner urged the board to resume publishing lake-gate open/close logs and criticized current gate management amid higher-than-legal water levels on Houghton Lake; he suggested seeking a temporary EGLE permit to adjust the Higgins Lake LLCS.
Former commissioner Eric Ostergren spoke during public comment to request the county restore public reporting of lake-gate open/close logs and to ask the board to consider gate adjustments to reduce flooding downstream.
"Reporting logs have been a standard practice for years, and apparently, the commission has decided to eliminate this practice," Ostergren said, adding that the county website last showed gate activity in 2023. He cited U.S. Geological Survey readings that, he said, showed Higgins 1.8 inches above legal level and Houghton 9.12 inches above legal level and urged the board to consider closing Higgins gates to preserve water and lower Houghton levels.
Ostergren recommended exploring a temporary permit from EGLE to close the permanent-only opening of the Higgins LLCS so the county could use existing gates to better meet regulatory levels. Board members responded by noting legal constraints: one commissioner referenced an existing court ruling that limits intentional gate closure when a lake is over its legal level. No action was taken; public comment closed.
