COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Drain Commissioner Mike Hard detailed for the Board of Commissioners on Friday afternoon just how close they came to losing the Blackhawk Dam last weekend.
Branch County emergency management officials warned of significant flooding in the Coldwater River area last Sunday, with the potential failure of the dam southwest of Coldwater. That included the Pilot Knob area on the city’s west side.
Hard said he was first made aware of the situation at about 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning. He estimated the dam held back 38 million gallons of water and if had let go, they were in trouble.
He credited quick action by the property owner and private contractors working for Hard’s office. By Sunday evening, the situation was under control.
Hard admitted they violated a lot of environmental laws but they did what they had to do in an emergency situation. Hard showed Commissioners pictures of the dam and described the problems encountered. He said the dam had just been inspected last year and there were no indications of problems. The property owner had just mowed the earthen bank and there were no indications of seepage from previous inspections.
He added the structure was rebuilt in 1984 a year after the previous structure failed. Hard said at this point, there will be a lot of investigating and testing to see which way they go from here.
According to Hard, the structure is stable but they can’t spend a lot of money on the dam. It’s not known what caused last Sunday’s problems. Hard pointed out there are grants available if it’s decided to take the dam out. Hard said a tentative plan would involve putting sheet piling in front of the dam if it gets approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
