How do we adapt Michigan’s dams to climate change?
Recent historic flooding in northern Michigan has renewed calls to bolster safety regulations and upgrade or remove aging dams, with over half of the state's 2,500 dams having reached the end of their 50-year design life. Experts estimate $1 billion is needed to pay for all the upgrades needed in the state.
Northern Michigan experienced historic flooding last week due to record-high rainfall and above-average snowmelt, pushing the region's infrastructure to the brink. Local leaders and experts are now calling for bolstered safety regulations and upgrades or removals of aging dams. More than half of Michigan's 2,500 dams have reached the end of their 50-year design life, with an estimated $1 billion needed for upgrades. The removal of the old Union Street Dam in Traverse City in 2024 is cited as an example of successful dam removal, with engineers saying it prevented further flooding upstream. Conservation organizations are helping dam owners remove small dams, with nine removals managed in the last 13 years. Experts see a growing momentum around small dam removal as a way to mitigate future flood impacts.
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