State Creates Interactive Map and Website for Flooding Updates

(May 20, 2020 8:31 PM) To better assist the public as changes and road impacts continue to evolve, the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) GIS Unit has developed an interactive map listing all road closures related to flooding impacting the region, primarily in Gladwin, Midland, and Saginaw counties. This geographic information system (GIS) map includes closures for state trunklines (I, M and US routes) and local roads, and will continue to provide updated road impacts until all flooding concerns subside.

At this time, more than 20 state trunkline and local agency bridges have been impacted by flooding and will require extensive inspections prior to reopening to the public. Many bridges have also suffered damage that will need to be repaired before reopening. MDOT will continue to monitor several high-water situations impacting roadways and bridges across the area. 

“We can’t expect to see many of these bridges reopen in the next week,” said MDOT Bay Region Engineer Robert Ranck, Jr. “However, our department is already establishing emergency contracts to begin inspections and repairs to structures as soon as water levels recede enough to allow that work. These efforts are underway, and we will continue to expedite this work safely and efficiently.” 

“We appreciate the swift action of our first responders and MDOT staff who have worked to safely close impacted roads across our region,” said MDOT Bay Region Bridge Engineer Paul Schiefer. “We’re asking the public to continue to follow any safety advisories issued and respect any road barricades you may encounter. Under no circumstances should anyone drive or walk around any barricades during these flooding concerns.” 

MDOT is expecting more closures as water levels continue to rise through Saginaw County and is moving additional temporary barricades from other MDOT facilities and local road commissions to help stage those closures once necessary.  

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has created a web page to post updates, documents and information from EGLE related to the Midland area dam failures. 

Of the four affected dams near the Midland emergency, the Secord Dam, Smallwood Dam and Sanford Dam, are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The fourth, the 96-year-old Edenville Dam, was under FERC regulation until late 2018 after its license to generate hydropower was revoked by FERC. At that point, it was transferred to EGLE’s regulatory authority.  

EGLE was in the process of reviewing federal records and had conducted an initial inspection in October of 2018 finding that it was in fair structural condition. However, EGLE did have strong concerns that the dam did not have enough spillway capacity, which allows water to flow out of the Wixom Lake impoundment. to meet state requirements.  

EGLE had expressed those concerns to the owners’ consultants, were continuing conversations about that deficiency and had taken enforcement action against the dam’s owner for drawing down water levels without permission, and for damage to natural resources as a result of those drawdowns. EGLE was pursuing additional enforcement action at the time of the breach.

On May 19, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County, helping to ensure federal aid availability for areas impacted by flooding.