ALLEGAN, Mich. — They plan to repair the dam and they plan to tear it down.
In May, the city of Allegan received $1.8M from the Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program, a state operation that recently awarded $14.1M to a total of 22 dams in Michigan, including the Allegan City Dam ($1,000,000), Swan Creek Dam ($500,000) and Trowbridge Dam ($300,000).
In a release, the Michigan Department of Great Lakes and Energy called the Allegan City Dam "high-hazard" and in "poor condition" due to decades of wear from the Kalamazoo River, a waterway with portions contaminated by PCBs, a harmful, man-made chemical compound.
"But until the contamination is addressed," said Allegan City Manager Joel Dye," We can't remove that dam."
While the city wants to eventually remove the historic dam and restore the rapids that once washed through Allegan, the dam currently prevents the PCBs from flowing further downstream, prompting a $2.8M planned repair "through a lens of environmental protection."
"We're very thankful [the state] came in with funding at a million," Dye said. "But we do have to go back to the drawing board."
Initially, the city requested $2.5M from the state, seeking to repair deteriorating stop logs and renovate the dam's catwalk.
"Water is penetrating and getting through," Dye said. "Not at an alarming rate, but it is something we need to address."
Due to the less-than-requested funding amount, Dye told FOX 17 the city would consider "scaling down" the scope of the repair, potentially by constructing a smaller catwalk or hiring city employees to work on the project, rather than outsource for more expensive, outside help.
"The city of Allegan is very fortunate and thankful that the State of Michigan is willing to help fund this improvement," Dye said.
Dye estimated the city will determine the scope of the project in Fall 2024 and begin construction in Spring 2025.
