The Smallwood Dam is set to become the second of four dams restored after historic floods in 2020. Smallwood Lake is continuing to refill.
The Four Lakes Task Force is leading the construction. The dam is at legal winter level, or 701.3 feet above sea level.
“We just have a few punch list items left,” FLTF spokesperson Taylor Trapani said in a statement. “This is a major milestone in the restoration project to have two of the four dams complete.”
The dam was substantially completed in early August, meaning all major construction projects had been completed. For the lake to refill, the flow of water through the Tittabawassee River system has to be slowed. The estimated time for the lake to refill was 8 to 10 weeks, though the process is weather dependent. Rain can lead to faster rising.
“We began refilling Smallwood Lake in August, and we expect the lake to reach its normal legal level in a few weeks,” said Trapani.
The Smallwood dam is one of four dams that the FLTF is repairing after flooding in 2020 caused by the failure of the Edenville dam.
Sanford dam was the first dam to be restored back in May. The Secord dam will substantially completed in October of this year, while Edenville dam is predicted to be substantially completed in September 2027.
