Cheboygan

The donation from the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation will provide matching funds for further donations and immediate aid for residents in three counties.

After mass flooding ravaged the state in mid-April, officials say updates to dam infrastructure are more important than ever. But only so much can be done without changes to legislation.

Potential damage to the dams during last week’s high waters means the risk of dam failure could still exist.

Records show that federal officials failed for years to force repairs at a hydro plant connected to the Cheboygan Dam. ‘This was not handled properly,’ a county commissioner says. The county sheriff blames private ownership: ‘There’s only so much we can do.’

A bridge near Traverse City collapsed, a dam in Alcona County failed, roadways across many parts of northern Michigan washed away and some people traversed their neighborhoods in kayaks as heavy rains and spring snowmelt raised rivers, lakes and creeks across the region.

Federal officials have repeatedly told the owner of a nonfunctioning hydro plant connected to the dam to bring it back online, but the company has not done so. Now, state officials are scrambling to restart the plant in hopes of staving off dam failure.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have stationed five pumps near the dam to try and divert water as more rain and melting snow are projected in the forecast.

Water is now 18 inches from reaching the top, according to the Michigan State Police. If they reach 12 inches, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it will begin executing an emergency plan that will likely involved evacuations.

The DNR said it was "working with local officials to manage the situation." In addition, they say plans are in place if high water conditions continue.

Cheboygan resident Louis Vallance has been pushing county officials across northern Michigan to support his proposal for a passenger train system. He hopes to persuade the state of Michigan to redevelop old railroads, saying it could help boost tourism in the region.