When does a dam become functionally obsolete? Can it be useful forever?

 CLICK HERE to see the right questions a town should ask itself


 By 2020,   over 90 % of all dams in Michigan will be 50 years old or older.

The Pucker Street Dam was built 1928, making it 83 years old this year.

The average age of a dam's productive and useful life span when built to the highest standards of engineering range, is 50 years.
(Source: American Society of Civil Engineers, Michigan Section / NOAA et al.)

After this point, repairs and sediment operations cause the cost to outweigh the benefit in most cases.

Some Key Facts:

First,--- the Pucker Street dam has sustained 2 significant breach events, (see articles/photos in earlier posts) the most recent in Sept. of 2008.
Second,---the turbines have been rendered inoperable, as water has attacked the building foundation and resulted in a tilting/tipping.
Third, ---an accumulation of silt has resulted at the upstream foot of the dam; due to the inability of the turbines to pass it though. Did you know? That the dowagiac produces 5 times the amount of silt vs. other watersheds in the area?  Movement of silt is critical to the health of the river, its average temperature, its dissolved oxygen levels, and its PH.

As you can see, there are more reasons ---many more reasons--to restore a river besides the whims of kayakers and fisherman. Even professionally trained engineers have released a report on the subject. NOTE: after this printing, fund sources have been restored to dam removal; since the projects to help Louisiana infrastructure are done in the wake of hurricane Katrina.

 Click HERE to read MICHIGAN's Report Card Grade of "D" on the State of its Dams

Please read and share this information with anyone who is interested in learning more.



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Better Property Values?: Free-Flowing Restored River vs. Dammed

      LOCATION                                       LOCATION                                  LOCATION




Click HERE to read the  REPORT ON PROPERTY VALUES  

First, none of us claim to be realtors or apprasiers. We are homeowners and have a 'sense' of what makes a property more expensive, or more expensive to insure. But we poured through some studies and found proven data to show what is possible to the value of house and community --by showing what has happened in towns that are (almost) demographically identical that have removed their dams and restored their rivers.

Here's some hard, real facts you can rely on.


The Cliff Notes:       This study watched home sales across 773 homes. It tracked virtually similar properties, some on dammed rivers, some on free flowing rivers. The third group was homes on a river whose dams were removed.  They tracked the homes for a 7 year period to ensure that 'fads' or 'bubbles' in real estate and the economy didn't temporarily skew things.

The type of stream the homes were on, the towns' population, the distance from a major city are virtually identical  to the city of Niles (thats why this particular study is being used).   

The study concludes:    "There is NO reduction in property values in the short-term,(< 2 years after a dam is removed) and increased property values for the long term, (> 2 years) after a river has its dam removed, achieved a free-flowing status, and has had time to reinforce its new growth.  The study did not place any additional values based on increased vistors to the area/tourism activity, which is certainly another long-term benefit associated with free-flowing rivers. 
(Unless you've been living under a rock on Saturday Mornings, you know that Kayak Clubs, Canoe Associations, and Tourists love visiting free-flowing rivers that offer them longer day-trips.)

Don't believe us? We understand..... please review the data !! 

This particular piece of research, though a team from University of Wisconsin ---was carefully selected. Why Wisconsin?  because the area studied consisted of a large sample size. Plus, its proximity to 2 major cities, avg. home size, stream type modified, and other contributing elements--- and location is almost an identical match to Niles.


Here's  An Article by a Regional Wisconsin Newspaper that summarizes the study and includes comments from resident landowners who were at first very opposed to the change, and what they think now.             Good Stuff.















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What Can I learn directly from the DNR ?

The person responsible for the protection and advancements of fish, wildlife, and watershed/environmental concerns is listed below.

Jay Wesley has been assigned responsibility for this area, and can validate any concerns you have, or confirm antything you are reading or viewing, as it is from a number of private individuals. This group, now consisting of 9 people, consists of more than just residents of Niles. However, this site and all our actions are designed to educate and inform YOU, the resident, of pertinent information and events.   We strive to verify accuracy of everything posted, and confirm sources to every assertion made, or link provided.

 We have found that mis-information and confusion are the greatest barriers in dam removal projects, and encourage you to verify things before making choices and participating.

Please contact:


Jay K. Wesley
Southern Lake Michigan Unit Manager
DNRE
621 N. 10th Street
Plainwell, MI 49080
269-685-6851 Ext. 117






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Who would pay for the Dam Removal?

Many of the dams in Michigan, and many more in the United States, are expensive. Expensive to repair, expensive to maintain, expensive to inspect.  They also are expensive to remove!

However, Funds are available so that the City and its residents DO NOT INCURR ANY COST.
The DNR of Michigan has made the City Council and Mayor aware that the money is available; and was available previously in cities like Stronach and Watervliet Michigan.

Thats right !!!!!   Dam removal funds make this FREE for the cities that would like to see them gone. 

Don't believe it?
Then  CLICK HERE to learn HOW DAM REMOVAL COST gets handled.

The cliff notes:  Federal, State, and Private funds have been reserved to allow this to occur. Some of the sources include:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and various endowments and charitiable trusts created by phiolanthropic orgainzations who review each case and make contributrions as needed.

It is a vitally important part of the dam removal decision to have a person assigned to this task; their sole purpose in life is to apply for the grants and funding, and keep the appropriate communications flowing back and forth between those funding sources and the city's council and mayor.

 This is an excellent opportunity for internships to happen, or paid temporary positions (which get reimbursed to the city in the form of matching funds) it can be an invaluable experience for people looking for careers in city adminsitration, and environmental engineering.

Paw Paw River: Watervliet Dam Removal Article

This dam removal is a work in progress, and almost complete!  Just 20 minutes north of Niles.
(Maybe the mayors should have a chat over coffee?) One link is a local news article, and the second is an executive summary and overview of the project, the funding that paid for it, and involved groups.

Click HERE to see the Paw Paw River Watervliet Dam Article

Click HERE to read a short summary and groups involved 

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What about Flooding ?

So many home-owners fear flooding and loss of property values, and increased insurance premiums. Rightly so.  We have met and spoken with them, most notably the residents immediately upstream of the dam and bridge.  We have film footage elsewhere in our blog of the most recent flood scare and evacuation in 2008.
The dam, at a recent breached or near breached state, got some high-tech help from  members of the town's emergency management team, seen below...

When 1920's technology won't cut it-- go to Plan B (Sept. 2008)

The NUMBER ONE MISCONCEPTION about most dams is that they prevent flooding. This is NOT true.
 In short:   A dam like the Pucker Street dam withholds water, confines it. During high water events, the
back-up of water upstream of a dam causes the water to immediately move laterally (sideways), as a valuable piece of terrain known as a "flood plain" is removed from the equation when water is already backed up and flooded.

In the case of the Dowagiac, there will be between 5 and 7 feet of water elevated and flooded above the normal hight water river bank level.   See below:

A dammed river floods the upper bank, and facilitates more rapid flooding in a lateral direction

Dams like the Pucker Street Dam increase the risk of  flooding, they do not prevent it.

Still not sure?     Watch this very pertinent movie and see for yourself.  It discusses how the water-table is stabilized when dams are removed and rivers are restored. Or, drive up to Meade or Pucker Street and knock on a few doors of homeowners to see if this assertion is correct.  Or......

Click HERE to see a short film on how landowners, citizens, and businesses reduced flood risk in several small " river towns "!

Special Thanks to American Rivers for this production. You can order it for FREE by visiting American Rivers.com, and browsing their library of dozens of dam removal stories.

Aritcle: Should it Stay or Should it Go?

Here is the article from Niles Daily Star on Monday Nights meeting between MDNR and the City. The Mayor, using a tact of "conflicting information" as a cause for no decisions being previously made. The DNR has been clear all along, the article asserts.

By Aaron Mueller

Should it stay or should it go?

Published 9:31pm Monday, January 10, 2011

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What should be done with the Pucker Street dam in Niles?
If the Michigan Department of Natures Resources and Environment has its way, it will be no more.
At Monday’s Niles City Council meeting, Jay Wesley, a district fisheries biologist for the DNRE, said it has long been the position of the state to have the dam removed.
“Removal is the best option for the ecological health of the river,” he said, adding that it would help with fish migration, improving water quality and decreasing sediment.
Although removal would be expensive, Wesley said there are many federal grants available to help fund such a project, which the state could help the city obtain.
Wesley said there are thousands of unused dams across the state, and the DNRE is working to assist many dam owners in removal.
Dam owners typically pay between zero and 20 percent of the cost of removal, according to Wesley, although it often takes between one and five years to procure the funding.
Wesley pointed to two dams in Watervliet that will be removed at no cost to the village, as it was covered completely by grants secured with help from the state.
Mayor Mike McCauslin said the city has been receiving “mixed signals” from the state as the DNRE is claiming removal is the best option, while legislation has been made requiring the use of green power by municipalities.
McCauslin also said the decision will be difficult for the council, especially since there are several offers on the board from  developers, hoping to either buy the dam or partner with city in producing electrical power.
Peterson Machinery Sales out of Casa Grande, Ariz. and Hope Renewable Energy LLC out of Grand Rapids both presented proposals to the council last year.
Should the dam be used again to generate power, an expensive fish ladder might be necessary. Wesley said it would cost $250,000 per foot.
A committee of the whole meeting has been scheduled for Feb. 28 to further discuss the future of the dam.

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Jan. 11h Article asks: Is Dam Removal the Right Option?

Mixed signals on Niles dam

South Bend Tribune - South Bend, Ind.

Author:	LOU MUMFORD
Date:	Jan 11, 2011

NILES --

The city of Niles is receiving mixed signals from the state of Michigan regarding whether the old city dam on the Dowagiac River should be removed, said Mayor Mike McCauslin.
At a Monday night Niles City Council session in which Jay Wesley, a fisheries biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, pushed for the dam's removal, McCauslin pointed to recent state legislation mandating a 10 percent green power component by 2015. That indicated to him, the mayor said, that the state wants to see dams in operation.
"You could argue whether a dam is green power or not. I'd argue it is," he said.
Yet Wesley was on the other side of the fence, offering the state's support in writing grant applications for the dam's removal. The one point the mayor and Wesley agreed upon was that the council faces a tough decision regarding the dam's fate.
The issue is largely economical, McCauslin said, as a pair of developers have submitted proposals to buy or lease the dam and share with the city the revenue that would result from electricity sales. A third company wants to use in-water turbines to convert kinetic energy to generate power and a fourth group has called for removing the dam. Niles City Administrator Terry Eull said the issue will be discussed further at a committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 28.
Wesley called removal of the dam "the best option" for ecological reasons, pointing out it would be conducive to fish movement and result in better water quality. Other dam removal projects the state has been involved in have resulted in grants that have reduced the cost to cities that own the dams to an average of 20 percent, he said.
In answer to a question from Councilman Dan Vanden Heede, Wesley said the cost of installing a fish ladder should the dam be put back into operation would exceed the cost of removal. The state would push for such a ladder should plans call for long-term use of the dam to produce electricity, he said.
Wesley agreed with Pat Scherr, an Indian Lake Road resident seated in the audience, that there was once a natural falls where the dam was constructed that impeded fish movement up the river. Scherr said it would be "unfortunate" if the dam was removed.
"There's no need to change it from the way it is now," he said.
Also at the meeting, McCauslin formally announced that Niles City Administrator Terry Eull and Public Works director Neil Coulston will both retire on Sept. 30. A committee of the whole meeting is set for 6 p.m. Monday at the city fire station to discuss future plans for the positions, he said.
Staff writer Lou Mumford: lmumford@sbtinfo.com 269-687-3551






Credit: Tribune Staff Writer

Michigan DNR presents Dam Removal Recommendation: Mayor not Buying It

When Dowagiac River advocates appeared to the Niles City Council in December and requested that Dam Removal should be a legitimate option to consider among the others, they were  confronted by the Mayor who countered:


"The Michigan DNR has recommended that we DONT remove the dam". There seems to be conflicting information coming from them". 




The DNR and Dowagiac River Keepers know that this has never been the case.

So this group explained  they would like to help the Mayor's confusion and repeat the state's position in-person  in a public forum in a future meeting to erase any doubt.


On Monday, Jan. 10th, the DNR was able to do that; and  set the record and Mayor straight. The Mayor came up with a new reasoning and his own unique interpretation about the states view of dam removal.  He states that SB213 requires Niles to have 10% of its power be 'green' by 2015. 


However, the Mayor need not worry.  SB213 imparts regulation of this law via the MPSC to generators of power. Niles' is not a generator of power. The the dam is shut down. and-- if it has less than 1,000,000 residential customers, this mandate does not apply. (Christine Battiste, MPSC, Feb. 5th, 2011)


The generator of power for Niles is the I&M division of American Electric Power (AEP).  After discussing this with the AEP legislative affairs director, our liason had twice stated to us and went on reord to state that Niles is NOT required to have 10% of its power be green. They aren't a power generator. AEP is the power generator, and must meed SB213 standards.  (Sarah Bodner, c/o AEP legislative affairs Feb 6th, 2011)



So here is how the article read and what motivated us to at least level the field of options:



NILES --  
The city of Niles is receiving mixed signals from the state of Michigan regarding whether the old city dam on the Dowagiac River should be removed, said Mayor Mike McCauslin.
At a Monday night Niles City Council session in which Jay Wesley, a fisheries biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, pushed for the dam's removal, McCauslin pointed to recent state legislation mandating a 10 percent green power component by 2015. That indicated to him, the mayor said, that the state wants to see dams in operation.

"You could argue whether a dam is green power or not. I'd argue it is," he said.
Yet Wesley was on the other side of the fence, offering the state's support in writing grant applications for the dam's removal. The one point the mayor and Wesley agreed upon was that the council faces a tough decision regarding the dam's fate.

The issue is largely economical, McCauslin said, as a pair of developers have submitted proposals to buy or lease the dam and share with the city the revenue that would result from electricity sales. A third company wants to use in-water turbines to convert kinetic energy to generate power and a fourth group has called for removing the dam. 

Niles City Administrator Terry Eull said the issue will be discussed further at a committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 28.


Wesley called removal of the dam "the best option" for ecological reasons, pointing out it would be conducive to fish movement and result in better water quality. Other dam removal projects the state has been involved in have resulted in grants that have reduced the cost to cities that own the dams to an average of 20 percent, he said.

In answer to a question from Councilman Dan Vanden Heede, Wesley said the cost of installing a fish ladder should the dam be put back into operation would exceed the cost of removal. The state would push for such a ladder should plans call for long-term use of the dam to produce electricity, he said.
Wesley agreed with Pat Scherr, an Indian Lake Road resident seated in the audience, that there was once a natural falls where the dam was constructed that impeded fish movement up the river. Scherr said it would be "unfortunate" if the dam was removed.
"There's no need to change it from the way it is now," he said.
Also at the meeting, McCauslin formally announced that Niles City Administrator Terry Eull and Public Works director Neil Coulston will both retire on Sept. 30. A committee of the whole meeting is set for 6 p.m. Monday at the city fire station to discuss future plans for the positions, he said.

Staff writer Lou Mumford: lmumford@sbtinfo.com 269-687-3551
Credit: Tribune Staff Writer



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WATCH A MOVIE: Flooding Dams: Small Towns Reduce Risk

Got 20 minutes? You can learn a LOT. Very Fast.


Click this link HERE to Watch Actual Dam Removal Case Studies and the Results

Thanks to the folks at AMERICAN RIVERS for making this FREE DVD available

HEY ....GET A FREE DVD !

By simply filling in THIS FORM, you can get a presentation that covers what landowners, mayors, and other residents thought before.......and after.....certain 'events' occured without a vote.

The average life span of a dam is 50 years. They were NOT built for flood control, and almost all of them were not built to take the last 30 years heavy rainfall patterns that are becoming the norm.






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WATCH A MOVIE: Communities & Dam Removal

Hear from City Residents and city officials who were vehemently opposed to dam removal at first. They share the before and after, and how education on the issue changed their mind. 

These opinions are to be expected. Lack of information on the facts can cause rumor and speculation to take over. Its happening in Niles, too.  After all, towns and their residents don't go through this process reguarly. In fact, dam removal is a once-in-their-lifetime event. We like to think its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Judge for yourself.


Thanks to Sarah Strassman at AR for the imbedded content.

The Michigan DNR's site: Discusses Dam Removal

The link below to the The State of Michigan's DNREs position on Dam Removal:


Cliff Notes:  The State Department of Natural Resources explains  their conclusion that unnecessary dams be removed to improve the quality of the river, dimish risk of flood, and reduce liabiltiy to the dam owners (City).

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_52259_27415-80303--,00.html

 

thanks!

Hydro-Electric Confusion

There is some static when considering  Electrical Power and residents of Niles.

There has been an assertion by the Mayor that Niles must have 10% of its energy be renewable based on a law passed by former Gov. Granholm.

We did some checking, and here are some facts.

SB213 does state that generators of power must have a portfolio of 10% renewable energy by 2015.

The difference, however, is that the city is not a producer of electrical power. I & M, a division of AEP, is the producer of power. Therefore, all have confirmed that there is NOT a requirement imposed on the city of Niles.

If Niles decides to come back on line and enter the power-producing business, then the dam "may" put them into this category. But the dam has been shot down since 1995.

We have verified this with AEP's legislative and regulatory affairs dept., and their comments delivered thru community relations officer Sarah Bodner.

We have also verified this with the Michigan Public Service Commission, the regulatory body that enforces this requirement c/o Christine Battiste.

The contract for the city to buy power from AEP expires in 2016.  AEP cannot disclose the specifics of the contract with us for reasons of confidentiality; however AEP indicated that generally, most of thier contracts are exclusive in nature.

Editorializing and some KEY QUESTIONS we consider:

If the city decides it wants to be in the power generating business, it may need to verify this is OK with AEP. The city attorney a voiced concern over doing this last summer.

Why hasn't a large hydro company like AEP, Consumers, etc., snapped up this dam? Curious about that...

If Niles CAN , in fact, become a power-maker without breaching their contract; Would this competition from the city lead to AEP looking disfavorably on that? When it comes time to negotiate the rates with AEP, it would be logical business sense to conclude the city 'may' not get the same rates if they are also in the power-producing business; being viewed as a direct competitor.


There is a  notion we heard in an interview---that restoring a dam to produce electrical power will somehow yield residents with some kind of  freebie or bonus. Maybe it will significantly reduce electrical costs? Perhaps it can give the city to power itself and pass along the savings, or give the city some economic advantage  to broker energy?  To be clear, between 1928 and 1995--Niles residents never got some large discount when the city produced 1%-2% of it using the dam.

Or perhaps, selling the dam and getting a share of the energy revenues will turn a profit for the city. Great !!!  We are eagerly awaiting the presentation and forecasts of how much actual revenue can be shared with the city on a 250 KW dam. For perspective, recall that 250 KW can produce betwen 1% and 2% of the city's power back when the population was roughly 9,000. Today, the population is approx. 12,000 people.  How much money will that equate to?  One forecast in a recent article claimed $220,000 per year, of which 25% would go to the city for the first 10 years of a 30 year deal. But the forecast is based on a 500KWnameplate, and the dam seldom operated above 275 KW; a couple of rare instances at 350KW.

And, if revenues from the dam buyer (and power producer) suffer because of maintenance issues, unexpected shut-downs and clean-ups due to siltation, what revenues will be left to enjoy?  What happens if the company is not profitable? If the company does not succeed, what is the city left with?

Is this amount of money really worth it?

If the dam operation is profitable,--- how long it will take to get to that point. And, if Niles main supplier, AEP, will like the idea of Niles sharing with a competing company. Could that possibly affect the rates Niles gets from AEP in the next negotiation?

The current proposal ramps up to a 45% share of energy revenues.  We have a feeling that 5 years from now, that won't be much. But to be fair, we await to see how much revenue is projected based on the river's flow.

Kilowatt

The kilowatt is equal to one thousand (10³) watts. This unit is typically used to express the output power of engines and the power consumption of electric motors, tools, machines, and heaters. It is also a common unit used to express the electromagnetic power output of broadcast radio and television transmitters.
One kilowatt of power is approximately equal to 1.34 horsepower. A small electric heater with one heating element can use 1.0 kilowatt. The average annual electrical energy consumption of a household in the United States is about 8,900 kilowatt-hours (cf the average UK household's approx 4,700 kilowatt-hours for example), equivalent to a steady power consumption of about 1 kW for an entire year.^[4]

True or False:

Up Until its final shut down in 1995, The Niles dam provided free power, or discounted power to residents of Niles.

FALSE.  The city simply sold it to residents at comparable market rates. So citizens achieved NO economic or utility advantage by having the dam in place.


True or False:

The Niles dam, if put back on line, will  provide free or discounted power to residents of Niles.

FALSE:  The plan proposed is for the city to sell to a power producing company and get  a sharing of the, revenue fromat best, 350 KW generated revenue to ramp up over 3 years to 25%, 35%, and 45%. 

Most people don't realize the limited power capacity of this dam, and how much might be to gain from its sale.



Question:

But what if Niles brought it back and retro-fitted its parts.....you know....."souped up" the engine? 

Ultra-Modern technology would be required. Neither of the proposing companies posses this equipment as they have proposed, thus far. A method of regular sediment removal would also be required to prevent turbine damage.

The proposing companies 'may' not have taken this matter into account, but  readers here may recall that its been determined that the Dowagiac, though a high-quality stream, is gradually producing more and more tons of sediment per week. Sediment is the #1 enemy of dam turbines.

Previous attempts to bring the old dam back on line were interrrupted on a regular basis by the need to clear and flush sediment from this equipment.  As communities grow and develop, a common place for rain run-off and agricultural runoff to seek out? Is the river. Natural drainages disappear, and the river begins to handle more 'urban' runoff and sediment.

How do the proposed companies plan to deal with this fact? We will update the answer here if we get it on Feb. 28th. 




Paterson Electric, from Albuquerque, New Mexico is one company proposing a deal with Niles. The other "allegedly"  is Hope Renewable Energy, LLC, from Grand Rapids, MI


Who is Hope Renewable Energy?

I will give $20 cash bounty to the person that can produce a company overview or some literature, or anything publicly available on Hope Renewable Energy LLC from Grand Rapids, MI.

There is a concern about Hope Renewable Energy thus far. Despite searching under several listings, we cannot come up with a phone number for this firm, nor a website after numerous changes and versions of the name.  We also contacted the MPSC to see if they are licensed to produce power.  Our team sent several e-mails to the person representing Hope proposing the offer to Niles (which was a private, consumer e-mail address ending in    *******@charter.net  )  we have received no responses to a request for information on their firm, or a clarification on the company name, phone number, or website.

 Without going off on a long tangent here, we are questioning how the city stands to profit on a dam that has meager output potential in the first place. We will be intrigued to hear how these companies propose to operate profitably on such small output, and then will turn around and share the revenues or the electricity with Niles.  They are facing a daunting repair bill for many structural and equipment needs.

They are also facing a different regulatory environment that is more rigid than it was in 1928.  None of our group is in the power business, so perhaps this is easily dealt with and we seek to understand this component better.

However, if the above challenges are easily dealt with, we have wondered why larger firms haven't jumped on this little beauty that has stood idle and degrading for the last 16 years.  We know the quotes involve equipment repair, restoration of damaged turbines, a tilted powerhouse ( the big red building which cannot currently support equipment due to being tilted), The cost just to re-enter the dam into the game is huge.  Perhaps companies like this are a super-specialty niche business. Perhaps they are a dying breed, grasping to obtain an increasing share of a diminishing market as dams all over the US outlive their usefulness.

We will be adding more details from this post after continued interviews with Niles City Utilities officials, or if we ever learn more about Hope Renewable Energy.



What will the dam owners do with the park and land that are immediately upstream and downstream? 



At what cost?

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Article: Legal and Environmental Considerations for bringing Dam back on-line

Two companies have expressed interest in the dormant Pucker Street Dam. (File photo)

Legal questions may put snag in Pucker St. Dam plans

Published 8:21pm Thursday, July 8, 2010

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By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star
Plans to possibly reactivate the Pucker Street Dam in Niles may have hit a roadblock with legal questions about the city’s agreement with Indiana Michigan Power and requirements from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Just last week, two companies – Peterson Machinery Sales in Casa Grande, Ariz. and Hope Renewable Energy LLC out of Grand Rapids – came before the city council and outlined proposals to either purchase or lease the long-dormant dam on the Dowagiac River for electrical generation.
But Niles City Administrator Terry Eull says the city has to look into some legal issues with I&M before taking action.
“We have to answer a bunch of legal questions with I&M about what we can or cannot do,” Eull said regarding the contract the city has with the electric company.
Eull is unsure if their agreement allows the city to purchase power from an outside provider.
But Eull said attorneys may not even get too involved in those discussions should DNRE requirements end the possibility of reactivating the dam.
“If the DNR would require a number of items, it may make the questions about I&M a non-issue,” Eull said.
Jay Wesley, a representative of the DNRE’s fisheries division in Plainwell, Mich., said the state would recommend the use of a fish ladder during the project to allow the fish to move upstream over or around the dam.
Fish ladders cost about $250,000 per foot, and Wesley estimates it would cost the City of Niles $3.5 million, which would all but end the possibility of reactivating the dam.
A fish ladder would be needed, according to Wesley, because the work on the dam would obstruct fish paths and could affect their populations. Wesley said fish ladders are often needed at larger facilities, and one is employed on the St. Joseph River in Berrien County.
Wesley also said the DNRE would have to make sure the project does not affect water quality or temperatures and would need to ensure that fish do not come in contact with turbines.
But it has long been the recommendation of the DNRE that the city remove the dam altogether.
“We’ve done a lot of studies of the river,” Wesley said. “We have recommended dam removal because of the natural resource benefits it would create.”
Eull said dam removal would be a time-consuming and expensive project, but grants might make it possible.
He plans to discuss the situation with the DNRE in the near future

Mark Your Calendars! January 10th MDNR&E talks to the City.

Jay Wesley, SW Michigan Regional Fisheries Representative from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment has been allowed to talk briefly and answer FAQs at the Niles City Council Meeting. He will explain the support of dam removal, and mention some of the funding options available.

We urge anyone who can attend to come to this meeting! Consider a brief, professional statement of support for this option during "open comments" portion beginning promptly at 6 p.m. EST.

When stepping to the mic, here's the drill:

Ensure you address/greet the Mayor, and then the city council; in that order.
Then, share your name and address to the clerk for the record.
Announce your affiliations, if any.
Any and all can then voice support of dam removal, share how you have enjoyed this resource, and the value it has as a recreational destination for you and your friends/family. We would like the city to understand the economic, environmental, and social value the river has to the Area.

Where?

6 p.m. EST
North Meeting Room of the Niles City Firehouse,
1345 E. Main Street, Niles, Michigan 49120     
Questions?  Directions?            Call City Hall:      269-683-4700
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Click * HERE * to learn about Dam Removal Success Stories in MI and elsewhere

Cliff Notes:

Discusses the hows and whys of removing dams that just don't make sense anymore. Groups like American Rivers, The Nature Conservancy, the DNRs of various states, and Trout Unlimited cooperate to improve river quaity, restore stability of the water table, and bring added property values, tourism, and economic opportunity.

Though a bit old, this is good information. Michigan's removed dams since 2000 are listed on page xxii.  Does not include Watervliet dam from 2010.

Click HERE to see Michigan Experts weighing in on their Dead or Dying Dams

Cliff Notes:
This document discusses common issues and some recent solutions (including the federal funds that pay) for Michigan's dams when they cease operating, impede normal water tables, and impact ecosystems and the public at-large. Summarizes dams that are near or past their prime, and those in limbo.
Each case is unique. The Pucker Street dam summary is addressed on page 56.

WATCH A MOVIE: Pucker St. Dam gets pushed around again. Will the bridge be Next?

The film that some residents were talking about. Don't let the sunshine and nice trees fool you----this aerial view  shows the tremendous strain that the river is putting on the dam itself, the powerhouse, the side channel, and the city bridge just upstream.  Despite patch work from another near failure, repair, the powerhouse building settling, and the breach of the earthen dam in 2008, it still sits un-changed, doing nothing---awaiting its fate. Lets not forget; the bridge supports are being put to strain as well.

Editorializing here, but don't you kind of wonder why about 6 tons worth of vehicles are parked on a bridge and dam that are under dangerous strain?---(Just saying)

Blast from the Past: The near-breach of the Pucker Street Dam

 The Pucker Street Dam was not designed for flood control! In fact, changing and impeding natural flows can lead to trouble down the road.    For example:

 

Dam breaks as flooding hits southern Michigan

Published: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 6:42 AM     Updated: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 6:45 AM

By The Associated Press

 

 

NILES TOWNSHIP — Days of heavy rain across southern and western Michigan caused a dam to fail in Berrien County and led to massive sewage overflows and flooded streets, authorities say.
An eight-foot section of an earthen dam gave way Monday night on the Dowagiac River, the Niles Township fire department said Tuesday. It said the Niles Dam break forced the evacuation of about a dozen homes.
The dam is about 165 miles west-southwest of Detroit.
A number of roads washed out or developed sinkholes in Berrien and Cass counties as well.

Energy Consulting Firm to City : DON'T Turn Dam back on !

Proposed St. Joe River power plant questioned

By LOU MUMFORD Tribune Staff Writer
Publication: South Bend Tribune (Indiana)
Date: Sunday, December 27 2009

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NILES - Go with the flow? Officials at Niles' French Paper Co. are hoping the Niles City Council resists the idea.

The flow relates to that of the St. Joseph River, which in conjunction with the paper manufacturer's dam and power plant has provided the company with the bulk of its electricity since 1922.

It's the river's flow just above the dam that concerns the firm, particularly in light of a recent consultant's report related to the possibility of the city generating its own power on the river.

At one time, Niles indeed did produce electricity, at a dam on the Dowagiac River, north of Niles. But the Pucker Street hydro plant hasn't been used in 15 years, and the consultant, Matthew Dunlap, a mechanical engineer for Kleinschmidt Energy & Water Resource Consultants in Strasburg, Pa., warned that putting it back into operation would not be a good economic opportunity.

Dunlap told the council at a workshop session last month that building a new power plant on city-owned property adjacent to the French Paper Dam in partnership with French Paper would be more feasible. Still, the cost would be high, varying from $10.8 million to $14.7 million depending on the plant's size, and it would take the city 18 to 27 years to generate enough electricity to recoup its investment, the consultant said.

As for the flow on the same stretch of river where French Paper operates its power plant, Dunlap referred to the area as "a more marginal site" based on the river's "low head." He didn't dismiss the idea, however, pointing out that tax credits make such a project "potentially viable."

But as he did at last month's council workshop, Jerry French, the French Paper president, questioned last week whether there's sufficient flow to support two power plants. He was critical of Dunlap for studying only the last 20 years of flow rather than a much longer term over which French Paper has compiled extensive records.

Our Inaguaral Post & A Quiz: What does this Woman have to do with the Dowagiac River?

Before we show you our "kickoff" article on this issue  a dedication.

Who is this Woman, and what does she have to do with Dam Removal?

This woman was able to help people who felt as if they had no voice, that power and suits were going to decide everything for them, that promises and fake numbers would placate people and stop them from trying to get what they wanted. This woman is Erin Brockovich: A non-lawyer, unemployed single mother of 3 who took $333,000,000 from Pacific Gas and Electric, and gave it back to people who got sick and mislead. PG&E's greed was greater than their sense of decency, and she is a modern day heroine and inspiration to my daughters.

Erin's impact on them is palpable, and has motivated me to try and at least give people a voice and a chance to restore a river that has had mankind basically screwing it up with nothing to show for it to the people of Niles for the last 20 or so years.  So, before another huge environmental decision is fast-tracked with little-to-no-public input or knowledge,  we are going to speak with people at their doorsteps, at the kwikie-mart, after church, and at the Moose Lodge---and try to help the city realize that this issue its not just about economics and using the river to bail them out of their shitty economic situation.
 It's a little more than just economics, folks. Its, arguably, about one of the most beautiful, natural, free assets your town offers you. And the people who come here with their families from hundreds of miles away.

Guys, you can quit staring at her boobs now, because she might be trying to pry secrets from YOU while your watching them !     (sorry, had to throw that one in; as it appears in the film starring Julia Roberts)

 And lastly, a quote which is from 500 BC:


"In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it."
— Lao Tzu

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That said, here's our inaugural mention. An excerpt from:   South Bend Tribune--December 15. 2010 6:59AM
(see below)

New proposal for old Niles dam

NILES — There's a new possibility for the old city dam on the Dowagiac River: Removal.

At a meeting this week of the Niles City Council, representatives of efforts to remove the city dam in Watervliet approached the panel about eliminating the dam on Pucker Street in Niles, Niles City Administrator Terry Eull said. Asked about the cost, Eull said grant money might be available.

The representatives will return early next year when the council takes up the dam's fate, Eull said. Already, two private companies have offered to partner with the city to restore power production on the dam and share in the revenue.