COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – It was six years ago this Monday when the Blackhawk Dam in Coldwater Township almost failed.
The Branch County Board of Commissioners voted during their work session on Thursday to bring forward a resolution that would set up a special assessment district in order to fund a study for the level of the Blackhawk Mill Pond.
Formal action is expected to be taken during the Commissioners regular meeting on August 27. The total assessment spread out over two years would be about $100,000.
Branch County Drain Commissioner Mike Hard says they wanted to be proactive and conduct the study because sooner of later, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy was going to force the county to do something.
Hard said they were at a point where they had to do something.
Commissioner Jon Houtz motioned to bring Hard’s recommendation forward.
Hard held a public hearing on Tuesday night at the Coldwater Township Hall to review the computation of the costs of a lake level project and the corresponding special assessment roll.
Under terms of the proposed resolution, Coldwater Township would pay $15,000 while Ovid Township and Branch County would each pay $10,000.
The owners of 59 parcels on the water would pay a total of $1,083 for the two years of the assessment which would come to a total of $65,000.
The dam was rebuilt in 1984 a year after the previous structure failed.
Assessment? More money wasted. What is there to assess? The dam failed in 1984 and was replaced. Who OK’d it to be built back in 1984 the way it is? Obviously that assessment back then was wrong because it is failing again or normal upgrades were not done in the 40 years after. Every year costs go up from kicking the can down the road. Nobody cares until the dam fails. Then great damage is done or lives could be lost. Fix the damn dam to last this time.