VBT Environmental Commission hears report on local dam

“At French Landing, there are no problems,” said Mark Gross, senior vice president of operations at Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, which runs the dam owned by Van Buren Township.
Gross was speaking from North Carolina during the VBT Environmental Commission meeting via Zoom on June 17.
Gross said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says the dam is in good shape.
He said they do have to replace the rip rap on the upstream side and they do that regularly because it is eroded by the wake of turning boats.
He said the bypass gates are also set to be inspected to assure they are assessing all the deficiencies.
Gross said he was sent the story from a local paper on the dam and it was misleading because it tried to imply the dam was classified as a high-hazard dam. He said the Army Corps of Engineers rating of the dam as high-hazard was based on the impact if the dam were to fail, not the construction of the dam.
He said there’s nothing wrong with being classified as high-hazard.
Gross said Eagle Creek has a very rigorous program on dam safety and there are annual inspections.
“Even though there is no reason to think the dam would fail, FERC requires an emergency action plan and we have the right plans in place,” Gross said.
“Just because the dam is high-hazard it is not unsafe. The designation is based on what’s downstream of the dam,” Gross said.
“As FERC said, it is performing as designed,” Gross said. “All dams are different. They look at how could this potentially fail and look at everything. It’s not impossible because things could happen. Make sure we understand that there were mistakes in 2019, but everything is fine with the dam.”
“We have a high-hazard classification, but it doesn’t mean that it is unsafe,” said Environmental Commission chairman David Brownlee. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“We go by FERC,” Gross said.
“But it doesn’t mean it’s unsafe,” Brownlee said. “I’m struggling with that.”
Gross said it deals with the population downstream which is completely independent of the dam. They look at the topography.
“We have to look at new residential developments or shopping centers,” Gross said.
“It’s not so much the condition of the dam, but what it would damage downstream if it failed,” Brownlee said.
“Who owns and operates Ford Lake Dam?” asked Brownlee, referring to the dam immediately upstream of Belleville Lake.
Matt Best, director of public services, said he believed it is owned and operated by Ypsilanti Township.
Brownlee said probably the worst case for residents would be a dam failure at Ford Lake Dam. He asked Gross if his group ever went through a scenario of failure at Ford Lake Dam.
“We would be a part of their emergency action plan,” Gross said. “You’re probably a holder of one of your EAP documents. What would be inundated if their dam failed.”
“The water goes over the wall, erodes the berm and a small breach becomes a big breach,” Brownlee said. “That would be the impact of Ford on the French Landing Dam.”
“I did participate in one of their safety sessions,” Best said. “If something happens at their dam there would be phone calls to the public safety department and dispatch and the supervisor …”
“What is the likely scenario?” Brownlee said. “Does it include the loss of our dam?”
Gross said he was not familiar with anything upstream and that’s a good question.
“It should have been asked and answered,” Brownlee said. “I’m curious …Who has downriver liability if something happens downstream?”
“It’s a better question for a lawyer,” Gross said. “We do not own the facility.”
Best said the township is owner of French Landing Dam. In 1986 or 1987, DTE transferred ownership to VBT. He said the township took over the dam because DTE was going to remove it.
Brownlee asked what the classified information on the dam would include.
Gross said what would be the impact if the dam failed and what a terrorist could do with that information if it were public. He said if, for example, there were a secret tunnel it could be used by a terrorist to destroy the dam.
“We wouldn’t want ways to destroy the dam so critical infrastructure information is classified,” Gross said.
“If Ford failed…” Brownlee said.
“It should be in the emergency action plan,” Gross said.
Trustee Paul White, who is the board liaison to the Environmental Commission, said he has fished Sanford Lake and Wixom Lake, formed by the dams that failed in Midland, and in his opinion they both are very similar in construction to French Landing Dam.
Trustee White said at Sanford Lake a small spit of water finally ruptured the earthen dam. He asked how safe Edison Lake/Belleville Lake is from the wave action. He asked how deep under the surface of the water is the wave action?
Gross said the wave action is on the surface, but wave action from a storm or wind could be lower and crest the dam. He said they are putting more rip rap at French Landing Dam, which is armor protection for the earthen bank.
“We’ll restore that,” Gross said.
Environmental Commissioner Peter Creal asked when was the last time the dam was inspected and is that report available to the township so residents could have some comfort.
Gross said it was inspected in 2019 and the township should have a copy of the report.
Best said he has a copy of the report and he reviewed it.
“It is operating as designed and in good working order,” Best said.
Best said he has been at VBT since 2015 and this is the third time the rip rap has been refreshed.
Brownlee said David Bittenbetter, Jr., lives locally and has knowledge of dam structure. He gave a status report of his knowledge and he said there is no evidence of any leeching or seeping.
“He seems to know a lot,” Brownlee said. “This is to quell any concerns.”
Commissioner Benjamin Ross asked if the bypass gates will be inspected this year.
Gross said they are inspected every five years and this year they will climb on and walk around. There is no suspicion of there being a problem, but he said this is a hands-on inspection to see.
Trustee White said French Landing Dam was built around 1924. Best said there was a special assessment district the residents paid for to reconstruct it when it was turned over to VBT.
Creal said he checked and found Ford Lake Dam was built in the 1930s and is owned and managed by Ypsilanti Township.
Township Trustee Reggie Miller asked the lifespan of a dam and if a drawdown would be a benefit or a problem or challenge of any kind.
Gross said a drawdown doesn’t help or hurt the dam if done properly, but it could give the opportunity to make repairs, if necessary. It could perform well for another 100 years, he said.
Brownlee asked when the dam releases the maximum amount is there flooding downstream and Gross replied, “Probably.”
Brownlee asked if the township got to the point it had to open the dam completely, would the township be liable?
“You don’t want the water to go over the top of the dam,” Gross said. “The emergency action plan would be in effect.”
Best said in 2018 that happened and people in the plan were contacted. He said there was no dam failure, but they had to notify the people downstream.
Iron Belle Trail
Best reported that the COVID-19 expenses at the state level mean tighter funding. The township has been pursuing grants for the Iron Belle Trail, but the grants have been put on hold by the state.
He said the section of the trail from Edgemont to Martinsville had a state grant of $300,000, with the township paying $100,000. The engineering is paid for, but the grant was put on hold because the state has to look at revenues.
“It’s just sitting in limbo, right now. On hold,” Best said.
He said the $1.2 million Washtenaw County to Van Buren Park section is still being worked on. The Van Buren Park Saddle Paving has a half-million-dollar grant from Wayne County Parks.
“That project is moving forward to use the back portion safely,” Best said.
He said the bridge to Denton Road is well on its way with private funds from the Ralph Wilson Foundation and others, and is still moving forward.
“This is an eight-plus mile trail through our community,” Best said of the Iron Belle Trail.
Brownlee said typically the commission suspends its July and August meetings, but if a meeting is necessary they could hold it. The next meeting would be July 15, if held.