Aging Dams, Rising Risk: Michigan Faces Growing Flood Threat

Floodwaters from the Muskegon River inundate park infrastructure downstream of Croton Dam on April 16, as heavy rainfall and snowmelt pushed river levels well above flood stage and triggered evacuation orders in parts of Newaygo County. Photo Credit: Benzie Record

NEWAYGO – A near-miss flooding event in northern Michigan is raising fresh concerns about the safety of the state’s aging dam infrastructure — and whether Michigan is doing enough to prevent a future disaster.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer built her administration around the slogan “Fix the damn roads,” a message that resonated with voters frustrated by crumbling infrastructure.

Now, a different — and potentially more dangerous — challenge is coming into focus: who will fix Michigan’s aging dams before they fail?

A Warning From Cheboygan

Recent high water levels and structural concerns in Cheboygan County triggered alarms among local officials, underscoring how quickly conditions can escalate when aging dams are pushed by weather and time.

While no catastrophic failure occurred, the situation exposed a troubling reality: many of Michigan’s dams are operating with little margin for error.

Built for Another Era

Many of Michigan’s dams were constructed nearly a century ago, including a significant number built in the 1930s under the Civilian Conservation Corps, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s effort to create jobs and expand public infrastructure.

At the time, dams powered industry, controlled water flow, and created inland lakes that reshaped local economies.

Nearly a century later, many of those same structures remain in service — often far beyond their original design life.

A Statewide Infrastructure Risk

Michigan has more than 2,500 dams, many now classified as being in poor condition or carrying a “high hazard” designation — meaning their failure could result in significant property damage or loss of life.

The risk is not theoretical.

In 2020, the failure of dams in Midland County led to one of the largest inland flooding disasters in state history, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

The Funding Gap

Fixing or removing aging dams is expensive — often costing millions per structure — and responsibility is fragmented across a mix of private owners, utilities, and local governments.

That creates a persistent problem: many dam owners simply do not have the financial capacity to maintain or upgrade them.

State lawmakers have acknowledged the issue, but funding to date has fallen far short of what engineers and infrastructure experts say is needed.

More Than Infrastructure: An Economic Lifeline

For many rural communities, dams are not just aging infrastructure — they are central to local economies.

In counties like Newaygo County, dams along the Muskegon River — including the Hardy Dam and Croton Dam — create reservoirs that support boating, fishing, camping, and tourism.

Those activities drive revenue for campgrounds, marinas, restaurants, and small businesses — making dams an economic anchor in many parts of the state.

Losing those reservoirs would not just change the landscape — it could significantly impact local economies.

The Consumers Energy Signal

The challenge is becoming even clearer as major asset owners reassess their role.

Utility giant Consumers Energy is seeking to sell 13 hydroelectric dams for as little as $1 each — a move that would transfer long-term maintenance responsibilities and liability to new owners.

The proposal reflects a broader shift: when maintaining aging infrastructure no longer makes economic sense, owners may look to exit.

But the risk does not disappear.

Instead, it shifts — often to local communities, taxpayers, or emergency response systems when something goes wrong.

A System at a Crossroads

Infrastructure experts say Michigan is entering a period of transition, as decades-old systems reach the end of their useful life at the same time.

That leaves the state facing a difficult set of choices:

Which dams are worth saving
Which should be removed
And who will pay for either option

Without a coordinated strategy, the risks — and the costs — are likely to grow.

A Series: Michigan’s Dam Dilemma

This story is part of an ongoing MITechNews series examining the future of Michigan’s dam infrastructure, including:

Who pays to fix Michigan’s dams?
A deeper look at funding gaps, state programs, and the growing financial burden on local communities
Save them or remove them?
The difficult trade-offs between safety, cost, environmental impact, and economic value
The rural economy behind the reservoirs
How dams support tourism, property values, and small businesses across Michigan
From the 1930s to today
How aging infrastructure built during the New Deal era is colliding with modern climate and budget realities
Ownership, liability, and risk
What happens when dam owners walk away — and who is left responsible