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Michigan feared Cheboygan Dam danger for years before rains pushed it to brink
About 75 Consumers Energy workers are racing to restore the plant, and officials say repairs must finish before floodwaters overtop the dam.
- On Thursday, 75 Consumers Energy workers rushed to repair the Cheboygan Dam as floodwaters climbed within five inches of its crest. Michigan State Police urged residents in the floodzone to prepare for potential evacuation.
- For years, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission warned owners about malfunctioning equipment and missing inspection records. The plant faced 16 safety violation citations in 10 months before a fire closed it in September 2023.
- Taxpayers are funding the desperate repair effort for the facility, now owned by Hom Paper XI, LLC, controlled by former NFL linebacker Thomas Homco. Estimates from a few years ago indicated the plant required at least $1 million in repairs.
- State Sen. John Damoose and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer toured the dam, with Damoose saying a solution "keeps getting kicked down the road." Whitmer described the situation as a "complicated web of privately owned and publicly owned" dams.
- The current crisis follows a similar pattern of regulatory delay observed six years ago when Midland dams failed. Historically, the Cheboygan River dam became a valued link between Lake Huron and the Inland Waterway after Consumers sold it in 1967.
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Michigan feared Cheboygan Dam danger for years before rains pushed it to brink
Local, state and federal officials were aware of the dangers posed by the Cheboygan Lock and Dam for years before floodwaters pushed it to the brink of collapse, records show.
·United States
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Cheboygan Dam risks discussed for years before rains pushed it to crisis point
by PAULA GARDNER, KELLY HOUSE and RON FRENCH, Bridge MichiganApril 16, 2026 This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here. CHEBOYGAN — Local, state and federal officials were aware of the dangers posed by the Cheboygan Lock and Dam for years before floodwaters pushed it to the brink of collapse…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 30%
R 20%
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