Department of Natural Resources crews added more pumps to divert water around the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex over the weekend as experts forecast more rain for the northern Lower Peninsula in the coming days.
Rising water levels at the dam prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency on Friday, when water was 18 inches below the top of the dam. By Sunday afternoon, water had risen to within 15 inches of the top, according to a DNR press release. But more rain and snowmelt threatened the waterway.
Under flooding protocols, residents near the waterway would be ordered to evacuate if the water level is 1 inch below the top of the dam, but they are asked to prepare amid rising levels before then.
An aerial photo of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam shows water moving through the system and crews taking flood precautionary measures, including pumps and sandbags, on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
“Because more rain is expected, Cheboygan County emergency officials are asking residents to sign up for Be Alert notifications or call 211 for updates on how to prepare and possible evacuations,” said DNR spokesperson Laurie Abel in an email.
With up to 2 inches of rain in the weather forecast over the coming days for the watershed that feeds the dam, DNR crews have activated five pumps to divert water around the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex in downtown Cheboygan. Abel said two pumps were active Friday, and three were added by Saturday afternoon and were operational by nightfall.
The pumps move water from behind the dam to the spillway in front, where it can flow out toward Lake Huron.
Richard Hill, Gaylord District supervisor for the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division, said in the release that the team is working to procure additional pumps.
“All of the dam gates on the DNR-managed portion of the dam are fully open to handle this flow. The pumps add to the capacity,” Hill said. “We are putting through as much water as we can.”
Hill said DNR staffers are working closely with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the dam, to look at options for re-opening a hydroelectric generation station at the dam site to move more water.
“Our objectives for this incident are to work closely with FERC and the operators and owners of the hydro building to look at options,” Hill said. “Some water is going through the bypass valves on that part of the dam.”
The DNR said making the electrical generation station operational would add water flow capacity.
Two thousand sandbags are in place, and the DNR said it’s possible more may be added. The sandbagging is expected to be a buffer for rising water and help channel the water, the department said.
Crews have installed additional pumps at the Cheboygan Dam to help move more water through and manage rising water levels.
In addition, crews removed an old wooden debris screen in front of the dam’s Gate No. 6 after determining the removal wouldn’t damage the dam, Abel said. It’s expected to help more water flow out and lower the water level behind the dam, she said.
The U.S. Geological Survey also installed more water level monitoring equipment, the DNR said.
When the governor declared a state of emergency Friday, Whitmer said the river was 18 inches below the top of the Cheboygan Dam. It had increased 3 inches overnight, according to the DNR. But on Saturday, the river was 20 inches below the top of the dam, Abel said.
That number dropped to 15 inches by Sunday afternoon. Abel said that rain on Sunday and warmer temperatures creating snowmelt upstream are causing a rise in water levels in the area that flows into the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
More public safety measures will be taken if it reaches 12 inches below the top of the dam in an approach that DNR officials called “ready, set, go”:
Ready: When water is 12 inches below the top of the dam with levels rising 3 inches a day or more, people should plan or pack in case an evacuation is ordered.
Set: People should pack and prepare their families and pets for a possible departure when the water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or a prediction that the water will top the dam within 48 hours.
Go: People will be ordered to evacuate when the water level is 1 inch below the top of the dam, with a high probability of topping it and the possibility of the dam failing. Individuals should follow evacuation orders and be aware that roadblocks may be installed around the perimeters, the DNR said.
“Our No. 1 priority in all the coordinated efforts being undertaken is safety,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer. “Preparedness is key. The more informed and prepared people are for potential danger, the safer they will be if it ultimately occurs.”
Patrick Bak, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Gaylord office, said Sunday afternoon that the Cheboygan area has likely had less an inch of rain since Saturday night. Rainfall has been heavier further south, in communities such as Charlevoix and Gaylord.
He said rain was ongoing Sunday afternoon in the northern Lower Peninsula, but he forecasted a break in the rain by Sunday evening. More rainfall is expected to arrive later.
Bak said Monday daytime and evening “looks quieter,” but more rain is forecasted for late Monday night and Tuesday.
The rising water levels at the lock and dam on the river stem from recent rainfall and snowmelt following a record snowfall in March. Ice also has been thawing in the lakes above the dam, Abel said.
Officials warned that the high waters present dangers, including the potential to wash away shorelines and banks, and to sweep people and objects away if they get caught in the river’s fast-moving currents.
The emergency declaration authorizes the state to use all available resources to assist in the local response and recovery operations. Whitmer urged residents to sign up for local alerts.
“Water levels are below the crest of the dam, but conditions could change quickly with more rain coming,” Whitmer said Friday. “This emergency declaration will help local, state, and federal officials protect Michiganders and property.”
asnabes@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: DNR adds more pumps to Cheboygan dam area as more rain is forecast
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