LATEST NEWS

January 2021

We are nearing the end of the dam spillway part of construction, with the last of the concrete pouring to be finished by February 1st. What remains for the winter part of the construction schedule is backfilling and rip rap placement which should take about 10 days. The dam spillway should be opened shortly thereafter. In the Spring, beginning in early April, Riverworks, Inc. will return to the site and complete the following tasks to include installation of the Pile Cap, Catwalk, Legacy Wall, Security Fencing and Gates. The last steps for project completion will be Final Grading, Restoration and Demobilization (removal of all construction equipment). This will take us to early May and the end of the project!

As of January 21, 2021, the project is approximately 2 weeks behind schedule. This is mainly due to the discovery of a 3 foot diameter pipe located under the dam which ran from the upstream side of the dam and terminated in the creek. It was originally thought to be part of the dam control mechanism which could be used to facilitate dam maintenance. This pipe was discovered during the demolition of the old dam. A few weeks were required to decide how best to address and fix this issue. To fix this problem, specialized equipment was used drill a hole into the top of the pipe and then fill the pipe with a concrete slurry. This eliminated the possibility of a collapse of this abandoned pipe which could undermine the new dam.

Throughout the construction project, the water level of the lake has been controlled by two siphon tubes located at the dam site (bright aqua blue if you've driven by the site). As we approach Spring, the flow through these tubes is being reduced to approximate the return to our normal summer lake level. As always, this is a very gradual process that is somewhat dependent on snow/rain fall.

For the Gull Lake Dam Association,

Jeff Price
Gull Lake Dam Association, VP

To everyone who contributed to this project – our sincerest "Thank You" for your encouragement and financial support!

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW

Please scroll through the images above to see the latest construction activities.

WHAT'S NEXT

The project began October 5, 2020 and will be completed in early May 2021.

We will post progress of the project on this website, our Facebook page and via e-mail.

Our EGLE permit including engineering drawings of the new dam can be viewed from this website under “What’s New! “EGLE Permit Issued”