DNR begins drawdown of Big Creek Impoundment in Crawford County
Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 10/08/2013 10:10 AM EDT
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 8, 2013
Contact: Dave Borgeson, 989-732-3541 or Ed Golder, 517-335-3014
DNR begins drawdown of Big Creek Impoundment in Crawford County
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Fisheries Division is drawing down the Big Creek Impoundment in Crawford County.
The drawdown has already begun and is needed to inspect and address structural issues with the outlet pipe that were identified during a routine inspection by the Dam Safety Unit of the Department of Environmental Quality. The land around the lake is entirely within state ownership, and the structure is the responsibility of the DNR’s Fisheries Division.
The impoundment is approximately 97 acres in size. The drawdown will be done at a rate no faster than 12 inches of water per week. The scope and related costs of the structural repairs needed are not known at this time; therefore, no timetable for refilling the impoundment has been developed.
It should be noted that recreational users of the impoundment will notice significant changes to the water body during the drawdown period. There will be less water in the impoundment than users would normally experience.