Facebook Group Opposed to Draw Down Of a Popular Fishing Spot

UPDATE 2/3/2023 10:30 p.m.

An opposition group to the DNR’s plans to draw down the water levels at Cheboygan County’s Cornwall Flooding Dam is gaining traction.

The DNR, who owns the dam, said that it has been classified as a high hazard dam by the state but a grassroots campaign to preserve the area has been gaining steam on Facebook.

The group, called ‘Save Cornwall Flooding, Pigeon River State Forest’ just started recently after hearing the news of the water draw down.

An admin of the group, Curtis Goldsborough, said they are hoping to raise awareness and find the funds to invest into repairing the dam. Goldsborough said they’ve known as early as 2007 that the dam was in poor condition.

“Here we are 15 years later, and nothing has been done about it,” said Goldsborough.

The opposition group says they have the support of local lawmakers including State Representative Cam Cavitt and State Senator John Damoose.

“It’s been less than two weeks and we already have over 1200 members, just tons of people on there sharing memories and photos and stories of everything that Cornwall Flooding means to them. So, it’s really exciting to see the energy building there,” said Goldsborough.

The DNR said if the Cornwall Flooding Dam were to fail it could have serious consequences for people and property. They plan to draw down the levels in the late summer or fall.

2/2/2023 6:57 p.m.

The Cornwall Flooding Dam in Cheboygan County is owned by the Michigan DNR. The DNR said the dam has been in need of repair for years, but with no funding to repair it, they will soon draw down the water levels behind it over safety concerns.

The dam has been classified as a high hazard dam by the state said Tim Cwalinski, part of the Fisheries Division of the Michigan DNR.

“So right now, there are no easy answers or easy fix. There’s no easy answer to this. And it’s not something that we really want to do. But it does reduce the liability associated with a ‘high hazard damaged Cornwall,’” said Cwalinski.

The DNR said if the Cornwall Flooding Dam were to fail it could have serious consequences for people and property in the area.

They plan to draw down the levels in the late summer or fall.