Title
Transmittal of Huron River and Impoundment Management Plan Recommendations and Environmental Commission Resolution
Memorandum
The Huron River and Impoundment Management Plan Committee is pleased to provide the following draft plan, report, and recommendations to City Council for their review and approval. The Environmental Commission recently adopted a resolution supporting the plan’s 30 consensus recommendations and the recommendation to remove Argo Dam (see attached). A separate resolution from Park Advisory Commission was adopted recommending preserving the Argo Impoundment. That resolution is being transmitted to Council separately. New information on several cost assumptions are included in the revised spreadsheet in the report.
The committee has met for the past two years to better understand the sometimes-complex interrelationships among the Huron river ecology, community recreation preferences, the effect of dams on river processes, and the economic implications of different recommendations.
The Committee heard presentations from key user groups (e.g., anglers, paddlers and rowers, among others) and regulatory agencies (e.g., MDEQ Dam Safety, MDNR Fisheries). The committee included representatives from key user groups and community organizations including river residents, rowers, paddlers, anglers, the University of Michigan, Detroit Edison, the Environmental Commission, Park Advisory Commission, Planning Commission, and the Huron River Watershed Council. The Committee worked in three subcommittees - Aquatic Vegetation, Dam Management, and Recreation - to develop working drafts of reports and recommendations. City staff from Parks, Systems Planning, and Natural Area Preservation acted as valuable resources to the committee throughout the process. Water Plant staff played a key role in providing the Committee with a better understanding of dam management and the various costs associated with hydropower and recreation dams.
The Committee hel...
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