Peninsular Paper Dam

Peninsular Paper Dam
The Peninsular Paper Dam (May 2010)
Location within the state of Michigan
Country	United States
Location	1249 Leforge Road Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan
Coordinates	42°15′22″N 83°37′27″W / 42.25610°N 83.62410°W / 42.25610; -83.62410Coordinates: 42°15′22″N 83°37′27″W / 42.25610°N 83.62410°W / 42.25610; -83.62410
Purpose	Power
Status	Decommissioned
Opening date	1914; 108 years ago (1914)
Demolition date	Pending
Built by	Peninsular Paper Company
Owner(s)	City of Ypsilanti
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Huron River

The Peninsular Paper Dam is a decommissioned hydroelectric fixed-earth gravity dam and former paper mill and power station crossing the Huron River. It is located in the city of Ypsilanti in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The dam was constructed in 1914, and the resulting reservoir is an unnamed 177-acre (31.1 ha) pond along the river.

The Peninsular Paper Dam is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream from the Superior Dam and 6.5 miles (10.4 km) upstream from the Ford Lake Dam. The dam is approximately 42.4 miles (68.2 km) from the river mouth at Lake Erie.^[1]

In May 2019, the Ypsilanti city council voted to completely remove the dam in the future instead of continuing costly maintenance to repair the aging dam.^[2][3]

History[]

The Peninsular Paper Company, the dam, and power station in the early 1900s

The first dam was built on the site by the Peninsular Paper Company as early as 1867. At the same time, a large paper mill was constructed on the south side of the river, and a smaller one was built directly across the river in 1876. The smaller paper mill was heavily damaged by a fire in 1898. That mill was closed down, and the surviving equipment was moved to the larger facility. The original dam was replaced with the current dam in 1914. Heavy rain caused a dam failure on May 14, 1918 that caused considerable damage to some bridges further downstream, and the dam was completely repaired within two years. The larger facility remained in operation until 1970.^[4]

In 1986, the city of Ypsilanti acquired the land with intent to restore it or convert the facilities for other usage, but the ideas never materialized before it was decided to demolish the remaining structures. The larger south-side paper mill was demolished in 2004 to make room for two residential apartment buildings called the Peninsular Place Apartments. The only remaining remnant of this paper mill is the original chimney that now stands in the courtyard of the apartment complex.^[4]

Current status[]

The hollowed out exterior of the smaller north-side paper mill and signage remains standing. The surrounding area has been reorganized as Peninsular Park and is a popular destination for picnickers and shore fishermen.^[5] The dam is directly across North Huron River Drive from the main campus of Eastern Michigan University.

In September 2018, the city of Ypsilanti and the Huron River Watershed Council conducted a report to assess the feasibility of removing the Peninsular Dam and remaining structures. The report concluded that dam removal is feasible. The dam has a "high" hazard potential classification, which means a high degree of damage will result if the dam should fail in the future, although the structural integrity of the dam is fair. An early estimated cost of the demolition of the dam exceeded $800,000. The dam is considered obsolete, because it no longer serves an economic purpose and is in need of repairs and ongoing maintenance. The report stated the possibility of maintaining the existing connected powerhouse structure and sign atop it, as the structure poses no hazard and is an iconic feature in the area.^[6]

On May 7, 2019, the Ypsilanti city council voted 5–1 to approve an initial $500,000 toward the deconstruction of the dam instead of continuing maintenance of the now-defunct structure. Upon further assessment, the total cost of removing the dam is estimated at $2.7–4.3 million. No future timeline has been set, although the surrounding parkland may be preserved and possibly upgraded.^[2][3][6]

References[]