The Reedsburg Dam is located along County Road 300 about 5 miles (8.0km) northwest of the community of Houghton Lake—3 miles (4.8km) west of U.S. Route 127 and 1.5 miles (2.4km) north of M-55. The nearest incorporated city is Lake City about 18 miles (29.0km) west along M-55.
Other popular activities include bird watching, geocaching, photography, and canoeing/kayaking. Rustic camping is available at the adjacent Reedsburg Dam State Forest Campground on the northeast side of the dam, which is operated by the nearby North Higgins Lake State Park.[6][7] The campground contains a public boat launch, but larger boats are discouraged due to the shallowness and underwater hazards within the Dead Stream Flooding.[8]
Recent history
Beginning in August 2018, the dam underwent major reconstruction that continued for over one year. The construction was necessary to repair and rebuild the nearly 80-year-old earthen dike and concrete and steel structures. During the project, the Dead Stream Flooding was slowly drained and eventually allowed for only the regular flow of the Muskegon River.[9] In addition, a new steel walkway and staircase replaced the older wooden structures, and a large number of rocks were trucked in to strengthen the dike along the reservoir and immediate downstream embankments.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan in early 2020, the finishing steps on the construction project were delayed. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, more than 90% of the project was complete before government shutdowns were implemented by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. While the reservoir saw a significant increase in water levels after the dam was rebuilt, the pre-construction water level was originally slated to return to normal by summertime.[9][6] The dam reconstruction project was completed in September 2020, but water levels within the reservoir were still noticeably lower for quite some time.[10]
The campground remained open throughout the project. The dock at the public boat launch, which no longer reached the lowering water level, was moved out of place. The launch itself remains open and usable, although the water levels throughout the reservoir decreased significantly.[11][12] With the completion of the project, water levels were raised very slowly.[10]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Reedsburg_Dam, and is written by contributors.
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