AU TRAIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Cleveland Cliffs basin south of Au Train in Alger County is experiencing historically low water levels.
As of a few months ago this was a pretty sizable lake, and at some places the reservoir was over 15-feet deep. Where there was a boat launch is now a dock to nowhere, and these waterfront campsites are now hundreds of yards from what’s left of the Cleveland Cliffs storage basin.
Much of what was a premiere fishing and kayaking destination is now barren dry land. Fishing guide Corie Berrigan has fished these waters for years and has never seen the water level so low.
“What normally would I be looking at?” I asked her.
“Water. You would be looking at water, but as soon as you see that that shoreline drops off pretty quickly and it’s gone,” said Berrigan.
The basin is regulated by the Au Train dam that sits at the north end of the basin, controlling the flow of the Au Train River, and water levels for Au Train Lake. The dam is owned by Renewable World Energies LLC, which has been notified by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy that it is in violation of allowing the minimum stream flow to go below the lower limit of 50 cubic feet per second and that reservoir water levels are three feet below the limit.
In documents found by 19 News, EGLE conducted an inspection of the dam September 10 and found several violations and gave the company until October 31 to make the necessary improvements.
Much of the Upper Peninsula is experiencing drought conditions due to last year’s mild winter and a dry summer and fall. However, a single cause for the current low water levels has not been established.
19 News spoke to John Pepin with the Michigan DNR, who says that the owners of the dam have been notified by state and federal agencies about not only low water levels but lingering safety concerns that go back decades pre-dating the current owners.
“EGLE is questioning the dam owners as to why the lake level was lowered without consulting the state, and they’ve given them a notice that they’re in violation of state laws, and so they’re waiting for a response that’s due on the 31st of October,” said Pepin.
I spoke off camera with Renewable World Energies CEO Bill Harris who says the reservoir is doing what it is supposed to do, which is store water and provide water downstream when needed.
