April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

A committee of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners met with county environmentalists to discuss proposed improvements to Thompson Lake Dam in Howell.

The Courts, Public Safety, and Infrastructure Development Committee met on Monday, Dec. 18th with members of the Livingston County Drain Commissioners Office to review a request to exceed the annual maintenance funding of Thompson Lake, which includes the dam.

Chief Deputy Drain Commissioner Ken Wrecker submitted a memorandum to the committee on Nov. 30th with an update on recent concerns regarding Thompson Lake, along with noticeable deterioration to the dam.

The memorandum states the Drain Commissioner’s office has observed continued deterioration of the dam’s weir structure and downstream culvert.

Additionally, there seems to be efficiency issues with the current log gate control mechanism, which was last refurbished in the late 1990s.

In 2021, a dam inspection for the State of Michigan found the concrete structure of the dam to be deteriorating in a few locations. In the spring of 2023, an installed safety railing broke, primarily due to concrete deterioration. Commissioner Deaton, Vice-Chairman of the Committee, noted that safety is a big concern as the railing is located within a high traffic area.

The current annual maintenance limit for Thompson Lake is set at $10,000. A proposed resolution would extend the maintenance limit and accommodate fixes to begin as early as next year.

Engineers with GEI Consultants drafted the proposed costs of improvements, which totals just under $359,000.

The Committee will reconvene in January 2024 to further discuss extending the maintenance limit.