By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — The dam on the Cass River west of Caro failed according to a report from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
“The DEQ contacted me about the dam’s failure Friday,” said Tuscola County Emergency Services Director Steve Anderson. “There is no immediate threat posed from its failure.”
The 108-year old dam has two gates.
“One of the gates failed… or partly failed,” said Anderson, noting it is difficult to tell at this point because of the water level. “One gate is letting the water out. It will flow out until it gets to the bottom of the door.
“With the water leaving Lake Caro, no one is sure at this point what the Caro Lake level will be… It might not be there.”
The dam was built in 1906 to provide water for the Michigan Sugar Company. It was reconstructed in 1928 as a hydroelectric dam to provide power to Caro. It has been out of service for several years, and has been privately owned since about 2003.
“The DEQ told me the owner noticed the failure a week ago, and that he told them he plans to fix it,” said Anderson.