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The Sanback Dam on Beechwood Creek in Rose City, Michigan was constructed around 1920 to power a flour mill and later a lumber mill. Today, it no longer serves a purpose, and the crumbling concrete structure has become a safety hazard for both people and wildlife. It also blocks fish and other aquatic animals from moving through the creek and warms the water, threatening the cold water habitats of Beechwood and Houghton creeks—important parts of the Saginaw Bay watershed.
To address these issues, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Coastal Program is working with partners to remove the dam. Removing the dam will reopen a half mile of upstream habitat that has been cut off for over a century. Surveys show that Beechwood Creek supports many native and naturalized fishes, including brook, brown, and rainbow trout; slimy sculpin; blacknose dace; creek chub; brook stickleback; brassy minnow; fathead minnow; and white sucker.
The deteriorating dam also poses serious risks. If it fails, it could send large amounts of sand, silt, and organic material downstream. Sediment behind the dam contains arsenic at levels above residential safety standards. A sudden release of this contaminated sediment could kill fish, bury sensitive habitats for miles, and impact the Rifle River—a popular trout fishing destination—before eventually reaching Saginaw Bay and its valuable coastal wetlands.
Because of these concerns, Rose City, which owns Sanback Dam and nearby Metcalf Park, asked Huron Pines Resource Conservation and Development Council (Huron Pines) for help. Local and state partners strongly support the removal of the dam and the plan to restore the stream channel and surrounding wetlands once the dam is gone. This work will improve safety and enhance important wildlife habitats.
To help support the project, the Midwest Coastal Program and Huron Pines established a cooperative agreement in August 2024, funded in part by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Additional financial and technical assistance will be provided by Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR); Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN); the Mershon-Neumann Chapter of Trout Unlimited; and the Walters Family Foundation. Most of the project cost is being covered by the EGLE Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program and
the DNR Fisheries Habitat Grant Program. Before the Coastal Program joined the effort, Huron Pines, EGLE, and other partners completed project design and permitting.
The removal plan includes carefully controlled dewatering and a detailed sediment management approach to ensure contaminated sediments stay contained and do not travel downstream to the Rifle River or Saginaw Bay. Wetland restoration will include removing invasive vegetation and planting native plants—such as milkweed—to support monarch butterflies and other pollinators.
Once complete, the project will reconnect a half mile of cold water stream, allowing fish and other aquatic organisms to move freely, improve 14 acres of wetland habitat, and protect more than 70 miles of downstream cold water habitat in Houghton Creek, the Rifle River, and Saginaw Bay. The project is expected to engage at least 50 Rose City residents through community events, volunteer opportunities, and project updates
Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2026.
