Upper and Lower Dam Updates

In 2014, the Richfield Village and Township voted for and passed a bond issue which provided funds not only to purchase this 336 acre property, but also for capital repairs and improvements to the property. The money is currently paying for improvements to the dams at the Upper Lake and Lower Lake. 

Since September 27, Northstar Incorporated, under the guidance of the engineering firm Gannett Fleming, is making progress in completing the required repairs to the two dams at the Richfield Heritage Preserve to be in compliance with the State Dam Safety. 

Repairing and replacing one hundred year old concrete is the task at hand. The upper dam work is almost complete. One of the support walls was found to have deteriorated concrete more than anticipated and had to be redesigned. As of this writing, the new repairs will be completed early December with only minor clean-up and planting of grass remaining. 

Work on the lower dam began in October which consisted of chipping away old concrete in order to anchor into a solid foundation and the side channel chute adjacent to the primary spillway was started. A redesign is in the works to address some discovered voids in this portion of the dam. In addition, several truck loads of sediment have been removed from in front of the wall that had built up over the years. This needed to be done in order to  expose the main concrete wall that is facing the lake. Water that is flowing through the dam is now being redirected under the dam so this work can be accomplished. There is also work being done under the mill with the walls that are part of the dam structure.    

Going on simultaneously, our Friends of Crowell Hilaka for Richfield Heritage Preserve group is coordinating and funding the work specifically with the water wheel and supports.