3-11-2026 11:44pm

Old Questions, Few New Answers, Talk of Legal Measures at City Townhall on Saline River Dam

It's been almost six months since Saline City Council discussed the Saline River Dam and Mill Pond. It's been about a year since Spicer Group released its Saline River Dam removal feasibility study. It's been about five years since the Saline City Council began considering its options regarding the future of the dam and the pond.

What was clear after reviewing Monday's town hall meeting on the dam is that critics of the proposal have many of the same concerns - especially when it comes to the numbers detailing the financial issues at play, and the city still has few answers. One new wrinkle on display at Monday's meeting was talk of a lawsuit by residents if the city removes the dam and the pond.

Residents who spoke were divided, but it was clear that the majority were against removing the dam.

Removing the Dam

The site has been home to a dam for many years, even before Henry Ford built one in the 1930s to power a mill that processed soy oil. It has not been in operation since the 60s. The dam failed in 1968 and was rebuilt in 1973.

City Manager Dan Swallow emphasized that the city council has not yet decided whether to rehab or remove the dam. Listening to city engineer Tesha Humpriss, Streamside Eco Project Manager Aaron Snell, and Spicer Group Project Manager Kevin Wilks, who sat a table in front of the audience who attended the meeting, it was clear they felt that removing the dam was the prudent route.

Humpriss noted that the city owns the dam and is responsible for its liabilities. She said the dam is getting older, faces increased recurring costs, more regulation, and more frequent storm events. In terms of asset management, "the city owns a lot of stuff, and we have to consider reinvesting in an asset beyond its useful life."

Among other things, Snell referenced fish studied in the river. North of the pond, there were 20 fish species. 21 species were found downstream, and 12 species were identified in the impoundment. He noted that 18 species were blocked by the dam.

Humphriss noted that removing the dam would create 10 new acres of parkland. Preliminary investigations revealed that removing the dam could allow a walkway connecting the park and Curtiss Park under US-12.

Humphriss listed a series of maintenance and administrative tasks related to the dam that she estimated cost the city about $68,000 annually. This was much higher than a 2021 estimate of $1,000-$10,000.

Wilks then delved into perhaps the most important cost comparison. He estimated that removal of the dam would have a greater cost in the short run ($3-$5 million over five years or $5.8-6.9 million over 50 years) but lower cost in the long run than rehabbing the dam ($1-1.5 million over two years and $7.8-10.2 million over 50 years.)

"Long term it saves the city substantial dollars if the dam is removed," Wilks said.\

For the most part, while the numbers changed, the points were the same. City Manager Swallow emphasized that inspections revealed further deterioration in the dam's condition, adding a bit more pressure to the city's timetable to decide whether to rehab or remove the dam.

Residents Question Figures

Saline resident and former DPW employee Erik Grossman, as he did a year ago, questioned the costs estimated in the rehab vs remove argument

"I see numbers thrown around, all estimates, no hard numbers. To me, these estimates are extremely high," Grossman said.

He noted the estimate for refurbishing the dam's gates, on the rehab side, at $1.56 million. Grossman said when that work was done in 2005, it cost $134,000. In today's numbers, that's about $224,000.

"Your estimate is extremely high," he said.

He also noted that estimates on the "removal" side were lacking, particularly for cost estimates of a pedestrian walkway under US-12.

"A lot of these things need solid numbers," Grossman said.

Humphriss said estimates wouldn't be available until they put projects out for bid.

He also asked why the city continues to make the case with these estimates instead of repairing problems addressed years ago.

The Narratives

Some residents expressed support for removing the dam. Former City Councillor Jack Ceo was one.

"The people in those seats are saying things have reached a critical state and that we need to take action. They are trying to stop it and do something positive," Ceo said.

A Tower Street resident said she appreciated what city officials and engineers told her.

"I don't wait to think about just now. I appreciate the well-thought-out process. I will be a resident for 50-years. I want to be informed when I make a decision," she said.

But fairly overwhelmingly, the most voices were in favor of retaining the dam and the pond.

One woman called the pond one of the city's jewels. She said the city's refusal to maintain the dam caused the current issue.

"My mother always said, 'Your refusal to plan does not constitute an emergency on my part,'" she said.

Later criticized the report issued at the meeting as one-sided.

"Every teacher at Saline Area Schools would call out the bias in this. This is persuasive, not informative," she said.

One of the more passionate points was made by resident Karen Peters, who has a backyard overlooking the pond.

"What about aesthetics? What about the fishing? What about the kayaking? What about the view when I wake up every morning and see the sunshine on the pond, and why I paid a premium for the lot? And why have I lived here for 42 years?" Peters said. "You're going to totally dismantle that, and I'm supposed to be OK with that?"

Jim Peters, who previously organized a petition drive to put the matter on the ballot, said that more and more communities are converting historic industrial dams into hubs for recreation. He noted that Milan has embraced its dam.

"Milan made their dam an attraction. It's actually beautiful," he said.

Legal Costs?

Shawn Sutton listed a series of expenses he was concerned about, including debt, landscaping costs, and lawsuit costs.

Next

Swallow said the site might not change much in the next few years. The city must determine its direction and then seek funding, regardless of the route the council chooses. It's believed the state or federal government is more likely to help fund the removal of a dam.

More information

Read the presentation from the townhall.

To immerse yourself in the issues, read the project's ClearGov page.

Residents have created a website to "Save Mill Pond."