Tree removal along Argo Dam embankment will result in trail and headrace closures into October
Temporary trail and headrace closures along the Huron River near Argo Dam are set to start Tuesday as the city of Ann Arbor begins removing nearly 100 dead or dying trees along the earthen embankment.
The headrace, a 1,500-foot stretch of water that kayakers and canoeists use to bypass Argo Dam on the Huron River, will be closed four days a week into October starting next week while the city removes dead trees along the embankment.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
The city is carrying out a plan outlined in a consent agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. City officials said today the vegetation management portion of the plan is in progress.
"This ongoing and lengthy process, which includes, in part, the careful and necessary removal of identified trees and vegetation from both sides of the embankment, will continue into October," reads a notice posted on the city's website.
To meet a tree removal deadline identified by the MDNRE, both the embankment trail and the headrace will close Mondays through Thursdays, starting with next Tuesday. On Fridays through Sundays, the areas will reopen to the public for canoeing, kayaking and use of the border-to-border trail until the project is complete.
The headrace is a 1,500-foot stretch of water that canoeists and kayakers use to bypass Argo Dam when traveling from Argo to Gallup Park and other points east on the Huron River.
Signs will note the closures and give alternate route suggestions for pedestrians and bicyclists. During the weekly four-day closures, boat rentals will be available at the Gallup Canoe Livery for pond paddling and modified river trips, city officials said.
The city conducted an inventory of trees on the dam's embankment in 2007. City officials said trees on the embankment and in the swale that were identified in poor condition or dead will be removed because they pose a safety hazard.
City officials said the stumps will be cut flush with the ground and painted with herbicide to prevent re-sprouting. They said no herbicide will be used within a 10-foot buffer surrounding the purple turtlehead, a state-listed endangered plant species, without state approval.
In the next few days, Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation staff is expected to post a map of the impacted area and alternative trail route information on the city's website here.
To learn more about Argo Dam and the consent agreement, click here.
For more information regarding both Argo and Gallup Canoe Liveries, click here.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
katie
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 1:46 p.m.
@Lokalisierung, the Huron River Watershed Council (hrwc.org) has a good FAQ on its website about Argo Dam. While it is true that the MDEQ 2004 study had flaws, there is much more to the story. Over time, the dam will cost quite a bit to maintain, as we are seeing with this tree issue. The idea of putting toxins into the river is another issue. There are costs to keeping the dam up, even if one part of the study, that described problems with the concrete part of the dam was flawed. There is also the health of the ecosystem. Restoring this part of the watershed is important to the health of our region. Other places that have removed dams have been delighted with the results. In the long run, we will spend more taxpayer money unnecessarily if we keep the dam. The HRWC site explains it better than I can here.
ShadowManager
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 1:28 p.m.
BTW...RIP The big Tree on the west side of Stone School Road just before Ellsworth. It hung out just a little too far for them to see the bus-stop. What a stupid reason to cut down a tree that was probably 300 years old. I'm actually hating all this "progress" in Treetown lately. The debacle on 5th @ library, the tore-up stadium road, the demolished trees.... I understood the Ash Tree thing, but they haven't replaced ANY of the ones they chopped downtown (gotta love those grates with the stumps and weeds in them..), but for a town that prides itself on appearances, this place is starting to look really dumpy and chewed around the edges compared to even a few years ago. How about a little less renovation, a little more beautification? When was the last time the City actually PLANTED some trees instead of tearing them out???
ShadowManager
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 11:29 a.m.
It's getting so you can't go anywhere in this town anymore without construction closing off vital thoroughfares, and now they're cutting off the water & trail routes too? Enough of this. I'd like some committees to oversee these endless projects... underground structure 5th avenue, the Stadium, Plymouth Road, Stadum Bridge, Stadium Road, State State @ Washington, etc etc. which are draining the vitality and patience of this community!
Lokalisierung
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 11:11 a.m.
No idea what to do. I've heard so much "proof" on both sides they've effectively confused me.
Rork Kuick
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 9:47 a.m.
Chemicals: Appropriate vegetation seems to mean nothing more than 15 feet tall, and the big tree species won't really work, so you want to kill them. See those links. Maybe this "dead and dying" stuff is just words, with every large tree set to go, perhaps after declaring it "dying" - I'm not sure.
katie
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 9:45 a.m.
As jameslucas and others have said, plain and simple: The Argo Dam needs to go.
Silly Sally
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 9:18 a.m.
Why use a chemical to stop the root system from sprouting a new tree? That almost seem spiteful and certainly is silly.
Rork Kuick
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 8:32 a.m.
Oversimplification is not that helpful Mr. Cahill. There is a problem, the size of which can be measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars, right? I did figure out part of the answer to one question. There are two options up for bids. One is for work to keep the area about like it is (with headrace and a portage at the bottom). The other is a grander one where the whole thing is reconstructed, with fantasies of a no portage route usable by novices. Maybe I can guess that the second option will be so expensive that it will never happen, but evidently somebody wants it. Who? (I've never really understood why they don't just block the headrace off entirely, and make a nice portage around the dam, but perhaps that's off-topic.)
DeeDee
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 8:21 a.m.
Great work on the part of the city to make this fantastic recreational resource available on the weekends when its use is at a peak! Contrast that to the incredible mess they have made of the road work around town... The dam is a critical part of the historical and recreational landscape in Ann Arbor, let's support doing what is needed to maintain this resource!
David Cahill
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 7:56 a.m.
Argo Dam should stay as it is. The dam-out people suffered a fatal self-inflicted wound some time ago when their principal lobbyist made the false claim that "Argo Dam is failing."
Rork Kuick
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 7:47 a.m.
I thought that the consent agreement stipulated that all large trees on the embankment and in the swale will need to be removed, so I was not clear why it is just dead an dying trees right now. Any hints? Also, the 8/16 pre-proposal notes down one of the links in the article says (on page 8): "Create by-pass channel to remove canoe portage Slope must be usable for novice paddlers Dam Must remain Run of the River" How on earth is that going to be accomplished and at what cost? Sounded like news to me, like nothing I've seen recommended before, and perhaps near-impossible to accomplish. The drop we are talking about is 14 feet. On page 9 it does say "Remove Embankment Vegetation Remove all standing trees on embankment and swale" From the last page: "We have a conceptual sketch of a whitewater course that would also remove the canoe portage; that conceptual estimate was $1.5-2M. As such, our expectation is that budget will be between $300K and $1.5-2.0M." That's real money that most keep-dam folks have not been talking about. Do you want to spend millions more as part of maintaining a dubious dam? I don't think that many people were in favor of fake whitewater, yet here we have it on the menu again. How is that and who is driving this?
81wolverine
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 7:46 a.m.
The earthen embankment is a critical part of the dam and needs to be maintained to keep the beautiful Argo Pond natural and recreational area the way it is. This is simply maintenance that has been deferred and put off by the city for a long time. The Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality and DNR have pointed out to the city the risk of having a lot of dead trees on the embankment in the event of a severe storm. High winds could pull out enough trees to make the soil unstable. Removing them is just good maintenance that must be done in all our parks from time to time. And the annual cost isn't very high when you realize tree removal on the embankment hasn't been done for a very long time. Keep Argo Dam and Argo Pond for the enjoyment of future generations!
MRunner
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 7:39 a.m.
Rasputin- to answer your question, we can't do as you suggest because the city recognizes that this is a significant and valuable part of the community's recreation grounds. It provides a needed thoroughfare to get from Broadway/Lower Town to the trail system on the east side of the Huron that the city has already invested in. I'm glad to see the city keep this stretch open from Friday to Sunday- what a great concession for those who love to use this stretch.
Rasputin
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 7:17 a.m.
I think this story makes it clear that the Dam and the man-made embankment are costing us a tremendous amount of money in maintenance and repairs. Add to this tree removal and the closure of this stretch of the river during one of the busiest times (early fall) and we've got a continual headache. Why can't we ante up the costs of removing the Dam once and for all and be done with it and let the flora and fauna reclaim this peaceful part of the river?
yohan
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 3:48 a.m.
Argo dam stays. eco-faddist need to go.
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 12:30 a.m.
Tree removal is tremendously expensive, and dead or dying trees are a natural part of a landscape. Is this really necessary?
Chris Gerben
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 10:36 p.m.
Makes sense: close one of the prettiest areas of town during one of the prettiest times of year. I wonder why so many people "illegally" cross the railroad tracks nearby.
jameslucas
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 9:52 p.m.
The Argo Dam needs to go.