City's Four Dams Now Almost Complete

Geddes Dam, at Dixboro Rd., was severely damaged by the disastrous ñood of June, 19G8. The need to rebuild this dam and to repair and put in good condition the other three dams on the Huron River, resulted in passage of a $3% million bond issue last year. Now the work, under direction of O'Neal Construction Company, is almost complete, except for minor finishing touches, and Barton Pond is bëginning to be filled once more. To show the public what has happened with their money we are publishing these aerial photos of the f o u r dams, together with a progress report. At right is Geddes Dam, the oíd powerhouse removed, and the gates and most of the interior structure replaced and rebuilt. On the left side of the pond lis the new Ypsilanti pumping ■station, and immediately downriver from that station is the newly-built canoe and boat take-out ramp, cut into the sheet-piling wall. S e v e r a 1 loads of crushed rock have been placed at the entrance to the ramp so boaters will not have to step out in mud. There will be a limited amount of parking available along the access road to the pumping station, but most parking (for fishermen and boaters) will be east of Dixboro Rd. (not shown). The four new gates are now in place, and soon the earthen cofferdams blocking the channel will be removed. This fill dirt will be used to smooth off the area around the dam, primarily on the south side. The contractor will then place topsoil on all exposed dirt areas and seed it. Although the work on the dam is virtually complete, refilling is not expected until mid-September, because of the need to do additional work in and next to the river for the Parks Department. (A photograph of this - o ject, and a look at the Geddes I Pond área, can be found on I today's Outdoor Page, page I 32.) The river must also be kept I down until after the I ment of Natural Resources I carries out its plan to I son out and restock the river I to improve the fishery. In the photograph below is I Superior Dam. All repair I work on. the dam is complete, I and the new gate installed. I Very soon the contractor will I wall off the old sluiceway I through the power house and I then demolish what remains I of that building. The whole I area of the present sluiceway I will be filled, covered with I topsoil, and seeded. Part of the fill needed for I this will be from the present I cofferdam, which can be seen I in the river below the gated I part of the dam. Superior only has one gate I to control flow. Water will I normally flow over the' top of I the rest of the dam (the four I ports to the left of the I graph).