The Reedsburg Dam is a non-hydroelectric barrage dam crossing the Muskegon River in eastern Missaukee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in rural Enterprise Township, the dam was constructed in 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps to alleviate flooding from Houghton Lake, which is the source of the Muskegon River approximately upstream. The resulting reservoir is known as the Dead Stream Flooding, and the area is incorporated into the Dead Stream Flooding State Wildlife Management Area, which extends east into neighboring

Roscommon County Roscommon County ( ') is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 23,459. The county seat is Roscommon. The county was founded in 1840 and organized in 1875. History The county was forme ...

. The Reedsburg Dam is the smallest and newest of the four remaining dams along the Muskegon River, which includes the

Croton Dam The New Croton Dam (also known as Cornell Dam) is a dam forming the New Croton Reservoir, both parts of the New York City water supply system. It stretches across the Croton River near Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about north of New York City. ...

, Hardy Dam, and Rogers Dam much further downstream.

Activities

The Reedsburg Dam is located along County Road 300 about northwest of the community of Houghton Lake— west of U.S. Route 127 and north of M-55. The nearest incorporated city is Lake City about west along M-55. Common fauna in the Muskegon River and Dead Stream Flooding include

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

, pumpkinseed,

small Small may refer to: Science and technology * SMALL, an ALGOL-like programming language * Small (anatomy), the lumbar region of the back * ''Small'' (journal), a nano-science publication * <small>, an HTML element that defines smaller text ...

and largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, native

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

, northern pike, and

bowfin The bowfin (''Amia calva'') is a bony fish, native to North America. Common names include mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, grindle, grinnel, swamp trout, and choupique. It is regarded as a relict, being the sole surviving species of the Halecomorphi ...

(colloquially referred to as "dogfish"). The surrounding area is open to seasonal waterfowl, turkey, and deer hunting. The footpath across the dam is commonly used by hunters to access the more remote wilderness trails—some of which belonged to the long-defunct and removed railway lines of the Missaukee Branch of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

. Other popular activities include bird watching, geocaching, photography, and canoeing/kayaking. Rustic camping is available at the adjacent Reedsburg Dam State Forest Campground on the northeast side of the dam, which is operated by the nearby

North Higgins Lake State Park North Higgins Lake State Park is a public recreation area located west of Roscommon in Beaver Creek Township, Crawford County, Michigan. The state park occupies on the north shore of Higgins Lake at the site of what was once one of the world ...

. The campground contains a public boat launch, but larger boats are discouraged due to the shallowness and underwater hazards within the Dead Stream Flooding.

Recent history

Beginning in August 2018, the dam underwent major reconstruction that continued for over one year. The construction was necessary to repair and rebuild the nearly 80-year-old earthen dike and concrete and steel structures. During the project, the Dead Stream Flooding was slowly drained and eventually allowed for only the regular flow of the Muskegon River. In addition, a new steel walkway and staircase replaced the older wooden structures, and a large amount of rocks were trucked in to strengthen the dike along the reservoir and immediate downstream embankments. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan in early 2020, the finishing steps on the construction project were delayed. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, more than 90% of the project was complete before government shutdowns were implemented by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. While the reservoir saw a significant increase in water levels after the dam was rebuilt, the pre-construction water level was originally slated to return to normal by summertime. The dam reconstruction project was completed in September 2020, but water levels within the reservoir were still noticeably lower for quite some time. The campground remained open throughout the project. The dock at the public boat launch, which no longer reached the lowering water level, was moved out of place. The launch itself remains open and usable, although the water levels throughout the reservoir decreased significantly. With the completion of the project, water levels were raised very slowly.

Images

File:Muskegon River at the Reedsburg Dam.jpg, File:Dead Stream Flooding at the Reedsburg Dam.jpg, File:Reedsburg Dam embankment (Michigan).jpg,

References

{{reflist Dams in Michigan Dams completed in 1940 1940 establishments in Michigan Buildings and structures in Missaukee County, Michigan Tourist attractions in Missaukee County, Michigan