Crews deploy more sandbags and pumps at Cheboygan Lock and Dam amid rising water levels

Crews at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam in Cheboygan, Michigan, placed more sandbags at the complex on Saturday while large pumps moved water around the structure on Saturday amid rising water levels in the area, state officials said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Cheboygan County on Friday due to the flood risk.

"Significant snowfall and recent rain have raised water levels, which could lead to possible flooding for areas downstream of the dam," Whitmer said in a written statement.  

According to officials, the Michigan State Police is running the state's emergency response out of the State Emergency Operations Center.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the sandbags are intended to "provide a buffer for rising water and help channel the water" and pumps are being used to move water from behind the dam to the spillway in front where it can continue flowing toward Lake Huron.

Around 1,500 sandbags were placed along the lock on Thursday, according to the DNR. Crews also removed a wooden timber debris screen in front of one of the dam's gates to help increase water flow through it.

The governor's office said Friday that the Cheboygan River had risen to 18 inches below the top of the dam. State officials said Saturday that additional water level monitoring equipment had been installed by the U.S. Geological Survey. 

"The DNR is actively engaged with our partners to prevent the failure of the dam to the fullest extent possible," Mike Janisse, leader of the state agencies' Incident Management Team, said in a written statement.

Cheboygan is around 49 miles northeast of Gaylord, Michigan, and around 279 miles northwest of Detroit.