April 13, 2026

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has activated Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center as rising water at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex pushes to within 18 inches of the crest after record March snowfall and recent rain, with officials warning even more public-safety measures could kick in if the river climbs to just 12 inches below the top. The situation is already tightening: the DNR has closed access points on both sides of the dam after a large ice chunk damaged a safety wire, and forecasters say the county has seen roughly 5 inches above average liquid-equivalent precipitation since March 1 — a dangerous mix that could turn fast into local flooding.

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