The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District (USACE) fully restored operations Wednesday morning, July 5, to the Crooked River Lock in Alanson, Michigan.
Specialized lock and dam maintainers from the Soo Locks arrived Monday evening to respond to concerns about the lower lock gate not opening when a brake malfunctioned and seized, not allowing the gate to move, shutting down the lock ahead of the popular boating July 4th holiday. Emmet County operates the USACE-owned lock through partnerships with the Corps of Engineers and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The Crooked River Lock ensures water levels are maintained through the Inland Waterway system, providing recreational boating opportunities for thousands of Northern Michigan residents each year. The locks perform about 10,000 lockages per year.
“We know how important the Crooked River Lock is to many Northern Michigan residents and boaters,” said Cindy Jarema, Chief of Operations and Maintenance Branch for the Detroit District. “When the lower gate malfunctioned Monday afternoon, our dedicated and skilled lock and dam maintainers from the Soo locks responded immediately, working through the July 4 holiday.”
The Detroit District staff was able to re-open the lock within 24 hours in a limited capacity and train Emmet County operators to manually open the locks to allow boaters to pass through the waterway. The team fixed a malfunctioning brake and replaced a safety relay the following morning to restore full service to the lock.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we worked to get the lock back in service over the holiday,” Jarema said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, maintains a navigation system of 81 harbors and channels joining lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie.
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