Plan to update Grand Lake, Lake Esau court order, establish special assessment districts draws huge crowd

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
The gymnasium of the Presque Isle Township Hall was filled to capacity last Thursday for the informational meeting regarding proposed updates to lake level orders for Grand Lake and Lake Esau and the establishment of special assessment districts.
Fifteen minutes before the meeting started, township officials scrambled to add chairs, but it still was not enough for everyone as interested people lined the walls of the gym and a half dozen had to listen from the lobby and stood for the duration, although less than half did not stay the entire two hours.
It was a chance for property owners to hear about the county’s progress toward updating the orders under Part 307 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act.
There was concern expressed by several in the audience that bringing in a special assessment, in particular for property owners in and around Grand Lake, is an overreach of government.
Others commented that lake levels have never been an issue before, why is this update needed now. Of course, many were there to see what it could cost.
Lake Esau is another story entirely, with concerns that a funding mechanism needs to be in place with an uncertain future that hinges right now on quarry owner, Holcim, pumping water into the lake with no other natural source available.
Attorney Stacy Hissong from the St. Johns firm of Fahey, Schultz, Buzych, Rhodes PLC, who is representing the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners, guided the meeting with a PowerPoint that is available on the website: presqueislelakelevels.org.
“The circuit court sets the lake level and then it comes under the jurisdiction of the county board of commissioners, by circuit court order, if you don’t do that you are in violation of the order,” said Hissong at the beginning of her presentation, who was flanked by Presque Isle County drain commissioner Bob Macomber and Luke O’Brien, engineer from Spicer Group.
“Since the Midland dam break, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) are trying to make sure all these established lake levels, all the safety requirements, everything, is being met,” said Hissong. “They are very carefully looking at these old lake level orders to make sure they are being followed by the counties.”
(The entire story is in the Jan. 23, 2025 edition of the Presque Isle County Advance. To subscribe, call us Monday through Thursday at (989) 634-2105)