ISHPEMING, MI-- Upper Peninsula Power Company is getting ready to lower the levels of its hydroelectric reservoirs in the Western U.P.
The drawdowns are meant to accommodate extra water during spring runoff.
Victoria Dam and Bond Falls drawdowns will begin in January, while the Prickett Hydro Dam Reservoir level will be lowered in February. The Lake Gogebic Reservoir is expected to be lowered slightly between now and the end of February.
Officials warn the drawdowns may cause “bridging”, a condition in which the lower water level leaves a gap or space under the ice. Increased water flows in the rivers associated with the reservoirs may deteriorate the ice from underneath, causing unstable and unsafe ice conditions. Those areas may not be easy to identify, so officials urge the public to use caution on all reservoirs, lakes, and their associated rivers.
