The Fallasburg Dam (Dam) is located on the Flat River approximately two miles upstream of the City of
Lowell, Michigan (Exhibit 1). The Dam is owned by Kent County (County), and is operated and maintained
under a lease agreement for hydropower generation. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
regulates dam safety requirements, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and
Energy (EGLE) regulates environmental requirements.
The 120-year-old spillway structure was originally constructed as a rock-filled timber-crib dam with
vertical concrete piers and abutment walls. In 1927 the timber chute surface was removed and replaced
with a 16-in-thick reinforced concrete slab, and in 1983, shotcrete was applied to protect the parent
concrete of the spillway's vertical piers and abutment walls from further deterioration. At present, the
shotcrete overlay is spalling and no longer provides protection to the underlying parent concrete.
A Concrete Coring & Testing Plan (CCTP) was developed to gain a better understanding of the in-situ
condition of the spillway's parent concrete. The CCTP includes obtaining, and laboratory testing, of
concrete cores to evaluate the parent concrete's condition, characteristics, and strengths. The results of
the CCTP will be used to provide the information needed to identify, design, and implement the extent of
remedial measures to the spillway's concrete surfaces. The CCTP work is scheduled for completion during
the fall of 2023.
A virtual presentation showing the site access and staging areas can be found online.
Requests for information may be submitted in writing to the County
no later than one week prior to proposal submittal date. Inquiries Deadline Date & Time (local) 9/29/2023, 2 PM
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