The area, which is south of Covington and north of Crystal Falls, is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

A person visiting the area Wednesday night noticed the washed-out area around the dam and berm and contacted the local DNR Wildlife Field Office.

“Initial examination of the site suggests that, at some point over the last few days, the Net River dam experienced a partial failure due to corrosion of the water control structure in the middle of the dam, and that caused a sinkhole to develop,” said Bill Scullon, DNR wildlife operations field manager. “The good news is that both the upstream and downstream embankments appear to be solid and are currently retaining the impoundment water just as they are designed to do.”

Scullon said the Net River dam is in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula and is considered “low hazard” — meaning a failure poses low risk to public safety, property and environment. The road that crosses the top of the dam is used by several private camp owners to access their property, and DNR staff already has been in contact with some of them.

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy dam inspectors and contractors are determining the next steps to diminish continued erosion and are beginning the work to properly secure the sinkhole and backfill the impoundment.

Meanwhile, DNR parks and recreation staff is providing barricades for public safety, including for those who regularly visit the small boating access site at this location. DNR conservation officers and Michigan State Police troopers are helping with any safety issues.

There are three bridges downstream of the dam: two are on Highway 95 and the other is a railroad bridge. Officials don’t expect the bridges will be affected, but local authorities including the Baraga County Sheriff’s Office, the Iron County Sheriff’s Department, the Baraga County Emergency Management Department and the Iron County Emergency Management Department have been notified. Authorities at the Paint River Dam, in Crystal Falls, also have been alerted. They are making room for any additional water that could flow their way if the dam fails, officials said.

Scullon said the situation is stable and will be monitored. The DNR Wildlife Division conducted a fly-over Thursday afternoon to get an aerial view in order to ensure there are no unforeseen risks to public safety downstream.

The Net River Flooding is a culturally important impoundment that supports a variety of fish and wildlife, and the area has benefited from a habitat restoration partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

“The situation at the Net River dam should pose no concern for area fish and wildlife,” Scullon said. “The amount of water moving through this structure is normal, and nothing we’ve seen downstream is unusual for what we would expect this time of year.”

The Net River dam was inspected in August 2020 and received a rating of fair.