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February 15, 2005Dams to be taken off-lineNeighbors worry about future of pondsByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - The Traverse City Light & Power board ruled it's too costly to continue generating hydroelectric power and will decommission three Boardman River dams. At a special meeting Monday, the board voted to surrender the federal license on the Brown Bridge, Boardman and Sabin dams. Some nearby property owners think the utility's decision to stop using the dams could lead to their removal, which would cause several ponds to vanish. Utility officials said economics prompted their vote to surrender the license. The dams cost the utility nearly $5 million in the last 17 or 18 years, and a bevy of repairs mandated by federal regulators could cost as much as $2.5 million - a number that keeps growing. "You can't keep losing that level of money every year without spreading that cost to rate payers," said board member Phill Orth, who is also a city commissioner. Residents, such as Joe Meyer, who has lived on the east side of Sabin Dam for many years, called for the dams to stay put and said the ponds add to the quality of life for all of Traverse City. Others who own land on and near the jeopardized ponds said they are concerned about the loss of animal habitat and the possibility of the ponds turning to swamps. "I just hope that ... you step back and think about it a little more," said Chester Gill. Using the dams to generate hydroelectric power is "green energy" and the board now needs to "put something in serious motion" to replace that source, said utility board member and city commissioner Anne Melichar. Board member Linda Johnson agreed that "renewable energy sources" should be a priority. Chairman Fred Nelson said the utility carried on operations at the dams for "longer than we would have," because it was green energy, and now the liability and costs associated with the dams are too great.
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