17.9 Humboldt Township

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Marianna Marsh
6 years ago
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The Escanaba and Michigamme rivers flow through Humboldt Township, and each river has had a history of flooding in the area.

1 17.9 Humboldt Township Humboldt Township lies in the southwestern part of the county, just east of the town of Republic. Like many Marquette County communities, the mainstay of its economy was iron mining, but the Humboldt Mine shut down in the early 1980s. Many of the township s residents now work in Ishpeming. The Escanaba and Michigamme rivers flow through Humboldt Township, and each river has had a history of flooding in the area. In addition, the Black River and other tributaries of the Escanaba and Michigamme systems flow through the township. The topography is dominated by rocky knobs and wetlands, but some of the land was high and fertile enough for marginal farming in the early 20th century. Humboldt Township has 322 structures in flood-prone areas, with an estimated value of $10.2 million. Of these, 165 structures were associated with permanent residences. There were no structures in dam inundation zones. An additional 85 structures were in areas of jack pine forest, with an estimated value of $2.6 million. Of these, 19 were associated with permanent residences. The township supervisor identified three areas where capital improvements would mitigate flood hazards: (1) Raise Wolf Lake Road in its crossing of the Escanaba River floodplain. Figure Wolf Lake Road bridge and the Escanaba River, April, (2) Better regulation of flow on the Michigamme River. The dam that formerly controlled levels on Lake Michigamme has been partially removed. Another dam at Republic may be removed (although this will probably help flows on the river)

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4 17.10 Ishpeming Township Ishpeming Township lies to the west and north of the City of Ishpeming. It has two clusters of construction, one in West Ishpeming, a suburban community near US-41, and the other a series of largely seasonal residences to the north along the Dead River Storage Basin. Both areas face some flooding threat. Many residences along the Dead River Storage Basin were flooded in Much of the new construction of seasonal homes ("camps") near the Dead River Storage Basin has occurred in Ishpeming Township, which has the greatest amount of available land along the basin. Some of these structures, 137 with an estimated value of $7.9 million, lie within zones that would be inundated by a dam break upstream. Figure Flooding along the Dead River Storage Basin, May, An additional 256 structures with an estimated value of $11.7 million were found in jack pine forests. Many of these structures were also in flood-prone areas. The township supervisor identified three capital projects for hazard mitigation: 1. Dig a ditch along south side of North Lake Drive. 2. Improve drainage in the Southwood neighborhood. This suburban area near the Carp River has a history of basement flooding. 3. Improve culverts on Cooper Lake Road

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7 17.11 Marquette Township Marquette Township lies to the west and north of the City of Marquette. Most of the population lives in Trowbridge Park and adjacent areas just west of the city limits. The majority of the township is unpopulated, and includes rocky shorelines along Lake Superior. Flood-prone areas of the township contain 84 structures with an estimated value of $7.3 million. Many of these buildings are along low-lying portions of the Lake Superior shore. Ten of these structures are in inundation zones downstream of dams on the Dead River. The northern part of the township is largely forested, with some jack pine forests as part of the mix. Jack pine forests are the site of 76 structures with an estimated value of $10 million. One-third of these structures are associated with permanent residences. Township officials identified two capital projects that would help with hazard mitigation: (1) Improve the Forestville Road bridge over the Dead River. This bridge is a narrow, one-lane bridge that was closed during the 2003 flood. It provides primary access to parts of the township. (2) Establish a permanent water source for firefighting in the northern part of the township, somewhere along County Road 550. Fire officials thought that the Lindberg gravel pit south of Sugar Loaf would be a possibility

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CITY OF HOYT LAKES, MINNESOTA SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT

CITY OF HOYT LAKES, MINNESOTA SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT November 2002 Public Water Supplier ID 1690028 Facility Contact: Minnesota Department of Health Contact: Mr. Floyd Nelson, Supervisor Ms. Beth Kluthe