The City of Sturgis is planning to hold an informational meeting on June 11th at the St Joseph Corrections building Training Center located at 602 E Main St., Centreville, Michigan 49032 starting at 5:00 pm to discuss a drawdown of the reservoir area upstream of their dam and hydroelectric plant on the St. Joseph River near Centerville, Michigan. The drawdown required is three feet and is expected to impact the river by lowering water levels in an area from the dam approximately 5 miles upstream just east of the town of Mendon, Michigan. Water levels may be expected to rise downstream of the dam as far as Three Rivers until the drawdown is complete. The draw down is planned to begin starting July 6th, 2026.
This drawdown is in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) most recent evaluation of conditions of the left embankment of the dam. Conditions related to the left embankment of the dam have been noted and monitored for several years as part of the City’s ongoing dam safety reporting through the FERC, but as of May 5th, the FERC requested the draw down as an Interim Reduce Risk Measure.
For more information on the drawdown or meeting, please see the full public notice on the City’s website https://www.sturgismi.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/37. If you have any questions regarding the drawdown, please contact Electric Department Superintendent Chris McArthur at (269) 659-7298.
Saturday, June 13, 2026
