The Mill Pond Dam was a dam on Mill Creek in Dexter.

History

The aging Mill Pond Dam sat on Mill Creek, just before it entered the Huron River. The 420-foot-long dam sported an 8-foot-high spillway, and was originally constructed in 1824 by Judge Samuel Dexter, with the current incarnation built by Henry Ford a century later.

The dam was located at the western entrance to Dexter, partially supporting Dexter-Chelsea Road - a situation which made addressing the dam's condition a high priority to the community. The dam was one of the Huron River Watershed Council's highest priorities for removal, and has additionally been named a removal priority by the State DNR, though coordinating dam removal with the rebuilding of the bridge is a tricky operation.

Sources: Riggs, Elizabeth H.W., "Case Studies in River Restoration Through Dam Removal", Huron River Watershed Council, June 2003.

In the news

The proposed project includes the replacement of the crumbling Main Street Bridge - a 75-foot, steel beam bridge over the Mill Creek - as well as the realignment of the road leading to the structure. The current bridge will be replaced by a 101 foot single span, 62-foot wide concrete I-beam bridge, and construction could start as early as April on the about $2.5 million project. It's expected to be completed in November.