A river reborn: The fulfillment of the project partnership agreement for the removal of Sabin Dam

Abstract

The Boardman/Ottaway River, located in the northwest lower peninsula of Michigan, has been the focus of a multi-year, multi-agency restoration project that sought the removal of three upstream dams and modification of the lowermost dam. The river restoration project is the result of 15+ years of cooperative engagement among a wide range of federal, state, tribal, and local governments and many non-governmental organizations. The relationships, trust, and commitments that strengthened cooperative engagement among the project partners are highlighted in the signing of the Project Partnership Agreement between the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove the Sabin Dam, the third and final dam removal. In this paper, we use the Project Partnership Agreement negotiation process as a snapshot of how tribal leadership along with their fellow project partners established lasting relationships which built trust among stakeholders and funders, and ultimately led to unified support of long-term commitments to accomplish the largest river restoration project in Michigan history.