Midland, Michigan – The Midland Business Alliance (MBA) Advisory Committee on Infrastructure is holding a community event on Monday, May 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dow Diamond’s third-floor TriStar Club. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. with general seating, and presentations will begin promptly at 1 p.m. The “High Water Mark” event is focused on efforts to reduce mid-Michigan flooding and to build resiliency and water quality.
The event will feature a presentation from Nick Zager, chief of planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Detroit District. In addition to a brief history of the Corps, the type of work they do, and other projects in the Detroit District area, Zager will provide a progress update on the Corps’ hydraulic/hydrologic study that is currently underway with the County of Midland and the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure as community partners. He will also talk about a second type of study on the horizon.
The Advisory Committee will also provide a progress report on its efforts and “return on investment” to the community since it was formed in 2021. An update on proposed flood reduction projects in the Snake Creek, Sturgeon Creek and Inman Drain area will be provided by the committee co-chairs, J.W. Fisher and Lee Ann Keller.
The afternoon includes a panel discussion on the watershed health and the importance of eco-sensitive flood reduction solutions. The panel will include Elan Lipschitz from Little Forks Conservancy, Dennis Pilaske from the Chippewa Nature Center, Mike Kelly from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN), Kyle Rorah from Ducks Unlimited, Helen Taylor from The Nature Conservancy and, as moderator, Bre Sklar from Omni Tech International.
Other speakers include Mary Draves, chair of the MBA Board of Directors; Tony Stamas, president and CEO of the MBA; Bill Schuette, member of the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure; Dave Kepler, president of Four Lakes Task Force; and Bridgette Gransden, administrator/controller for the County of Midland.
At the end of the presentations, there will be a Q&A session so the community has an opportunity to ask questions. Then the event will close with comments from Mayor Maureen Donker, Midland City Council.
“Near the third anniversary of the May 2020 flood, the Advisory Committee wanted to create an event that reviews progress and starts to frame what the future may look like,” said Fisher. “We appreciate all of our speakers who will provide updates and further the discussion. We are very lucky to have the Corps of Engineers, the nature organizations and other leaders so willing to be involved in the event.”
“Because we know that not everyone who is interested will be able to attend, we thought it was important to record the event,” said Keller. “The video will be available on MCTV and on the MBAmi.org/FloodStudy webpage soon after the event. That way, the greater community will be able to watch the informative presentations from the afternoon.”
This community event is free. Free parking is available in the stadium’s parking areas at State Street and Buttles Street. Enter the stadium at the “home plate gate” along State Street. Any questions about the event can be directed to the MBA at mba@MBAmi.org.