a "significant hazard" forced the township to consider renovating the dam in 2001. Five options were proposed for a long-term fix for the dam. These options ranged from repairing the steel and wooden dams for $311,000 to restoring/ reconstructing the entire structure for over a million dollars. Stanton Township could not afford to do any of the proposed options, so another option was sought out. A short-term fix was found to make the dam safer. The upper 13 feet of the wooden structure was removed in 2004 to bring the water level down and relieve some of the pressure. A more permanent repair is still needed. A recent study by a team of students from Michigan Technological University determined that both dams are likely to remain safe for the foreseeable future. Construction information Steel dams use relatively thin steel plates in contact with the water body, with a framework of steel behind them transmitting the load to the ground. The plates are slanted upwards in the direction of water flow, so that the weight of the water puts compressive forces on the girders holding the plates up. This transmits force to the ground without the bending moment that a vertical wall of plates would engender. It was believed at the time that these dams could be constructed faster and more cheaply than masonry dams. Geography and site information Redridge is in Houghton County, one of the more rugged counties in Michigan, and access to the dam site is relatively challenging, although there is a history of Michigan Technological University students making pilgrimages to the site, especially those interested in industrial archaeology. Historic designations National Register of Historic Places, listed April 2, 1992 Michigan Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, designated in 1985 See also Hauser Dam: a steel dam in Montana Notes External links Redridge site map, the steel dam is marked "new dam" Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation: A Brief History of Steel Dams by Hubert Chanson Redridge page at Copper Range Historical Society site Industrial Heritage of Redridge Michigan by Robert Goniea Dam Ruins - an exploration of the Redridge Dams as they appear today Further reading One of few sources to mention steel dams, this book says there are 3 extant in the U.S. and gives some info. Copper Country Trail appendix listing historic Copper Country places Dams in Michigan Dams on the National Register of Historic Places