The Leland Dam Authority held what members expect will be its last meeting for a number of years.

Formed in 2004, the four-member authority board oversaw construction of a new dam to control water flowing out of Lake Leelanau and into Lake Michigan via the Leland River near Fishtown.

Construction of the dam was completed last year, and final adjustments to a computerized monitoring system that automatically regulates water flow over the dam was completed in March.

Leelanau County drain commissioner Steve Christensen, who serves as a member of the four-man Leland Dam Authority, noted that unusually heavy rainfall last week provided a natural test for water level sensors and the dam’s automatic control system.

“We’re very happy with the way the system works,” Christensen reported.

Leelanau County maintenance director Jerry Culman concurred.

“It did what it was supposed to do when we had all that rain, so I’m also very satisfied,” Culman said.

The Leelanau County Board of Commissioner established the Leland Dam Authority after it became clear that the historic dam on the Leland River required replacement. The three elected members of the Leelanau County Road Commission – Lee Bowen, Glen Noonan and John Popa – were appointed by county commissioners to serve on the Leland Dam Authority with Christensen. Bowen has served as the board’s chairman.

As part of their final meeting to “close out the books” on the Leland Dam project, Bowen noted that the project was completed on time and under budget.

Some $930,000 was budgeted for the project, with $923,000 actually expended. Most of the money, nearly $700,000, went to the downstate company that constructed the dam, Gerace Construction.

Roughly half of the dam was paid for with $465,086 that came from the Leelanau County General Fund. Slightly less than half, $457,383 was paid for through a special assessment levied on all owners of Lake Leelanau waterfront at a rate of $2.57 per foot of frontage, payable over a three-year period, 2005-2008.

Only a portion of a $121,000 “contingency fund” built into the project budget was actually expended, leaving a $68,134 fund balance for the authority.

Bowen explained that the fund balance will remain in a special account to pay for the continued operation and maintenance of the dam and any repairs that may be required.

County administrator David W. Gill said that he planned to prepare an annual budget for dam operations and maintenance that would require about $6,000 per year. About half of that amount will pay for electricity that powers water sensors, gate valves, and other automated systems. The rest of the annual budget will meet costs incurred by maintenance personnel who routinely monitor the automated systems and frequently visit the dam to make make manual adjustments.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, Noonan moved “to recognize that the Leland Dam project has been completed, and to adjourn the meeting with future meetings subject to the call of the chairman should the need arise.”

The motion was seconded by Popa and carried in a 4-0 vote.