Antrim County is known for its Chain of Lakes — Torch Lake, Elk Lake, and Lake Bellaire, just to name a few. But without the dams in Bellaire and Elk Rapids, those 14 interconnected lakes would just be a river.
Those dams are over 100 years old and are in need of repairs. Funding for the repairs will come from people who own property on the lakes these dams create.
Leslie Meyers was elected drain commissioner in 2024. But she’s quickly become known as ‘The Dam Lady.’ It’s her job to establish a Special Assessment District where property owners with access to the lakes will pay to repair the dam.
“I know that if I build today, I can repair the Bellaire dam for $6.5 million,” said Meyers. It’s up to her team to recommend how much each of the properties that benefit from the dam will have to pay. According to Meyers, it’s not a job for someone who wants to be re-elected.
“Nobody would get re-elected by doing this. I’m not going to be popular.” Meyers, a lifelong public servant, will be retiring in 15 months.
She says she's excited to end her career accomplishing a task she truly believes in.
“How awesome after 42 years of government work, I can do the right thing," Meyers said. "Not what’s popular, not what my bosses want. I get to do something that’s meaningful."
A map of Lake Bellaire, with all the lakeside properties outlined, hangs on her office wall. It’s full of notes and highlighter marks, but what sticks out is a small, hand drawn box.
“That’s my house right there,” she said. “I’m going to be affected by this. I’m going to be paying the bills just like everyone else, and trying to figure out how do we do this as inexpensively as possible but still do good quality work? I don’t want to put a bandaid on something.”
The dam in Bellaire was built in 1905. Its weakest point is an earthen berm on the east side of the dam. It controls the water levels on seven different lakes known as the Upper Chain of Lakes.
Meyers hopes the Special Assessment District will bring in its first round of funding in the spring of 2027. By then, Meyers will be sitting on her dock, listening to the distant sound of construction vehicles repairing her beloved Bellaire dam.
