Legal Appeal Halts Construction of Four Lakes Dams

(Image Courtesy of Great Lakes Drone Works)

Restoration work on the four dams in Midland and Gladwin counties affected by the May 2020 floods has been temporarily suspended.

According to the Four Lakes Task Force, which oversees the construction of the Secord, Smallwood, Edenville, and Sanford dams, the work was halted after a group called Heron Cove Association filed a claim of appeal in Midland Circuit Court to request the lake level special assessments be set aside. Filed on February 24, the task force says the appeal process could last several months, which means none of the dams can be fully restored until the appeal is resolved. Task Force officials say during the process, the only funding it has are grants from the state.

The task force set the special assessment with approval from both Midland and Gladwin counties, but residents in the special assessment district have protested the amount they would have to pay in additional taxes. Some homeowners say they’ll be paying upwards of $1,500 to $4,500 hundred dollars a year at six percent interest. The assessment is expected to be over a 40 year period.