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Army corps of engineers
Why isn’t the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) involved? FLTF is engaged for support for flood studies, planning assistance and future project support. Based on USACE criteria, the four lakes are not eligible for funding. This has been reviewed, researched by FLTF, and discussed with USACE. Out of the more than 90,000 dams in the NID, USACE operates only 700. USACE has “Study Authority and Project Authority to Assist in Construction” and bases its decision on “Benefit for Value.” In other words, the investment in a dam must offset the cost of future property loss. It was determined in consultation and discussion that the study phase to determine if USACE could help with the dams would be a few years, and that funding would be unlikely. Therefore, FLTF pursued funding from the State of Michigan. Bottomland vegetation growth
Please read “Vegetation Growth Within the Drained Impoundment Areas (Bottomland) Frequently Asked Questions” provided by EGLE for answers to the below questions. Are the plants growing on the bottomlands invasive species? Can I use herbicides to get rid of the vegetation? Do I need a permit to use herbicides to treat vegetation? Can I cut trees or shrubs beginning to grow? What about burning? If vegetation is allowed to grow will it make it harder for the lakes to be eventually restored? erosion
How can I get help managing or stabilizing the erosion on my property? To get help managing erosion on your property you can make improvements on your own or, if you are unsure what to do or how to do it, you can contact FLTF for help by sending an email to [email protected] and describe the erosion concern. Someone from FLTF will contact you and answer questions on the best way to stabilize the land. What should I do if I was denied help from the NRCS? If the NRCS said your property is ineligible for the EWP program you can manage the stabilization of the eroding land yourself. To manage the erosion concerns you have you can make improvements on your own as described above or contact FLTF for help (email: [email protected]). The NRCS provided plans for property owners to perform do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. These projects are designed to...
finances
Can I see a list of FLTF’s expenses, funding accounts, donors and/or expenditures? Yes, this information is shared with the public at our board meetings and in our annual reports. See all annual reports and tax filings here. Do donations go towards the costs of dealing with lawsuits? No. Private donations are not used to pay legal fees for any class action lawsuit. Do board members get paid? No. Board members do not receive compensation for their service on the board of directors. What are the estimated costs for bringing back the lakes? The total estimated cost is $364 million. Read the full Computation of Costs here. flood control
Please read “Flood Control and the Four Lakes” for answers to the below questions. Were the dams built for flood control? What is a flood control dam? Do the Four Lakes dams help mitigate flooding at all? Why has USACE said three of the four dams are primarily for flood control? Can we do something about flooding? Could the dams be used for flood control? Could USACE still help pay for our dams? goals
What is the goal of Four Lakes Task Force? The aim of all FLTF activity is to restore the lakes and their ecosystems, ensure the dams are at current best practices, recover property values, revitalize the local economies, assure safety in the lakes and downstream, and bring back the recreational livelihood of the lakes. FLTF has engaged the best experts for every aspect of planning, design, hydrology and hydraulics modeling, dam construction, environmental restoration, safety, and operations. We have advisors who provide input on the best and most appropriate path to recovery and restoration. Public and worker safety are the number one priority. We will not increase the risk to the community or environmental impact for the sake of more quickly restoring water levels. |
hydroelectric power generation
Will the dams have hydropower again? At this time it is economically unfeasible to recover the investments needed to keep hydro and it would slow the time it takes to rebuild the dams. There may still be a future for hydro, potentially beyond the 2030 timeframe after the dams are rebuilt, but not in transition. Lake Levels & lake refill
How long will it take for the lakes to refill? The refill process is dependent on river flows, season and weather conditions and each lake's inflow, storage capacity and minimum permitted flows required to pass through the reservoir while refilling.
When will Secord Lake be brought up? The estimated lake return date for Secord Lake is 2026. When will Smallwood Lake be brought up? The estimated lake return date for Smallwood Lake is 2026. When will Wixom Lake be brought up? The estimated lake return date for Wixom Lake is 2028. When will Sanford Lake be brought up? The estimated lake return date for Sanford Lake is 2026. *Last updated March 28, 2025. lawsuits
Why did FLTF file motions to get dismissed from the class action lawsuits? FLTF works on behalf of the counties toward a sustainable solution for the community. Our actions have been the opposite of “deliberative indifference,” as some lawsuits stated. For almost two years leading up to the dam failure event FLTF was proactively pursuing a long-term solution for the lakes and dams, and it will continue to do so. Did FLTF get dismissed from any of the class actions? Four Lakes Task Force was dismissed from all three class action lawsuits in which it was named. FLTF is a nonprofit organization and county delegated authority representing the property owners of the four lakes. We act on behalf the communities, Midland and Gladwin counties and the Special Assessment District. Suing FLTF is equivalent to suing those who have suffered losses. We are pleased that the counsel representing the class-plaintiffs saw the wisdom of our position. Will FLTF sue Boyce Hydro? As the delegated authority of the counties and representative of the lake property owners, we do not believe it is in the best interest of the community to allocate efforts and funds to file a lawsuit against Boyce Hydro. The FLTF mission is to bring the lakes back and money directed towards suing Boyce would not contribute to the mission. How can property owners attain a sense of justice? We believe that restoring the dams and bringing back the lakes is the ultimate form of justice in this situation. The communities should expect lakes and it is our right to have them restored. recovery & restoration plan
What is the process for recovery and restoration? See the Restoration Progress Report published in September 2024 which provided updates to the Restoration Plan published in May 2021. What is the goal for dam restoration? Our goal is a dam design that brings back lake levels, at the current industry standards, to ensure reliability and integration so that the dams are built as affordably as possible without sacrificing public safety and restoring the environment. Four Lakes has a sense of urgency to restore the dams as quickly as is safely possible. regulatory
How will the regulatory process impact recovery and restoration?
special assessment district
Please see the Special Assessment District-FAQs for answers to the below questions. What is the role of a special assessment district? Who is in the Four Lakes Special Assessment District? How is the authority to establish the lakes granted? What authority regulates dam safety? How will the assessment be calculated and allocated? Is FLTF still using the same factors (headwater, amount of frontage, adjoining properties, etc.) to determine what each parcel’s assessment will be? What costs are included in assessments? What about 2021 and beyond for the capital improvement component of the assessment? What about weeds? How will property owners’ input be heard? Can we have a public vote on the Four Lakes Special Assessment District? How do I appeal the assessment? What happens to the property assessment if I sell my property? timing
How long will it take to rebuild the dams? This is a massive effort with many moving parts (government, environmental, regulatory, legal, operations, community affairs, finance, engineering). We predict that it’ll be 2027 by the time all four dams are rebuilt. Our goal is a dam design that brings back lake levels, at the current industry standards, to ensure reliability and integration, with dams that are built as affordably as possible without sacrificing public or environmental safety. We will not sacrifice community or environmental safety for the sake of speed or recreation. It takes time to investigate funding sources and address the environment (not just the dams). |
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