Lake Refill Preperation

Addressing the bottomland vegetation is a top priority before the lakes are refilled. Sanford, Secord and Smallwood bottomlands must be cleaned up by the fall of 2025. ​FLTF cannot direct special assessment funds towards this effort, so the community needs to come together to prepare the lakes for refill. ​FLTF continues to collaborate with lake improvement boards, lake associations and the counties to address bottomland growth.

PERMITTED ACTIVITIES
Please click on the checklist below to view the permitted activities for preparing the lakes for refill.

​PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

• Digging or reshaping the bottomlands without a permit (grading, filling, excavating, or installing a seawall)
  • To request a permit for these activities, reach out to the Midland County EGLE contact, Alexandra McDevitt, at (989) 335-8611
• Disturbing the ground on the bottomlands
• Removing stumps, tree roots or partially buried stones
  • Note: Stones along the bottom of seawalls are usually required by the seawall permit and must be left in place
• Using chemicals to treat vegetation
• Creating fires or burn areas

Managing vegetation

The invasive plant species in the bottomlands needs to be addressed. Purple loosestrife and phragmites (pictured right) are particularly present in Wixom and Sanford lakebottoms. An economical and easy way to eradicate these invasive species is to mow them down and keep it maintained until the lakes refill. The plants will die when the water floods over them. 

Click the button below for more information on basic plant management FAQs from EGLE.

FAQs from EGLE

Long-term weed assessment and management for the lakes is listed in the table below. Any questions about vegetation control should be directed to the appropriate authority.

Lake	Township	Vegetation Control Authority
Secord	Secord, Clement, Bourett	Your township
Smallwood	Hay, Secord	Your township
Wixom	Tobacco west of M-30	Your township
	Tobacco east of M-30	Wixom Lake Improvement Board
	Edenville, Hope, Billings	Wixom Lake Improvement Board
	Hay	Your township
Sanford	Jerome	Sanford Lake Improvement Board
	Edenville	Your township

Fish population and algae on sanford lake

Sanford Lake is currently undergoing a significant ecological transition following its refill. The reservoir had approximately six years of exposed bottomlands that were recently inundated. During that period, vegetation, debris and other organic materials accumulated on the exposed lakebed. As those materials became submerged following the refill, their decomposition released nutrients into the water. In addition, the summer 2026 season has been abnormally warm and dry. Different plant life existed in the bottomlands before the fill and a population of fish have migrated into the river system that are not well adapted for a lake with these conditions. This has led to increased algae, lower oxygen levels, and higher temperatures that led to an abnormal amount of fish kills.

It is important to recognize that Sanford Lake is re-establishing itself as an aquatic ecosystem. As that process unfolds, the development of aquatic vegetation and filamentous algae will be an important part of the lake's ecological recovery. A healthy and established aquatic plant community will help retain nutrients within the system, and provide habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms.

Regarding Algae:
Unfortunately, some algae are toxic, and no single treatment or "silver bullet" will immediately eliminate a harmful algal bloom once it has developed. Depending on the species involved and prevailing environmental conditions, blooms may dissipate relatively quickly or may persist for several weeks. Guidance from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources states that the most appropriate approach is to allow the bloom to run its course while continuing to monitor conditions. If you'd like to learn more about identifying harmful algal blooms, watch this video by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

Fishing Locations

Posted July 26, 2023
Due to active construction at Secord and Tobacco dams, public fishing access at all these sites will be closed for the duration of construction. 

[fishing locations currently hidden from site]

• Tobacco Spillway - east side of the water channel below the dam
• Smallwood Dam - southeast side of water channel below the dam (McKimmey Rd. entrance)
• Secord Dam - both sides of the water channel below the dam

Recreation

Acceptable Activities
Typical recreation when conducted responsibly includes:

• Hiking in unrestricted public areas or along shorelines, but not on private property
• Use of open federal, state, local or private boat ramps
• Sightseeing
• Non-resident access is only allowed from unrestricted public access points along the four lakes
• Waterfowl hunting and fishing consistent with all state and federal rules and regulations, Individuals do so at their own risk. See fishing access points above
• Dogs or other animals must be under immediate control
• Kayaking, canoeing, boating and swimming provided all state and federal rules and regulations are followed. Individuals do so at their own risk
• Mowing/weed whacking by property owners at the edge of their shorelines following guidelines​

ALL ENTRY AND ACTIVITY IS AT THE USER'S SOLE RISK.  NEITHER GLADWIN NOR MIDLAND COUNTY NOR FOUR LAKES TASK FORCE ASSUME ANY LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, INJURIES OR DEATH RESULTING FROM ACCESS TO, OR ACTIVITIES IN OR AROUND THE LAKES.

What's Not Allowed 
Recreational activities that are more dangerous and NOT permissible per the rules include:

• Deer or upland game hunting
• Setting animal traps on the lake shoreline
• Digging or otherwise disturbing the ground on the bottomlands without a permit
• Stump removal
• Building or placing permanent structures (i.e., docks, fish habitat) on the bottomlands without a permit - removable docks and hoists placed in front of property is permitted
  • See ELGE guidance, "Docks, Boat Hoist, and Swim Rafts on Inland Lakes and Streams"

What Requires Permission
Activities requiring permission that must be reviewed by FLTF first:

• Cutting stumps, small trees and shrubs without causing rutting or disturbance of sediment to lower injury potential or damage to boat props. Cut logs must be removed from bottomlands. STUMPS ATTACHED TO THE LAKEBOTTOM CANNOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT A PERMIT FROM EGLE
• Debris removal and/or recovering lost property are permitted provided the activity is performed safely and the debris is disposed of properly
• Installation of permanent docks requires an EGLE permit

To receive permission to cut stumps/trees, download the form and email the completed version to [email protected]. In your email include a description of the activity and the person/people performing it. After sending the signed Accident Waiver and Release of Liability Form, FLTF will give you a letter of permission for the activity.

These lists are not comprehensive. Contact FLTF with questions.

Dredging

 FLTF has the authority under Part 307 of Public Act 451 of 1994 to establish and maintain a legal lake level. Part 307 does not grant FLTF the general authority to manage the water depth in the lake (i.e., dredging). A Part 309 lake improvement board has the authority to dredge lakes. The same is true for a township under the Public Improvements Act, Public Act 188 of 1954.
​
Those who are interested in dredging should consider collaborating with their neighbors to find solutions. Dredging in the lakebed requires a permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Please reach out to your county drain commissioner or township supervisor for more information.

Who Pays for Inland Lake Dredging?

• Individual property owners can: In the Four Lakes, if you have waterfront property, you generally have access to the bottomland in front of your property. If you want to dredge directly adjacent to your shoreline for personal access, you can hire and pay a private contractor. FLTF has been open to approving this work as the Delegated Authority of the counties. Likewise, individual neighborhoods can join together to fund a project in a canal, cove or channel.
• Special Assessment Districts (SADs) can: Property owners can petition their local township to form a Special Assessment District under Michigan law. If approved, local government manages and finances the project upfront and levies a special assessment on all benefiting property owners to pay it back over time.
• Lake improvement boards can: A dredging project does not have to benefit the entire lake, and it is unlikely an assessment would include property owners other than those who benefit from the project.     
• Public vs. private funding: Grants for dredging are virtually non-existent for private inland lakes. State funding through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) or federal funds via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are restricted to major navigable commercial waterways or designated public-access Great Lakes harbors.

Can Special Assessment Funds Be Used for Dredging?

Please see information above. Four Lakes Special Assessment District funds cannot not be used for dredging. The assessment methodology did include a Water Depth Factor that lowered the assessment for parcels with less than 2 ft of water depth. 

What Are The Requirements Before Starting?

1. Acquire a permit: Anyone dredging below the normal lake level must obtain a permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) under Part 301 (Inland Lakes and Streams) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. Permit application fees typically start around $500.
2. Prepare for costs: Depending on the volume of muck, size of the area, and sediment disposal rules, private dredging projects can be expensive.

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