As part of the dam restoration permitting, FLTF has set aside $400,000 to assist property owners with natural shoreline project implementation on private property. Projects must be natural shoreline projects - seawall repair, seawall replacement and traditional riprap stabilization will not be eligible for grant funding. This funding has a cost-share requirement with the property owner. A maximum award per project will be set based on interest in the program to provide funding for as many projects as possible.

Upcoming in-person trainings will educate attendees on the grant program and include examples of which projects would qualify. We encourage anyone interested in the grant program to attend the training to learn more. 

The application submittal will remain open until all funds have been spent. 
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Click the button below to fill out and submit your shoreline restoration project application. 

To finance the restoration project, FLTF is leveraging grant dollars and funding from two municipal bond issuances. The first bond series was secured in June 2025 for an amount of $80 million with an effective interest rate of 5.94 percent. Bond proceeds from this borrowing were used to fund dam restoration from June 2025 to June 2026. ​

Curious about the history of the Four Lakes dams? We have you covered. Check out a new timeline that covers the entire history, including ownership, compliance, communication efforts, and construction milestones.

We still expect Sanford Lake to reach its normal legal level by Memorial Day. We are currently holding at the winter lake level and expect to start raising the water level again early next week. As a reminder, we can raise the lake 1 foot per day if the water flow into the lake allows. We want to emphasize exercising caution around the lake. Three main points:

1. Debris will come down the lake as we fill it, and FLTF is still collecting debris in front of the dam. We are aware there are a number of locations that have a lot of debris - we are monitoring them as we fill the lake. If it is safe to do so, please remove debris in front of your property. This helps with clean-up by the dam. If you choose to go on the lake, stay alert and watch out for floating objects.
2. The lakebottom and shoreline have changed. Water depths are different and there are new fishing structures and riprap in various places. Please stay alert.
3. Water quality will not immediately be what it used to be. With debris and sediment jostled, it will take time for the quality to return. We are continually monitoring water quality.

We published a new page that includes all lake use rules and regulations for Sanford Lake. We encourage property owners to view the page to refresh their memories.

If you see substantial debris on the lake by your property that cannot be removed easily, please email [email protected] your address, photos of the water and shoreline, and your concerns. We are in the process of surveying the lake to see where it is feasible for volunteers to help remove debris and where additional resources may be needed if the debris build-up is complex or substantial. 

Four Lakes Community - 
We are seeing the most rain and flooding in Gladwin and Midland counties since 2020. FLTF is monitoring flows and lake levels and communicating with county emergency managers per protocol. Lake and river levels are elevated throughout Michigan. Water is flowing through all four dams as expected and we see no integrity issues with the dams at this time.

We are receiving inquiries asking why we aren’t doing more to control flooding downstream. As a reminder, the dams are not intended for flood control, nor do the lakes have the capacity for flood control storage. The dams are designed and operated as run-of-river, with the intention of not increasing downstream risk from dam failure.