Four Critical Success Factors and Our 2021 Progress

In its Restoration Plan, FLTF identifies four critical issues that are vital to successfully restore the lakes. The issues and our current progress are listed below.

1. FLTF needs to acquire at least $10 million from outside the SAD by early 2022. In the next three years, approximately $250 million will need to be funded for restoration.
   • We support the $500 million Dam Repair Fund in the House and Senate. Funding of $225 million to the Four Lakes would bring the assessment to the estimated amount prior to the dam failure, would be within the financial affordability of most property owners, and would allow for the long-term sustainability of the dams.
2. Environmental recovery on Wixom and Sanford lakes is significant, and FLTF is engaged with EGLE to get state acceptance of the restoration plan, and then identify funding sources.
   • EGLE and FLTF are working together under the framework proposed in the Restoration Plan.
   • Recently the dams' regulatory authority transferred from FERC to EGLE.
3. A fair and consistent methodology for the assessment of property owners of the Four Lakes Special Assessment District (SAD) needs to be put in place to attract funding and assure there are financial means for long-term operations and maintenance.
   • The SAD benefit methodology will be published for review by early 2022 and available for property owner review and communication.
   • A key factor will be to understand the benefit factors for all property owners.
4. Flood studies must be completed, and capacity designs must be acceptable to the state to move forward with the completion of engineering.
   • The Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) and Probable Maximum Flood studies are nearing completion and will be published in the coming weeks. Hydrology studies are on target to be completed this year and will be factored into dam designs.
   • The capacity of the dams will be greater than current state requirements and follow the FEMA guidelines for Input Design Floods (IDF), the methodology recommended by the Michigan Dam Safety Task Force. FLTF is advocating for the implementation of this Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM).