Vegetation Control on the Exposed Lake Bottomlands

Understand what Four Lakes Task Force's role is in lake management and who is responsible for managing vegetation.
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FLTF Role in Lake Management
FLTF has the role of Delegated Authority for the lakes under Part 307 of NREPA (Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act). Part 307 enables FLTF to assess property for funds to repair, maintain, improve and operate the dams to maintain the legal lake level. There is no provision under state law for the Part 307 Delegated Authority to raise money to improve the lake itself, other than to maintain the water level. FLTF is also a 501(c)(3) non-profit that received money from the State of Michigan to stabilize shorelines, repair culverts, pick up flood debris from the lake bottoms and for other flood recovery work on lake bottom areas. That money has all been spent and FLTF as a non-profit has no authority to assess property for vegetation control on the lake bottomlands.
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Who Manages Lake Bottoms
The government entities that have the authority to make publicly-funded improvements to the lake bottoms include Part 309 NREPA lake improvement boards and townships. Wixom and Sanford lakes have improvement boards that have historically performed aquatic weed control. Those boards also have authority to deal with vegetation on the exposed lake bottoms. The townships around the lakes have the same authority under Michigan Public Act 188. Lake improvement boards and townships have the authority to raise money by assessments, grants and donations.

Here are the entities with authority for vegetation control for each township on the Four Lakes.

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

Any questions about vegetation control should be directed to the appropriate authority listed above.

Wixom Lake Association is using their funds to help people by mowing various areas around all of Wixom Lake. There are also contractors who have signed hold-harmless agreements with FLTF and may be engaged to mow the lake bottoms. In addition to these resources, there are volunteers mowing large sections of the lake bottoms and anyone is encouraged to mow the lake bottom in front of their own seawall. No EGLE permit is required for mowing vegetation.