Sanford Lake

Sanford Lake was a man-made reservoir located in Midland County, Michigan, but is no longer present since the failure of the dam in May 2020. It was formed by the damming of the Tittabawassee River near the town of Sanford, Michigan. It was built for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. The dam is owned and operated by Boyce Hydro, LLC. The main body of the lake stretched for about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the dam; since the collapse the water remains deep enough for small boat navigation up past the town of Edenville, Michigan ten miles (16 km) north of the dam. The lake was slightly over half a mile wide at its widest point. A survey by the Michigan DNR measured the main body of the lake at 1,250 acres (5.1 km2). According to the Sanford Lake Improvement Board website maintained by Midland County, the lake has a surface area of 1,499 acres (6.07 km2) and a shoreline length of 34.5 miles (55.5 km). In May 2020, the Sanford Dam, as well as the Edenville Dam to the north, failed following rain and neglect of the dams. This resulted in the flooding of Sanford, Midland, Saginaw, and other surrounding areas.

Sanford Lake
Sanford Lake
Location within the state of Michigan
LocationSanford, Midland County, Michigan
Coordinates43°42′N 84°23′W
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsTittabawassee River
Primary outflowsTittabawassee River
Catchment area20,971 acres (8,487 ha)
First flooded1925 (1925)
Max. length6 mi (9.7 km)
Max. width0.5 mi (0.80 km)
Surface area1,429 acres (578 ha)
Average depth9.3 ft (2.8 m)
Max. depth26 ft (7.9 m)
Water volume13,899 acre⋅ft (17,144,000 m3)
Shore length134.5 mi (55.5 km)
Surface elevation631 ft (192 m)
FrozenWinter
SettlementsSanford
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Access

Sanford Lake was a popular recreation spot for the county and surrounding counties. There were two public accesses to the lake and many private community access points. Weekends in the summer found the lake filled with many pontoon boats, personal watercraft, sport fisherman, and swimmers.

Sanford Lake Park is located on the west side of the former lake near the dam. This park, maintained by Midland County, has boat ramps, a sandy beach area with volleyball and swimming, pull-up parking for boats and jet-skis, picnic pavilions, playgrounds and a concession stand (sometimes). Access can be made by car for an entry fee or by boat.

Sanford Lake Park

Shoreline

The shoreline was mostly developed with single-family homes. Many of these homes are located in small neighborhood communities which maintain private boat launch sites, picnic areas and lake access for non-lakefront property owners. The area of the lake further north is lined with some wetlands and wilderness areas mixed with housing. There is one small marina on the east shore of the lake (Sanford Lake Marina).

Up the river on Sanford Lake

Water quality

The water quality of the lake was good. As a reservoir with a predominantly muddy bottom, turbidity is a bit higher than the average natural lake in Michigan. The introduction of Zebra mussels in the 1990s significantly improved water clarity, but that had led to an explosion of weed growth throughout the shallow portions of the lake. Significant weed control programs have been attempted over recent years with varying degrees of success.

Fishing

Sanford Lake had a wide range of Michigan species: bluegill, rock bass, perch, calicos, northern pike, crappie, catfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, musky, suckers, and carp. The DNR stocked 65,000 walleye off the Sanford Lake Marina ramp in the spring of 2006. Several bass fishing competitions take place during the year, as well as a catfish derby.

Dock Fishing at Verity Shores

2020 flood
Copernicus Programme image of the dam after the flood.

Following a period of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam immediately upstream overtopped and failed on May 19, 2020. The breach of the Edenville Dam in two areas of the levee caused more water to be released into the Tittabawassee River which feeds into Sanford Lake. The floodwaters quickly overran Sanford Dam, washing out its fuse plug and escaping around the sides of the dam, eventually leading to the failure of the dam.[1]

Sanford Dam was built in 1925 and had received a "fair" condition rating by the state,[2] while the 1924 Edenville Dam had received a "poor" rating, though it had been deemed worthy of another hydroelectric generator by the state.[3] Both dams were in the process of being sold at the time of the failure to the Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF), a 'delegated authority' created by a resolution between Midland and Gladwin counties.[4] On May 26, 2020, the FLTF announced that they were halting the acquisition of the Boyce Hydro properties under the terms and conditions negotiated in 2019, and would seek other private and public sources of funding for the eventual purchase.[5]

References
  1. "Sanford Dam also failed, state confirms; GOP calls for AG Dana Nessel's recusal".
  2. "Regulation of Dams". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  3. "Thousands Evacuated as River Dams Break in Central Michigan". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  4. "About". Four Lakes Task Force. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. "Updates". Four Lakes Task Force. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
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