State to investigate failures of Edenville, Sanford Dams

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer today sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) directing the department to investigate what caused the Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam to fail, resulting in historic flooding in several mid-Michigan counties. Gov. Whitmer also asked EGLE to review the larger issue of dam safety in Michigan and provide recommendations on policy, legislative, budgetary, and enforcement reforms that can prevent these harms from repeating elsewhere.

“This flooding forced thousands to evacuate their homes, destroyed public infrastructure, ruined homes and businesses, and caused major natural resource damage,” said Governor Whitmer. “We must ensure accountability and prevent a disaster like this from happening again. I want to thank the first responders and volunteers who have stepped up to help in this time of unprecedented need.”

Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency on May 19 for Midland City and Midland County and has since expanded the declaration to include additional impacted counties of Arenac, Gladwin, Saginaw, and Iosco to ensure those areas have the resources they need. On May 20, Gov. Whitmer sent a letter to President Trump urging him to approve a federal emergency declaration for Midland County, which was approved on May 21.