Numerous violations and longstanding concerns that the Edenville Dam could not withstand a significant flood led the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to revoke its license for power generation in September 2018.
UPDATE: Dangers of Edenville dam failure evade state scrutiny
The Edenville dam, located on the border of Midland and Gladwin counties, failed late Tuesday afternoon, leading to the failure of a downstream dam on the Tittabawassee River and forcing evacuations in Midland County.
The extent of the damage is not yet determined.
![Cars are scattered and flipped over on the main street, West Saginaw, in the Village of Sanford after flood waters swept through the town.]()
1 of 180![Work continues as the massive clean up due to flooding last week in Midland along Woodbridge Lane on Wednesday, May 27, 2020]()
2 of 180![Nancy Gorton of Sanford is still stunned over the empty Sanford Lake at her home along Lake View Road in Sanford on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.]()
3 of 180![A flood damaged Santa Claus rest amid debris along Partridge Lane in Midland on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.]()
4 of 180![Albert Henderson, of SERVPRO, removes flood damaged debris from the home of Richard Rasmussen in Midland.]()
5 of 180![Richard Rasmussen of Midland tries to salvage family photographs damaged by flooding last week on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 .]()
6 of 180![Carol Arnosky of Midland hold a sign and listens to Governor Gretchen Whitmer speak during a news conference regarding the state's response to the emergency regarding dam conditions and flooding in Midland and Sanford on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at Meridian Elementary School in Sanford.]()
7 of 180![A water soaked chair rest atop a pile of debris along Oak Ridge Lane in Midland on Wednesday, May 27, 2020 after flood waters filled basements]()
8 of 180![Shaun Johnson, of Dewitt, looks down as he says he doesn't want to cry as he and family members remove items out the basement of his flooded family cottage as Edenville residents, officials and cottage owners start to cleanup, Friday afternoon, May 22, 2020, after the Edenville dam failed, Monday afternoon, causing the Tittabawassee River to flood.]()
9 of 180![Utility workers survey the M-30 washed out bridge over the Tittabawassee River in Edenville.]()
10 of 180![An antique car called, 'Heart Breaker,' is buried up to the floor boards, surrounded by broken asphalt, in Edenville.]()
11 of 180![Flood waters leveled trees on the west bank of the Tittabawassee River in Edenville.]()
12 of 180![Shaun Johnson, of Dewitt, looks down as he says he doesn't want to cry as he and family members remove items out the basement of his flooded family cottage.]()
13 of 180![Joe Rueda, of Edenville, says debris from the flood came up to here in the backyard of his girlfriend's house.]()
14 of 180![Edenville Township Supervisor Craig Gosen looks down as he talks about the flood.]()
15 of 180![Joe Rueda, of Edenville, talks about the water level in the backyard of his girlfriend's house.]()
16 of 180![Washington Twp. fire fighter / medics Pete Doyle, left, and Jason Harrison, center, walk with Edenville Fire Rescue fire fighter Dick Bacon, right, as they prepare to launch their drone to check on the occupancy of a residence where officials have not heard from the owners.]()
17 of 180![Washington Twp. fire fighter / medics Jason Harrison, left, and Pete Doyle, prepare to launch their drone.]()
18 of 180![Washington Twp. fire fighter / medics Pete Doyle, left, and Jason Harrison, center, and Edenville Fire Rescue fire fighter Dick Bacon, right, launch a Washington Twp. Fire Department drone.]()
19 of 180![Washington Twp. fire fighter / medic Jason Harrison lands his drone after checking on the occupancy of a residence where officials have not heard from the owners.]()
20 of 180![This canoe and other debris is stuck in the trees several feet in the air on the east bank of the Tittabawassee River.]()
21 of 180![Semi-truck drivers for the Belfor Property Restoration National Disaster Team await their orders to move equipment trailers into flooded areas as they stage near their team's command center in a parking lot along Eastman Ave. at M-10 in Midland, Friday morning, May 22, 2020.]()
22 of 180![Sanford resident Kendra Tucker wipes away muck after finding a family photo for her aunt and uncle after their home was washed away in flood waters, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Sanford, Mich. Scores of displaced people are staying in shelters after flooding overwhelmed two dams, submerged homes and washed out roads in Central Michigan.]()
23 of 180![Flood damage to Michigan Highway 30 is seen at Wixom Lake in Michigan, on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, where floodwaters took out the bridge.]()
24 of 180![In this Wednesday, May 20, 2020, photo, people survey the flood damage to the Curtis Road Bridge in Edenville, Mich., over the Tittabawassee River. The bridge sits just south of Wixom Lake where the dams failed.]()
25 of 180![Debris fills and surrounds a vehicle trapped under a large slab of asphalt after roads, cars and homes were ripped away following severe flooding in the last two days, as seen on Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Sanford, Mich. Scores of displaced people are staying in shelters after flooding overwhelmed two dams, submerged homes and washed out roads in Central Michigan.]()
26 of 180![Chunks of asphalt rest broken apart after flood waters decimated the bridge in downtown Sanford, Mich., on Thursday, May 21, 2020. After dam failures upstream this week, water flooded the village, destroying homes and businesses, uprooting trees and crumbling bridges and infrastructure.]()
27 of 180![This photo provided by Maxar Technologies shows Sanford Dam in Sanford, Mich., Thursday, May 21, 2020, after it was damaged.]()
28 of 180![This photo provided by Maxar Technologies shows Sanford Dam in Sanford, Mich., Thursday, May 14, 2020, before it was damaged.]()
29 of 180![Before and after composite image -- This photo provided by Maxar Technologies shows Sanford Dam in Sanford, Mich. on Thursday, May 14, 2020, before it was damaged (left), and on Thursday, May 21, 2020, after it was damaged.]()
30 of 180![People kayak over the flooded Main Street near H. H. Dow High School in Midland on Thursday, May 21, 2020. The Edenville Dam failed on Tuesday, May 19 and caused the Tittabawassee River to flood many area throughout Midland.]()
31 of 180![A portion of Jones Road in Billings, Mich., is completely gone Thursday, May 21, 2020, after it was decimated by flooding caused by dam failures.]()
32 of 180![Kendra Tucker, left, and her sister Melissa McCann, both of Sanford, wade into flood waters as they work to uncover lost family heirlooms and belongings, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Sanford, Mich. Scores of displaced people are staying in shelters after flooding overwhelmed two dams, submerged homes and washed out roads in Central Michigan.]()
33 of 180![Residents Dennis Schettler, left, holds his wife Mary's hand as they walk over a collapsed bridge while inspecting the damage after flooding overwhelmed dams this week, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Sanford, Mich. The Schettlers survived the 1986 flood while raising their two children, and said that flood was nothing compared to this travesty. "We lost everything. It's devastating to see what this has done to our community. We have so many friends that don't have anything anymore," Mary Schettler said.]()
34 of 180![Rebecca Johnson, right, hugs her niece, Paige Benjamin, as Johnson cleans out the kitchen of her home in Sanford on Thursday.]()
35 of 180![Rebecca Johnson cleans the kitchen in her mud-filled home in Sanford, Michigan on Thursday, May 21, 2020. Johnson's home and many like it were flooded after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week.]()
36 of 180![Dan Forbes takes a rest from cleaning up his mud filled home in Sanford, May 21, 2020. Much of Sanford was flooded after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week, sending debris and wreckage throughout the town.]()
37 of 180![A Cadillac sits in a pile of sand as residents and business owners dig out after flooding swept through the town of Sanford, Michigan.]()
38 of 180![People walk along West Saginaw Road in Sanford, May 21, 2020, a day after heavy flooding damaged much of the Mid-Michigan town.]()
39 of 180![Rich Cobb, a mechanic, checks out a delivery vehicle used by the Auto Value store in Sanford, Thursday. Most of downtown Sanford was devastated by floodwaters after the Edenville and Sanford dams failed this week.]()
40 of 180![Fieros Forever, a museum dedicated to the Pontiac Fiero, is left in ruins after flooding swept through the town of Sanford.]()
41 of 180![Connie Methner, owner of CJ's Hairstyling, wades through the mud covering the inside of her salon in Sanford, Thursday. The Mid-Michigan village was hit especially hard by flood waters after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week.]()
42 of 180![Kim Methner, wades through the mud covering the inside of his wife's hair salon in Sanford, May 21, 2020. The Mid-Michigan village was hit especially hard by flood waters after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week.]()
43 of 180![Tim Evans, owner of Fieros Forever, inspects the damage to his Lamborghini Diablo kit car lying in a muddy ditch near downtown Sanford, May 21, 2020. Evans lost several vehicles due to the flooding that occurred after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week.]()
44 of 180![Tim Gordon, a plumber for J&D Plumbing, helps sweep mud out of the shop a day after flooding swept through the village of Sanford.]()
45 of 180![Dan Forbes walks past an upturned shed that belongs to a neighbor but ended up in his front yard in Sanford, May 21, 2020. Forbes' home, and many like it, were flooded after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week, sending debris and wreckage throughout the town.]()
46 of 180![Charles Wright tests the weight of his step-son's shed which floated several houses away and ended up in the front yard of a neighbor's home, in Sanford, May 21, 2020. Much of Sanford was flooded after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week, sending debris and wreckage throughout the town.]()
47 of 180![Friends and family help Rebecca Johnson remove furniture and belongings from her mud-filled home in Sanford, Thursday. Johnson's home and many like it in Sanford were flooded after the Sanford dam failed earlier in the week.]()
48 of 180![Bruce Maxwell pushes his bike through mud as he walks past damaged school buses near downtown Sanford, Thursday after the flood waters had receded.]()
49 of 180![People walk over an Ojibway Island road that is closed to vehicular traffic due to flooding near downtown Saginaw.]()
50 of 180![High water of the Saginaw River is seen from the Frank N. Andersen bridge with Ojibway Island on the right in downtown Saginaw.]()
51 of 180![A park on the west bank of the Saginaw River is flooded in downtown Saginaw.]()
52 of 180![Retired guitar instructor Paul Yacobellis, of Saginaw, rides his bike over the Ojibway Island road that is closed to vehicular traffic due to flooding of the Saginaw River, Thursday afternoon]()
53 of 180![Andrew Forester, of Saginaw Twp., owner of Magma Gems Custom Fine Jewelry, covers his mouth while talking about flood waters from the Tittabawassee River that destroyed his newly renovated family's living space on the lower level of this building]()
54 of 180![Andrew Forester, of Saginaw Twp., owner of Magma Gems Custom Fine Jewelry, looks down while talking about flood waters from the Tittabawassee River that destroyed his newly renovated family's living space on the lower level of this building.]()
55 of 180![A Saginaw County Sheriff's reserve blocks the Gordon A. Ely bridge on State Rd. at Midland Rd. (M-47) that is flooded from the Tittabawassee River.]()
56 of 180![Dan Dice, a retired U.S. Marine, assess the damage to the now-flooded house he shares with his wife, Jordan, and two children on Center street in downtown Sanford Village near the Tittabawassee River which overflowed its banks. They were not in the home when the dam broke away but saw the effects after they came home. The Dice family bought the house on a foreclosure for seven thousand dollars and have lived there for six years. The Dice family has no flood insurance.]()
57 of 180![Dan Dice, a former United States Marine, on the front porch of his flooded house he shares with his wife Jordan and 2 children on Center street in downtown Sanford across from the Tittabawassee River. They were not in the home when the dam broke away but saw the effects after they came home. The Dice family bought the house on a foreclosure for seven thousand dollars and have lived there for 6 years. The Dice family has no flood insurance.]()
58 of 180![Dan Dionne looks over his former deck outside his home, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Edenville, Mich. Some people living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area returned to the area to survey the damage. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)]()
59 of 180![Dan Dice, a former U.S. Marine, assess the damage to the now-flooded house he shares with his wife, Jordan, and two children on Center street in downtown Sanford Village near the Tittabawassee River which overflowed its banks. They were not in the home when the dam broke away but saw the effects after they came home. The Dice family bought the house on a foreclosure for seven thousand dollars and have lived there for six years. The Dice family has no flood insurance.]()
60 of 180![Dan Dice, a former United States Marine, clears some debris from his front porch steps of his flooded house he shares with his wife Jordan and 2 children on Center street in downtown Sanford across from the Tittabawassee River. They were not in the home when the dam broke away but saw the effects after they came home. The Dice family bought the house on a foreclosure for seven thousand dollars and have lived there for 6 years. The Dice family has no flood insurance.]()
61 of 180![Dan Dice, a former United States Marine makes his way to his flooded house he shares with his wife Jordan and 2 children on Center street in downtown Sanford across from the Tittabawassee River.]()
62 of 180![The Tridge, a three way wooden footbridge in downtown Midland is surrounded by flood water]()
63 of 180![The farmers market in downtown Midland is surrounded by flood water, Wednesday.]()
64 of 180![Homes around North Saginaw Road in Midland are surrounded by floodwater, Wednesday.]()
65 of 180![Cyndie Roberts, a math teacher at Dow High School, walks down a flooded North Saginaw Road in Midland trying to get a look at her school, May 20, 2020.]()
66 of 180![Debris piled up in the door and windows of Coles Auto Parts and Supply on W. Saginaw road in Sanford, downriver from the Sanford dam.]()
67 of 180![A search and rescue boat is deployed as Saginaw Road is closed at Drake due to water over the road in Midland, Mich., Wednesday.]()
68 of 180![Volunteers assist evacuated residents at a temporary shelter at Midland High School, Wednesday.]()
69 of 180![Midland resident Ritu Patel communicates with family members on her cell phone at a temporary shelter at Midland High School, Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Midland, Mich. Patel was concerned because her husband had left the shelter to assess the flood damage to their home.]()
70 of 180![Ryan Stadelmaier, 16, gives a piggyback ride to his sister Rachel Stadelmaier, 27, as they cross Walden Woods Drive while helping residents tend to their flooded homes in Midland, Wednesday.]()
71 of 180![Hunter Klich, 14, maneuvers a kayak down the middle of Walden Woods Drive in Midland, Wednesday.]()
72 of 180![This photo provided by Maxar Technologies shows homes and other buildings surrounded by floodwaters in Midland, Mich., Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
73 of 180![This photo provided by Maxar Technologies shows Northwood University surrounded by floodwaters in Midland, Mich., Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
74 of 180![John Kraft, an engineer for The H Hotel, wades through floodwater in the hotel's underground parking garage, Wednesday.]()
75 of 180![Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses members of the media and Midland County residents during a press conference at the temporary shelter at the school, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Midland, Mich. Whitmer spoke of response efforts to severe flooding caused by dam failures upstream of the Tittabawassee River.]()
76 of 180![Debris backs up along the Sanford Dam near the Village of Sanford, Michigan.]()
77 of 180![This drone photo shows the Sanford Dam, the right side of which has been breached by floodwaters.]()
78 of 180![A man walks toward the Edenville Dam at Wixom Lake in Beaverton after the levees broke.]()
79 of 180![Water rushes past the remainder of the Edenville Dam at Wixom Lake in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
80 of 180![A boy examines a structure near the Edenville Dam at Wixom Lake in Beaverton, Mich. on May 20.]()
81 of 180![A man looks over at what is left of the Edenville Dam at Wixom Lake on May 21.]()
82 of 180![People walk down the main street, W. Saginaw Street, in downtown Sanford, Michigan which is downriver from the Sanford dam when it broke open.]()
83 of 180![Sanford's main street, W. Saginaw Street is flooded.]()
84 of 180![Fieros are submerged outside Fieros Forever, a business on the flooded out main street in the Village of Sanford after flood waters swept through the town.]()
85 of 180![A fiero lies upside down on the main street in Sanford Village after flood waters swept through.]()
86 of 180![Meridian Public School buses are piled up off of the main street in downtown Sanford after being swept away by rushing flood waters from the breached Sanford Dam.]()
87 of 180![This drone photo shows a flooded neighborhood along North Saginaw Road in Midland.]()
88 of 180![Woody debris, parts of docks, boats and decks and junk are trapped against the Sandford Lake powerhouse dam.]()
89 of 180![Don Thomas (background) rows Nick Maki and son Jason Thomas past Jason's red 2001 Grand Cherokee, barely visible above the flooding, after picking up Jason's two family cats from his flooded home near W. Signet in Midland. Jason Thomas, "We walked out last night, me, my wife and three kids." "Other than the pictures put up high or upstairs, everything else is gone."]()
90 of 180![Don Thomas of Saginaw pulls his boat up to his son Jason Thomas who went back to his flooded house near W. Signet in Midland to retrieve his family's two cats. "We were going to do just ours but everyone else was in the same situation" comments Don Thomas after taking several families to their flooded homes to retrieve their family pets. Jason Thomas, "You are a hero dad! You saved 6 cats today."]()
91 of 180![Don Thomas of Saginaw pulls his boat up to his son Jason Thomas use Don's boat to rescue house pets, including this frightened feline.]()
92 of 180![A classic Ford sedan, restored as a hot rod, is covered with mud and broken pavement from flooding in Edenville.]()
93 of 180![Flood damage near the Edenville Bridge after the dam collapsed. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger filed two proposed class-action lawsuits Thursday seeking $500 million for flood victims.]()
94 of 180![A part of Jones Road is eroded where Denton Creek flows in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
95 of 180![Jason Thomas' 2013 Town and Country van is nearly submerged as it sits in the driveway of his Midland home Wednesday.]()
96 of 180![Jason Thomas points out something in the flood waters as he and his brother-in-law-Nick Maki, left, are rowed by Jason's father Don Thomas (background) in a residential neighborhood of Midland.]()
97 of 180![A flooded home in Midland.]()
98 of 180![Police personnel cruise down flooded streets of Midland Wednesday.]()
99 of 180![The roadway on the Edenville Bridge on M-30 was severely damaged by the flooding caused by the collapse of the Edenville dam.]()
100 of 180![A Michigan National Guard FMTV takes St. Louis, Saginaw Township and Midland City Fire Department personnel to a home they were notified was smoking along a flooded W. Signet road in Midland.]()
101 of 180![The H Hotel has water up to its doors in downtown Midland, May 20, 2020.]()
102 of 180![The ring at the Midland Farmers Market is submerged in flood waters Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
103 of 180![The Upper Bridge pedestrian bridge is flooded along the Tittabawassee River in downtown Midland, Wednesday.]()
104 of 180![A man takes a photo of the collapsed Jones Road where Denton Creek flows in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
105 of 180![A Toyota RAV4 is trapped along Denton Creek along Jones Road in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
106 of 180![Georgia Green, 8, of Bay City, plays in the sand of the washed out Wixom Lake in Hope, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
107 of 180![Megan Green, 10, of Bay City, helps her sister, Georgia Green, 8, while they play in the sand of the washed out Wixom Lake in Hope, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
108 of 180![Children play in the sand of the washed out Wixom Lake in Hope, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
109 of 180![A boat is washed out in the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
110 of 180![A transformer station is flooded along the Tittabawassee River in downtown Midland.]()
111 of 180![A flooded dome house is seen along West Signet Street in Midland.]()
112 of 180![Floodwaters wash out the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
113 of 180![A dock is washed out in the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
114 of 180![Don Thomas of Saginaw takes his boat down flooded West Signet Street past a rear entrance to MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland, to pick up his son Jason Thomas and his family's two cats from their flooded home in Midland.]()
115 of 180![Floodwaters wash out the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
116 of 180![Floodwaters wash out the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
117 of 180![Ashman Street near Main Street is underwater in downtown Midland, May 20, 2020.]()
118 of 180![The Tittabawassee River flooded the M-30 roadway Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in Midland County.]()
119 of 180![A boat is washed out in the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
120 of 180![A view looking west on North Saginaw Road as the Tittabawassee River overflows, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Midland, Mich. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
121 of 180![Jack Hessling, 70, of Englewood, Fla. leans against his truck at his summer home along East Beaver Road in Kawkawlin, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
122 of 180![West Saginaw Road in Sanford Village was awash in floodwater Wednesday.]()
123 of 180![Michigan State officers return as the Tittabawassee River overflows, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Midland, Mich. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
124 of 180![A house is surrounded by water along East Beaver Road in Kawkawlin, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
125 of 180![Floodwaters washed out boats along Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
126 of 180![A pair of Midland County residents walk up to one of two bridges on North M-30 that have suffered heavy damage on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path.]()
127 of 180![A rope is attached to a dock to keep it from falling due to floodwaters washing out Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
128 of 180![A boat is washed out due to floodwater in the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton, Mich. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.]()
129 of 180![Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at a press conference in Midland on May 20, 2020. She declared a state of emergency for Midland County after the Edenville and Sanford dams breached.]()
130 of 180![Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer visits an emergency shelter for flood evacuees at Midland High School Wednesday.]()
131 of 180![Firefighters launch a boat as the Tittabawassee River overflows, Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in Midland, Mich. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
132 of 180![A package of toilet paper lies among the debris left behind after the Tittabawassee River washed out an earthen levee on Sanford Lake.]()
133 of 180![Major rains over several days have caused major flooding along W. Saginaw Rd. in Sanford.]()
134 of 180![Major rains over several days has caused the bridge in Edenville to be demolished by flood waters from the Tittabawassee River in Midland County.]()
135 of 180![Television crews watch the Tittabawassee River rise in downtown Midland to an estimated 10 feet over flood stage on May 20.]()
136 of 180![A car is abandoned on South Saginaw Road at Bailey Bridge Road near the border of Freeland and Midland on Wednesday morning. Flooding along the Tittabawassee River has caused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency]()
137 of 180![Audrey Rice is helped out of a military vehicle by members of the 125 Infantry, Michigan National Guard, after being evacuated from her home in Midland. "We've just been here a year from California and we just bought a house. The water in the basement was up to the ceiling , you could not go down a step. We should have left last night but we have two cats and I don't know."]()
138 of 180![Residens check on the flooding at Chippewassee Park at Ashman road and Ann Street along the Tittabawassee River in downtown Midland Wednesday morning. Thousands of area residents have been evacuated.]()
139 of 180![Ruins of the Curtis Road Bridge lie asunder as waters continue to roil on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path.]()
140 of 180![Chippewassee Park in downtown Midland is flooded Wednesday morning.]()
141 of 180![Tittabawassee Fire and Rescue rescued the driver from this red pickup truck on North Gleaner Road near its intersection with Tittabawassee Road on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in Saginaw. The truck was swept off of the road by standing water.]()
142 of 180![Water floods the Midland Area Farmers Market and the bridge along the Tittabawassee River in Midland on Tuesday, May 19.<br />
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143 of 180![Damages on one of two North M-30 bridges on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path.]()
144 of 180![Two MDOT employees survey the damage on one of two North M-30 bridges on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscapre in its path.]()
145 of 180![People help each other travel from one home to another using an inflatable raft on Oakridge Road on Wixom Lake on Tuesday in Beaverton. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
146 of 180![The big ring of the Midland farmers market is submerged under floodwaters Wednesday, May 20.]()
147 of 180![Freeland resident Cyndi Ballien walks up to get a closer look as heavy rain floods North Gleaner Road near its intersection with Tittabawassee Road on Tuesday in Saginaw County.]()
148 of 180![Flood waters tore through a house near the Curtis Road Bridge with its remains seen here on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path.]()
149 of 180![Damages on one of two North M-30 bridges on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path.]()
150 of 180![A nearly barren Wixom Lake stands dry after severe flooding forced the failure of Edenville Dam on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland, Mich.]()
151 of 180![An old dredge machine has been uncovered after water washed out due to the failure of the Edenville Dam on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland, Mich.]()
152 of 180![The remains of the Edenville Dam, as seen on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville Township north of Midland. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path.]()
153 of 180![Residents of Sanford and Wixom Lakes exit a shelter at Meridian Junior High School on Tuesday in Sanford, after spending the night following an evacuation order. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
154 of 180![Tyler Marciniak of Grand Rapids carries hanging plants through floodwater as he helps his father, Tom Marciniak, assess the damage to his home on Red Oak Drive on Wixom Lake on Tuesday in Beaverton.]()
155 of 180![People use kayaks to assess the damage at homes in their neighborhood on Oakridge Road on Wixom Lake on Tuesday, May 19, in Beaverton.]()
156 of 180![Mark Musselman brings a chair to the front of his house from the back yard, wading through floodwater on Tuesday, May 19, in Edenville. People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
157 of 180![A view of the flooded area near the Sanford Dam on Tuesday. Residents were told to evacuate due to the dams on Sanford and Wixom Lakes no longer being able to control or contain the amount of water flowing through the spill gates.]()
158 of 180![People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river have been evacuated following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.]()
159 of 180![A view of the flooded area near the Sanford Dam on Tuesday. Residents were told to evacuate due to the dams on Sanford and Wixom Lakes no longer being able to control or contain the amount of water flowing through the spill gates.]()
160 of 180![Carol Ouellette stands on her front porch, surrounded by floodwater, Tuesday in Beaverton. An evacuation order was released the night before for residents of Sanford and Wixom Lakes, warning of "imminent dam failure," but Ouellette was not able to transport her cats from her home, leading her to stay put.<br />
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161 of 180![Water rushes through the Edenville Dam on Tuesday in Edenville.]()
162 of 180![Floodwater surrounds Wixom Lake Gas & Launch on Tuesday along the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton.]()
163 of 180![Floodwater surrounds gas pumps at Wixom Lake Gas & Launch on Tuesday, along the Tittabawassee River in Beaverton.]()
164 of 180![Flooded front lawns of homes along Jefferson Ave. in Harrison Township on Tuesday.]()
165 of 180![Properties along the Tittabawassee chain of rivers in Gladwin flood following heavy rains.]()
166 of 180![A decorative lighthouse and canons are submerged in water as the canal rises over the top of the boardwalk on a residence in Anchor Bay Shores subdivision in Harrison Township on Tuesday.]()
167 of 180![A flooded river washes out a road in Gladwin on Tuesday.]()
168 of 180![Water over Berg Road due the Rouge River in Detroit on May 19, 2020.]()
169 of 180![Water nearing Berg Road due to high water in the Rouge River in Detroit on May 19, 2020.]()
170 of 180![A driver changes course due to flooding on Ridge Road because of high water in the Rouge River in Detroit on May 19, 2020.]()
171 of 180![The canal rises above the wall, flooding a street in Anchor Bay Shores subdivision in Harrison Township on Tuesday.]()
172 of 180![Properties along the Tittabawassee chain of rivers in Gladwin on Tuesday.]()
173 of 180![Carpenter Isaac Joseph has been fighting the rising waters for a resident of Anchor Bay Shores subdivision in Harrison Township for over a year including putting down over 800 sandbags in three separate walls, as well as several sump pumps but still the water gets through.]()
174 of 180![Carpenter Isaac Joseph has been fighting the rising waters for a resident of Anchor Bay Shores subdivision in Harrison Township for over a year including putting down over 800 sandbags in three separate walls, as well as several sump pumps but water still gets through.]()
175 of 180![Properties along the Tittabawassee chain of rivers in Gladwin on Tuesday were flooded following heavy rains.]()
176 of 180![Properties along the Tittabawassee chain of rivers in Gladwin on Tuesday were flooded following heavy rains.]()
177 of 180![Cars make their way through a flooded Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores.]()
178 of 180![The flooded front yard on Monday, May 18, of a house on Jefferson Ave. in St. Clair Shores.]()
179 of 180![High water levels overwhelm a dock along the Grosse Ile Trenton channel of the Detroit River on Monday.]()
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The energy commission (FERC), which regulates U.S. power generation, notified the dam's previous owner as far back as 1999 that it needed to increase capacity of the Edenville dam's spillways to prevent a significant flood from overcoming the structure.
FERC subsequently notified the dam's new owner, Boyce Hydro Power LLC, when the license transferred in 2004.
By June 2017, the commission cracked down, citing the owner's "longstanding failure to address the project’s inadequate spillway capacity at this high hazard dam."
"Thirteen years after acquiring the license for the project, the licensee has still not increased spillway capacity, leaving the project in danger," wrote Jennifer Hill, director dvision of Hydropower Administration and Compliance. "The spillway capacity deficiencies must be remedied in order to protect life, limb and property."
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Notable by FERC was Edenville's classification as a high hazard dam, meaning its failure could present significant risk to life and property, especially in the downstream village of Sanford, city of Midland and Northwood University.
Boyce Hydro had argued to FERC that it had ongoing litigation with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality over gaining permits to construct more spillway capacity.
A spillway is essentially an overflow valve, allowing excess water to safely flow around the dam without damaging the structure.
Boyce Hydro owns four dams on the Tittabawassee River, which runs southeasterly through mid-Michigan, emptying into the Saginaw River at Saginaw. The three other dams were still creating hydropower at the time of Tuesday's breach. They create Wixom, Sanford, Secord and Smallwood lakes.
The Sanford Lake dam subsequently failed on Tuesday.
In January 2019, FERC sent a two-page letter to Boyce Hydro, noting that it had canceled its scheduled October 2018 "functional exercise" at the Sanford, Second and Smallwood dams. Functional exercises simulate an emergency to test preparedness.
The FERC letter reminded Boyce of its duty to conduct the exercise, setting a Feb. 28, 2019, deadline.
FERC did not immediately respond to a request for information on whether that exercise was ever rescheduled.
In January, a two-county authority called the Four Lakes Task Force agreed to purchase the four dams and lakes for $9.4 million from Boyce Trusts, using money from a special tax district to help rehabilitate the structures. The cost of improving the dams was expected to be $100 million and the sale was expected to be complete by early 2022.
That action came after years of citations issued by FERC against the owners of the Edenville dam. They included violations for making unauthorized repairs, unauthorized earth moving, failure to file proper safety plans, failure to provide recreational areas and public access, failure to secure necessary property rights and failure to comply with water quality orders.
But the government's most significant concern, by far, was the failure to increase the capacity of spillways that would allow the dam to survive a "probable maximum flood" event.
FERC argued that the Edenville structure, constructed in 1925, could not handle 50% of a probable maximum flood for the region and that even Boyce's insufficient and incomplete plans would increase capacity only to 66% of a probable maximum flood.
In an effort to retain its license, Boyce Hydro and the Sanford Lake Association argued that revocation of the license would not improve public safety, because revoking the license would make the dam less attractive to potential buyers and because ceasing power generation would kill the only other source of revenue that could be used to expand its spillway capacity.
In its 2018 request, Boyce Hydro LLC also argued that the "odds of a 'probable maximum flood' event occurring in the next 5 to 10 years is 5 to 10 in one million," according to federal records.
FERC denied the request for a rehearing, finding that revocation of the license would not endanger the public.
"Michigan DEQ has extensive dam safety regulations, including enforcement mechanisms such as the ability to commence a civil action for appropriate relief for violations," commissioners found.
"For over 14 years, the commission has gone to great lengths to compel compliance with the license requirements and Boyce Hydro has delayed, disregarded its responsibility, and claimed that it was not financially capable of meeting such requirements. Meanwhile, Boyce Hydro continued to benefit from the revenues generated by the project."
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