Wixom Lake


Wixom Lake was a reservoir in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named after Frank Wixom, who was instrumental in building the Edenville Dam. Unusually for its size, Wixom Lake boasts a lighthouse on Musselman Island. Since 2019, an agreement to buy the dam and reservoir by the Four Lakes Task Force from Boyce Hydro L.L.C. was in place until the dam failure, a "county-delegated authority", under the State of Michigan. Since 2018, the impoundment is regulated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
The lake typically has a surface area of, a shoreline of more than, a maximum capacity of, a normal capacity of, and a maximum depth of.
Lake NameSummerWinter
Secord750.8747.8
Smallwood704.8701.8
Wixom675.8672.8
Sanford630.8627.8

Wixom Lake is the third in a series of four reservoirs along the Tittabawassee River. Each is controlled to a lower elevation during the winter flood control season and a higher elevation during the summer recreation season. In April 2020, Michigan's EGLE sued the dam's operator, alleging it had lowered Wixom Lake's water level without permission in 2018 and 2019, killing thousands of freshwater mussels.

Incidents

2018–2019 lake draining and lawsuits

The water level in the lake was lowered by its operator in 2018 and 2019. It said it had requested permission from Michigan's EGLE, which failed to issue it. Despite the lack of a permit, it said it lowered the water "due to concern for the safety of its operators and the downstream community", and it proceeded to sue EGLE in federal court on April 29, 2020.
The following day, EGLE countersued the dam's operator, alleging it had lowered Wixom Lake's water level without permission, killing thousands of freshwater mussels.

2020 dam failure

In May 2020, when the Tittabawassee River flooded, one of the Edenville Dams failed where it was unable to keep the lake from draining and requiring evacuations downstream. Governor Gretchen Whitmer subsequently declared a state of emergency for Midland county. Requests to also aid Gladwin county residents is under review by governors staff.