{"id":4232,"date":"2020-05-25T16:55:45","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T20:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/?p=4232"},"modified":"2026-02-06T18:18:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:18:57","slug":"the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Failure of Edenville Dam &#038; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">A significant environmental incident occurred in Michigan this past week when the Edenville Dam failed on May 19, 2020. The resulting impacts from Midland to Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron are substantial and will likely be felt for many years. Downstream communities face extensive property damage, and the long-term cleanup of contaminated sediments\u2014affecting drinking water sources and fisheries\u2014will place added strain on Michigan\u2019s environmental remediation resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The failure of the Edenville Dam and the loss of Wixom Lake raise serious questions about whether different lake-level management decisions could have reduced the risk. Maintaining safety margins appears not to have been prioritized, and the consequences are now clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">In the days ahead, there will be political debate, extensive media coverage, and technical investigations into the causes and contributing factors behind the dam\u2019s failure. As part of this effort, RMP will review two reports today that provide useful insight into conditions and decisions leading up to the collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"s1\">1) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com\/uploads\/1\/2\/3\/1\/123199575\/four_lake_level_study_final_full_report_20190426.pdf\"><span class=\"s2\">The Four Lakes Lake Level Study<\/span><\/a> prepared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spicergroup.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Spicer Group<\/span><\/a> &amp; with support from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarkhill.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Clark Hil<\/span><\/a>l at the behest of the Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF), the Gladwin County Board of Commissioners &amp; the Midland County Board of Commissioners.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The lake level study was published in April 2019.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>It was the support case used to get Judge Stephen Carras\u2019 signature for &#8216;legal&#8217; lake levels which in essence were &#8216;vanity&#8217; lake levels despite concerns of potential dam failure.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"s1\">2) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com\/uploads\/1\/2\/3\/1\/123199575\/2019_annual_report_41020_links.pdf\"><span class=\"s2\">The Four Lakes Task Force 2019 Annual Report and Operating Plan<\/span><\/a> published April 16, 2020. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>It is very interesting that the comprehensive annual report for the Four Lakes Task Force was published just a few weeks before the dam would have catastrophic failure.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>The annual report gives a comprehensive view into many legal &amp; financial considerations of fixing the dam just before Edenville\u2019s dam failure became a national spectacle; the financial report is a snapshot of the situation just before disaster struck.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/the_heart_of_lake_levels.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1406\" height=\"822\" src=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/the_heart_of_lake_levels.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/the_heart_of_lake_levels.png 1406w, https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/the_heart_of_lake_levels-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/the_heart_of_lake_levels-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/the_heart_of_lake_levels-768x449.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1406px) 100vw, 1406px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The table shown above will be a key piece of evidence supporting what &#8220;legal levels&#8221; were for Wixom Lake before it disappeared.&nbsp; Table shown above comes from the appendix of the 332 page Four Lakes Lake Level Study published in April 2019.&nbsp; You can read the whole document by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com\/uploads\/1\/2\/3\/1\/123199575\/four_lake_level_study_final_full_report_20190426.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">clicking here<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">In the coming weeks, the term \u201clegal level\u201d will appear frequently in discussions of the Edenville Dam failure. This refers to the lake levels established by Judge Stephen Carras when he issued a Lake Level Order under Part 307 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended (MCL 324.30701 et seq). That order set the normal, or legal, lake levels for Wixom, Sanford, Smallwood, and Secord Lakes (the \u201cFour Lakes\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Four Lakes Special Assessment District (SAD) acknowledged the Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF) as the county-delegated authority responsible for acquiring, repairing, and operating the four dams on behalf of Midland and Gladwin counties. The established lake levels were documented in the <em>Four Lakes Lake Level Study<\/em> prepared by the Spicer Group and commissioned by the FLTF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has publicly referenced these court-ordered lake levels, noting that the State did not set the water level for Wixom Lake, but that it was established by a court order. She has also stated that the purpose of litigation involving EGLE and the DNR is not to increase lake levels, but to seek damages related to the prior lowering of the lake in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in environmental impacts, including mussel mortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Our hearts are with everyone affected by the disaster in Midland County and we are focused on assisting with any legal efforts necessary to provide relief. <br><br>Due to a significant amount of misinformation, we would like to bring the public&#39;s attention to the following: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/O6PNsMLaEY\">pic.twitter.com\/O6PNsMLaEY<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MIAttyGen\/status\/1264281486951415808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 23, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">The argument that Boyce should not have lowered lake levels due to potential harm to mussels is difficult to reconcile with the evidence presented in the two key documents referenced in this article. When those documents are read together, a different and arguably more plausible sequence of events emerges: lake levels appear to have been maintained primarily to preserve recreation and aesthetics, rather than to protect aquatic species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This raises important questions. Why would the State pursue financial penalties against a company that lacked sufficient resources to bring the dam into compliance with safety requirements? Framed this way, the mussel-related justification warrants closer scrutiny. A central focus of this post is to examine what drove the establishment of the court-ordered \u201clegal level\u201d and whether safety considerations were adequately weighted in that decision-making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The safety of Michigan residents and freshwater resources appears to have been treated as an underlying assumption\u2014that existing operations could continue safely\u2014based largely on the Four Lakes Lake Level Study commissioned by the FLTF. However, the study\u2019s emphasis suggests that lake levels were set to support recreation and shoreline interests more than immediate dam safety concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">Safety does not appear to have been a short-term priority in the Four Lakes Lake Level Study, but rather a long-term objective targeted for completion by 2024. For years, it was well known that the Edenville Dam was in disrepair and failed to meet Michigan dam safety standards under Part 315 of NREPA (MCL 324.31501 et seq). While a long-term plan existed to achieve compliance, the dominant near-term objective of the Lake Level Study was to maintain higher lake levels. This priority is stated on the first page of the study\u2019s introduction and summary, which notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe flowage rights for remaining lakes, for the most part, are currently held by Boyce Hydro\u2026 The Counties of Midland and Gladwin have petitioned the Circuit Court to establish legal lake levels to protect the interests of the property owners who directly benefit from the existence of these lakes as well as the interests of the Counties.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"s1\">The study further states that the FLTF was \u201cpursuing preemptive action to avert the draining of the lakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"794\" height=\"1032\" src=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/letters_from_parcel_owners.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/letters_from_parcel_owners.jpg 794w, https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/letters_from_parcel_owners-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/letters_from_parcel_owners-788x1024.jpg 788w, https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/letters_from_parcel_owners-768x998.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Public letters in support of higher lake levels look like typical form letters to support the \u201clegal level\u201d but they don\u2019t say anything about mussels or safety.&nbsp; This public letter and others like it can be found in the 332 page Four Lakes Lake Level Study by&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com\/uploads\/1\/2\/3\/1\/123199575\/four_lake_level_study_final_full_report_20190426.pdf\">clicking here<\/a>. (click image to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">Property owners with lakefront investments on these man-made lakes commissioned a study to establish legal lake levels in order to protect the interests of those who directly benefit from shoreline property. That purpose is stated plainly in the introduction of the report itself. Notably, within the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com\/uploads\/1\/2\/3\/1\/123199575\/four_lake_level_study_final_full_report_20190426.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">332-page comprehensive study<\/a> used to support the establishment of legal lake levels, the term \u201cmussel\u201d does not appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given that omission, the assertion that the State of Michigan\u2019s lawsuit against Boyce Hydro was primarily about protecting mussels deserves careful reexamination. The rationale appears difficult to substantiate based on the record cited in support of the legal lake levels. Instead, the lawsuit raises broader questions about enforcement priorities and the practical consequences of pursuing significant financial penalties against a dam operator already struggling to fund necessary safety upgrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a company lacks the resources to complete dam repairs before a multi-million-dollar lawsuit, its ability to do so afterward is unlikely to improve. This invites a reasonable question: why pursue an adversarial legal approach against the same entity tasked with working alongside MDEQ\/EGLE to operate and ultimately rehabilitate the dam? Regardless of past disputes, ensuring public safety and protecting Michigan\u2019s water resources would appear to require cooperation as much as enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How, then, did the situation reach a point where the Attorney General filed suit against the dam operator for not maintaining \u201clegal levels\u201d that were established through a Spicer Group study commissioned by the FLTF and later formalized through a court order signed by Judge Stephen Carras? That question remains central to understanding the decisions and motivations that led to this outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p4 wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>What prompted the FLTF to form?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">The Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF) was set in motion in September 2018 after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) revoked Edenville Dam\u2019s power generation license for non-compliance. Shortly thereafter, the dam owner lowered Wixom Lake by roughly eight feet. At the time, there were no known objections or violations cited by MDEQ or MDNR, but the drawdown angered lakefront property owners and became the catalyst for the formation of the FLTF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FLTF\u2019s motivation is clearly documented in its own materials. Lakefront property owners\u2014along with those holding dedicated easement access\u2014were frustrated that Boyce Hydro controlled lake levels without their input and had lowered the lake substantially. This moment triggered a legal process that ultimately resulted in higher court-ordered lake levels. Critically, that process made it illegal to lower lake levels even for safety reasons, despite the fact that the Edenville Dam had been known to be in serious disrepair for years and should not have had its levels raised until repairs were completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FLTF was acting to protect property investments, not to cause an environmental catastrophe. That motivation is understandable. However, safety concerns appear to have been overshadowed by a desire to maintain lake levels for recreation and aesthetics. With 6,555 lakefront parcels and nearly 2,000 additional parcels with easement access, the pressure to keep lakes full was substantial. While legal documents frame the effort as establishing \u201chistorical\u201d lake levels, there is reasonable evidence that preserving property value and appearance was a primary driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When FERC relinquished oversight, regulatory authority transferred to MDEQ (now EGLE). This makes it essential to examine how EGLE evaluated safe lake levels and emergency drawdown authority. If the dam was known to be deficient and repairs were estimated at roughly $20 million, it is reasonable to ask why lake levels were not set more conservatively\u2014especially given that May is historically the rainiest month in Midland County. Threats of major litigation may also have discouraged precautionary lake-level reductions, even when safety concerns were present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to distinguish between agency staff and leadership. The engineers, scientists, and technical staff within MDEQ\/EGLE are dedicated professionals working to protect Michigan\u2019s environment, often with limited resources. Concerns here are directed at leadership decisions and enforcement priorities, particularly the choice to pursue costly litigation while dam safety funding and engineering capacity remain inadequate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1 wp-block-paragraph\">This tragedy demands serious scrutiny of how lake levels were set, how safety was weighed against competing interests, and whether common-sense precautions were sidelined. Readers are encouraged to review the two documents referenced in the introduction and draw their own conclusions. RMP is not aligned with any political organization; its focus is, and has always been, Michigan\u2019s water. In the end, the water\u2014and the communities that depend on it\u2014are the true victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>This post was updated on February 6, 2026 to improve clarity and readability.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Could the Edenville Dam Catastrophe have been avoided?  Maybe. A term you&#8217;ll be hearing in the coming weeks is &#8220;legal levels&#8221; of the lakes.  But what does that mean?  RMP found two comprehensive documents that shed light on the situation between the Four Lakes Task Force &#038; Boyce Hydro &#038; The State of Michigan.  Click through to read RMP&#8217;s take.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-michigan","category-sustainability"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Failure of Edenville Dam &amp; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity - respectmyplanet.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Failure of Edenville Dam &amp; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity - respectmyplanet.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Could the Edenville Dam Catastrophe have been avoided? Maybe. A term you&#039;ll be hearing in the coming weeks is &quot;legal levels&quot; of the lakes. But what does that mean? RMP found two comprehensive documents that shed light on the situation between the Four Lakes Task Force &amp; Boyce Hydro &amp; The State of Michigan. Click through to read RMP&#039;s take.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"respectmyplanet.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/respectmyplanet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-25T20:55:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T23:18:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1331\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matt Wandel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@respectmyplanet\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@respectmyplanet\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matt Wandel\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Matt Wandel\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/644a43cc26fc267d7dbc58c83dfc570a\"},\"headline\":\"The Failure of Edenville Dam &#038; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-25T20:55:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T23:18:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1758,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Michigan\",\"sustainability\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Failure of Edenville Dam & Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity - respectmyplanet.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-25T20:55:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-06T23:18:57+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1331},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Failure of Edenville Dam &#038; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/\",\"name\":\"respectmyplanet.org\",\"description\":\"RMP is 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered in Michigan.  We are committed to protecting fresh water resources by advocating for: sustainable energy production, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, remediating environmental pollution &amp; rethinking waste management.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"respectmyplanet.org\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/rmp_logo750x750.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/rmp_logo750x750.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":750,\"caption\":\"respectmyplanet.org\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/respectmyplanet\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/respectmyplanet\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.respectmyplanet.org\\\/publications\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/644a43cc26fc267d7dbc58c83dfc570a\",\"name\":\"Matt Wandel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a5d7106df0db540d0faab91539c58464e022659b6bb548d0055c7a125ca6131f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a5d7106df0db540d0faab91539c58464e022659b6bb548d0055c7a125ca6131f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a5d7106df0db540d0faab91539c58464e022659b6bb548d0055c7a125ca6131f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Matt Wandel\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Failure of Edenville Dam & Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity - respectmyplanet.org","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Failure of Edenville Dam & Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity - respectmyplanet.org","og_description":"Could the Edenville Dam Catastrophe have been avoided? Maybe. A term you'll be hearing in the coming weeks is \"legal levels\" of the lakes. But what does that mean? RMP found two comprehensive documents that shed light on the situation between the Four Lakes Task Force & Boyce Hydro & The State of Michigan. Click through to read RMP's take.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/","og_site_name":"respectmyplanet.org","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/respectmyplanet\/","article_published_time":"2020-05-25T20:55:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-06T23:18:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1331,"url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Matt Wandel","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@respectmyplanet","twitter_site":"@respectmyplanet","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Matt Wandel","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/"},"author":{"name":"Matt Wandel","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#\/schema\/person\/644a43cc26fc267d7dbc58c83dfc570a"},"headline":"The Failure of Edenville Dam &#038; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity","datePublished":"2020-05-25T20:55:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-06T23:18:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/"},"wordCount":1758,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg","articleSection":["Michigan","sustainability"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/","url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/","name":"The Failure of Edenville Dam & Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity - respectmyplanet.org","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg","datePublished":"2020-05-25T20:55:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-06T23:18:57+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg","width":2000,"height":1331},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/the-failure-of-edenville-dam-sullying-of-lake-huron-safety-vs-vanity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Failure of Edenville Dam &#038; Sullying of Lake Huron: Safety -vs- Vanity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/","name":"respectmyplanet.org","description":"RMP is 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered in Michigan.  We are committed to protecting fresh water resources by advocating for: sustainable energy production, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, remediating environmental pollution &amp; rethinking waste management.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#organization","name":"respectmyplanet.org","url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/rmp_logo750x750.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/rmp_logo750x750.jpg","width":750,"height":750,"caption":"respectmyplanet.org"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/respectmyplanet\/","https:\/\/x.com\/respectmyplanet"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/#\/schema\/person\/644a43cc26fc267d7dbc58c83dfc570a","name":"Matt Wandel","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a5d7106df0db540d0faab91539c58464e022659b6bb548d0055c7a125ca6131f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a5d7106df0db540d0faab91539c58464e022659b6bb548d0055c7a125ca6131f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a5d7106df0db540d0faab91539c58464e022659b6bb548d0055c7a125ca6131f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Matt Wandel"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/michigan-midland-county-floods.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4XGsh-16g","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}