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Michigan sues dam owner, seeks compensation for destruction

A local group was attempting to acquire the dam and make repairs before disaster struck.

Credit: AP

A look at the Sanford Dam on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. After the Edenville Dam failed and the Tittabawassee River flooded surrounding areas, many residents were urged to leave their homes and to brace themselves for the possibility of the Sanford Dam collapsing. Water flowed over the top of it through the night, but the structure is still in place. (Kaytie Boomer/The Bay City Times via AP)

LANSING, Mich. — The state of Michigan has filed a lawsuit against the owner of two dams, seeking fines for the destruction of natural resources as well as “gross mismanagement” that preceded a devastating flood in Midland County.

Attorney General Dana Nessel and Liesl Clark, Michigan’s top environmental regulator, say blame for the May 19 flood falls squarely on Boyce Hydro Power.

At least 150 homes were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to flee. The Edenville dam failed during a steady rain, draining Wixom Lake and unleashing the Tittabawassee River.

A local group was attempting to acquire the dam and make repairs before disaster struck.

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