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Four Lakes Task Force moves forward with dam repair efforts

Photo by Ryan Kaleto

Gladwin and Midland county commissioners unanimously approved a plan today to repair dams that failed in 2020.

The special assessment district approved this week, along with state funding, will raise a quarter billion dollars to repair the dams and restore the lakes.

But some residents, like Carol Healy, feel the task force in charge of the project has not been transparent about how it plans to spend the money. "You do not respond to us. And if you do, you're hostile," she says.

Dan Rothman is with the Four Lakes Task Force. He says the special assessment and 200 million dollars from the state should help restore what was lost. "We're off and rolling. We got the money. We got the assessment approved for operating and maintenance that's going to get us through the next four years until we can get the dams put back together," he says.

The 2020 dam failures forced thousands to evacuate their homes. The failures also drained two popular lakes. The plan is to restore what was lost by 2026.