Floods put Michigan dams on verge of failure. Will lawmakers raise standards?

House panel takes testimony on dam safety reforms as heavy rain strains structures across Michigan

Luke Trumble, dam safety program supervisor for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and Dylan Gebhard, the department's legislative liaison, sit before the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee. April 29, 2026 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan AdvanceMembers of the Michigan House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee reflected on the past few weeks of heavy flooding alongside the 2020 failure of the Sanford …

Floods put Michigan dams on verge of failure. Will lawmakers raise standards?

Five small dams failed during the widespread flooding in northern Michigan this month and five others with the ability to cause major downstream damage were on the verge of failure, Michigan's dam safety supervisor told a House legislative committee Wednesday.…

Michigan lawmakers ponder dam safety reforms, but ask who will pay

A state House committee on Wednesday considered legislation that would toughen Michigan’s dam safety standards. But one questioned whether the legislation would just be ‘another unfunded mandate.’

Aging dams and rising risks: Why we need stronger dam safety standards

Testimony by HRWC to the MI House of Representatives Natural Resources and Tourism Committee in support of HB 5485 Peninsular Paper Dam on the Huron River in Ypsilanti Michigan’s aging dams are putting communities, rivers, and taxpayers at risk. Michigan residents deserve safe infrastructure, healthy rivers, and real oversight of aging dams; this is why we support House Bill 5485. The bill was introduced in the Michigan Legislature by State Rep.…

Inspections ordered on flood-hit Michigan hydro dam chain

Federal regulators ordered a sweeping round of engineering reviews and safety assessments at dams near Black Lake and Cheboygan, Michigan, after flooding caused debris jams, gate problems, erosion, sinkholes and […]