RESOURCES

Four Lakes Task Force currently estimates that the lake will return in 2025-2026. Sign up for their weekly news flashes to stay up to date on restoration progress.

Four Lakes Task Force is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managed and operated by lake residents and industry experts. It serves as a "Delegated Authority" for Midland and Gladwin counties to administer and oversee the maintenance and operations of Sanford, Secord, Smallwood and Wixom/Edenville lakes and dams so the lake communities can enjoy the water long into the future.

The Four Lakes Special Assessment District (SAD) is an established geographic boundary of waterfront properties along or near Sanford, Secord, Smallwood and Wixom lakes and “backlot” properties with dedicated (private easement) access. Under Part 307, a county board may determine by resolution that the whole or a part of the cost of a project to establish and maintain a normal level for an inland lake shall be defrayed by special assessments. Every property owner in the SAD has an annual assessment added to their winter tax bill. Please see the FLTF SAD page for up-to-date information.

Midland and Gladwin counties determined that all costs associated with the maintenance of the legal levels for Sanford, Secord, Smallwood and Wixom lakes should be financed by special assessments to the benefitted properties within the Four Lakes Special Assessment District. In other words, the Four Lakes Special Assessment District is the source of funding for the maintenance of the lakes. While there can be other sources, such as government, private and public funding to offset assessments, the Four Lakes Assessment District is considered the primary source of funding to maintain the lakes. The Operations and Maintenance Assessment will begin on the winter 2022 tax bill. See your assessment amount here.

Property owners are permitted to mow or weed whack vegetation up to 40 feet out from their property line as long as they follow guidelines from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Any vegetation and brush that is cut must be removed from the lake bottom. STUMP ROOTS CANNOT BE DUG UP AND REMOVED. See a full list of guidelines here.

In September of 2022 Edenville Township and the Wixom Lake Improvement Board completed a pilot program to aerially spray evaluation plots on Sanford and Wixom lakes for the purpose of controlling growth of woody trees in the lakebeds. These were "evaluation" plots to determine if the treatment is adequate for the types and sizes of the saplings and young trees. The work was conducted by Professional Lake Management, and paid for by Edenville Township and the Wixom Lake Improvement Board. Officials will evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments and determine next steps.