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Residents urge officials to save Trout Lake as DNR says dam must be drained for assessment
Summary
At an April 8 special meeting, dozens of residents told the Gladwin County Board that Trout Lake is vital to recreation and local businesses, while DNR and EGLE representatives said the dam (built 1962) must be drained to assess structural deficiencies — funding and repair options remain disputed.
At a Gladwin County Board of Commissioners special meeting on April 8, residents and local leaders urged county and state officials not to remove Trout Lake, saying the lake is central to family recreation and the local economy.
Representatives from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) told the board the dam — originally constructed in 1962 — shows deficiencies and that draining is necessary to fully assess the extent of damage. The DNR representative said the agency owns the dam and that agency records and past funding requests have not yielded the repairs residents seek.
Local speakers described Trout Lake as an affordable, well-used swimming and fishing spot. Sam Durfee called it "the cleanest swimming hole he's ever seen" and said after walking the dam it "seems sound to him." A Clare County resident said she brings five children to the lake because the next comparable swimming spot is more than an hour and a half away.
Carrie Will, executive director of the Gladwin Chamber of Commerce, said her phone has "blown up" with concern and warned that losing the lake would reduce out-of-state visitors and harm the county's tourism identity. Guy Bradmon told the commissioners he collected a petition of 2,300 signatures opposing removal and said he is working with Representative Hoadley on the issue.
Several commenters questioned cost estimates and state funding priorities. A Wixom-area resident pointed to rising hunting and fishing revenues and asked why those funds could not be used to repair dams; another speaker said Smallwood Dam costs have inflated to $30 million. A Saginaw County woman said her independent research showed repairs could cost as little as $4,000 and urged community fundraising. Those figures were presented as claims by residents; the DNR and EGLE representatives said the true extent of structural problems cannot be known until the dam is drawn down and inspected.
Speakers also raised broader concerns about access and local business revenue. Deeann Castilloux and David Newsom said Trout Lake supports affordable recreation, noting that campground rates at private facilities can be $50–$75 per night, which many local families cannot afford.
The board did not vote on a policy to preserve or remove the dam during the special meeting. DNR and EGLE representatives emphasized that decisions about repair or removal are contingent on engineering assessments and funding availability, and that historically some funding requests for this lake have been denied.
The meeting record shows continuing local opposition to dam removal and active efforts — petitions and township resolutions — to press for repair. The county accepted public comment and the discussion will likely be revisited as DNR and EGLE complete assessments and report back.
