MIDLAND, Mich. – The Michigan Court of Claims has ruled that the state isn’t legally responsible for the failure of the Edenville Dam.
The Edenville Dam collapsed on May 19, 2020, triggered by days of heavy rainfall. It unleashed a destructive wall of water that overwhelmed the Sanford Dam downstream.
More than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate, and hundreds of homes were destroyed.
“There were cars, parts of houses in the water,” said Sanford resident Mike Callan. “The water level was above those power lines. That’s how high it was. Within 15 minutes, everything was gone, and then it looked like somebody pulled the drain in the bathtub.”
Thousands of residents sued the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the Court of Claims released an opinion that found residents didn’t prove the state’s actions were a substantial cause of their property loss or that the departments abused their power.
There are still other pending lawsuits linked to the Edenville Dam failure.