and wilderness areas mixed with housing. There was one small marina on the east shore of the lake (Sanford Lake Marina). Water quality The water quality of the lake was great. As a reservoir with a predominantly muddy bottom, turbidity was a bit higher than the average natural lake in Michigan. The introduction of Zebra mussels in the 1990s significantly improved water clarity, but that led to an explosion of weed growth throughout the shallow portions of the lake. Significant weed control programs were attempted over recent years with varying degrees of success. Fishing Sanford Lake had a wide range of Michigan species: bluegill, rock bass, perch, calicos, northern pike, crappie, catfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, musky, suckers, and carp. The DNR stocked 65,000 walleye off the Sanford Lake Marina ramp in the spring of 2006. Several bass fishing competitions take place during the year, as well as a catfish derby. 2020 flood Following a period of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam immediately upstream overtopped and failed on May 19, 2020. The breach of the Edenville Dam in two areas of the levee caused more water to be released into the Tittabawassee River which feeds into Sanford Lake. The floodwaters quickly overran Sanford Dam, washing out its fuse plug and escaping around the sides of the dam, eventually leading to the failure of the dam. Sanford Dam was built in 1925 and had received a "fair" condition rating by the state, while the 1924 Edenville Dam had received a "poor" rating, though it had been deemed worthy of another hydroelectric generator by the state. Both dams were in the process of being sold at the time of the failure to the Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF), a 'delegated authority' created by a resolution between Midland and Gladwin counties. On May 26, 2020, the FLTF announced that they were halting the acquisition of the Boyce Hydro properties under the terms and conditions negotiated in 2019, and would seek other private and public sources of funding for the eventual purchase. References External links Sanford Lake Association website Sanford Lake Fireworks Sanford Lake Marina Midland County Parks - Sanford Lake Park Sanford Lake Improvement Board Sanford Lake Bar and Grill at pubcrawler website Sanford Lake Catfish Derby, Sanford Lake Michigan Bodies of water of Midland County, Michigan Reservoirs in Michigan Protected areas of Midland County, Michigan