Trout Lake Fights for Its Life: Residents Push Back on State’s Dam Removal Plan

Residents say Michigan’s decision to drain Trout Lake ignores community voices, threatens local economy, and erases a cherished part of the state’s natural identity.

GLADWIN COUNTY, Mich. — What used to be a scenic, spring-fed lake in the heart of Gladwin County now resembles a barren, muddy field. Once popular for swimming, camping, and wildlife sightings, Trout Lake is drying up — and with it, the community’s trust in the state government.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced plans to permanently remove the Trout Lake Dam, citing safety concerns, infrastructure decay, and ecological restoration goals. But for residents like Linda Kutch of Saginaw County, the decision feels like abandonment.

“This lake is a part of our lives,” Kutch told me in an interview near the dry lakebed. “People used to jump off the dam. Kids splashed in the water. Trumpeter swans and loons nested here. Now it looks like the surface of the moon.”

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According to Kutch, the issue began when several wooden stop logs — boards that regulate water levels in the dam — began leaking. An inspection by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) in 2024 confirmed several were damaged. However, the agency did not mandate dam removal. Instead, they recommended replacing the stop logs and clearing vegetation.

“The DNR didn’t want to deal with it,” Kutch said. “They had options. They just didn’t want to fix it.”

The DNR’s public statement supports their case: the dam, built in 1961, is over a decade past its intended 50-year lifespan and poses a potential flood hazard if it fails. The agency estimates the cost of full repairs at $2.6 million and argues that removing the dam will restore the natural stream, improving habitat for native trout and aquatic species (Michigan.gov).

But Kutch and other residents dispute the numbers. “Replacing the stop logs would cost around $50,000,” she said. “And we've even offered to raise the money. But the DNR still won’t let us.”

The Trout Lake saga has drawn growing local and regional concern. The Gladwin County Board of Commissioners is drafting a resolution opposing the removal. State Rep. Mike Hoadley and Sen. Roger Hauck have also become involved. The “Save Trout Lake!” Facebook group now includes more than 1,800 members organizing petition drives and community fundraisers.

Trout Lake is one of several Michigan lakes facing dam removal. The DNR manages about 200 dams statewide. With limited budgets, officials say they are prioritizing removals rather than repairs, citing both safety and environmental goals. In an interview with Michigan Public, a DNR spokesperson said that annual maintenance costs per acre for dams can be prohibitive, and many older dams no longer serve their original purpose (Michigan Public).

But for residents, this lake still has purpose — and deep meaning. “They say it’s about fish, but the fisheries division built this dam for trout in the first place,” Kutch said. “They stocked it. When they didn’t get the results they wanted, they killed the fish and drained it. They’ve done that more than once.”

Wildlife loss has also been immediate. Kutch said she contacted the wildlife division after loons and swans disappeared from the lake. “They told me the birds would migrate elsewhere,” she said. “That’s not conservation. That’s destruction.”

The economic impact is also front of mind. Trout Lake was a summer draw for campers and tourists. “Gladwin has already lost four lakes since the dam breaks in 2020,” Kutch said. “This will make number five. That hurts local businesses. People don’t come to camp next to a dry hole.”

The campground technically remains open, but Kutch doesn’t believe it’s sustainable. “Who wants to camp without a lake?” she asked. “The state put millions into upgrading campgrounds in other places, but here we got nothing.”

If there's a future for Trout Lake, it may rest in private hands. Kutch and supporters hope to create a nonprofit to raise funds and maintain the dam themselves. But even if they raise the money, they worry the DNR won’t approve the plan.

“This might just be one lake,” she said, “but the DNR is talking about removing hundreds of dams across the state. What happens when it’s your lake next?”

For now, residents are waiting for the next inspection and hoping the state reconsiders. Until then, what was once a vibrant part of Michigan’s identity sits still and silent — a lake in name only.