After over an hour of exhaustive discussion and deliberation Monday, the Livingston County Board of Commissioners is asking the 44th Circuit Court to establish a normal lake level for Faussett Lake in Tyrone Township, as well as establish a special assessment district for the upkeep of the dam on that lake.
Residents first petitioned the Livingston County Board of Commissioners in December 2024 in the hopes of establishing a legal lake level. In short, a court mandate would outline the protocol for water levels and dam maintenance. If the Faussett Lake Dam – which was built in the 1960s – were to fail or deteriorate, there are no safeguards in place for repair.
Further, if something were to happen to the dam, it could be detrimental to both the environment and area real estate. Property values would drop drastically, and area wildlife and vegetation would be devastated.
Faussett Lake is man-made, having been created by a private landowner in the 1960s. What began as a private project evolved into a shared resource as the waterfront was developed over the decades. While the dam’s original owner handled the necessary routine maintenance, homeowners soon realized there was a distinct difference between basic maintenance and major structural repairs.
A 2007 engineering report found that the aging structure didn’t meet modern standards. A court order the following year established shared responsibility for upkeep among lakefront properties.
Ed Wickman, one of the original petitioners, explained that the court order failed to address what that shared responsibility looked like. He went on to add that while property owners have attempted to create shared responsibility for dam management, success has been limited.
“It’s not something that can be handled informally anymore,” Wickman said. “It requires structure, consistent, funding and long term planning. That’s why moving forward under Part 307 makes sense. It doesn’t just define the lake level. It gives access to the same tools municipalities rely on, staple funding through a formal assessment.”
And ultimately — nearly 17 months after that first petition – the Board of Commissioners agreed. The resolution’s passage means that the matter of the Faussett Lake Dam will now be headed to the circuit court for assessment.
