Natural resources: inland lakes; dam safety regulations; provide for. Amends secs. 31502, 31503, 31504, 31505, 31506, 31507, 31508, 31509, 31510, 31511, 31513, 31515, 31516, 31517, 31518, 31520, 31521 & 31523 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.31502 et seq.) & adds secs. 31506a, 31509a, 31509b, 31517a, 31518a, 31518b, 31518c, 31518d, 31528a & 31528b.
Key claim: Michigan HB5485 substantially revises and expands the state’s inland-lake dam safety regulations by amending 18 existing statutory sections and adding 10 new sections to 1994 PA 451.
Abstract
(HB5485 · 103rd Legislature) Natural resources: inland lakes; dam safety regulations; provide for. Amends secs. 31502, 31503, 31504, 31505, 31506, 31507, 31508, 31509, 31510, 31511, 31513, 31515, 31516, 31517, 31518, 31520, 31521 & 31523 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.31502 et seq.) & adds secs. 31506a, 31509a, 31509b, 31517a, 31518a, 31518b, 31518c, 31518d, 31528a & 31528b. Latest action (2026-07-03): Transmitted
Why this matters
Michigan’s dam safety statutes have drawn scrutiny after the 2020 Edenville/Sanford failures, and HB5485 represents the first comprehensive statutory overhaul rather than a one-off fix. For dam owners, lakefront residents, and downstream municipalities, the added and amended sections signal new compliance obligations, inspection regimes, and likely cost implications tied to inland-lake dam maintenance.