top of page

Houghton Lake

Houghton Lake has a normal lake level established under Part 307 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. On December 8, 2022, 34th Circuit Court Judge Robert W. Bennett of Roscommon County amended the lake level order for Houghton Lake, establishing special assessment district boundaries around the lake. 

3,355

 FRONT LOTS 
(Approximately)

PUBLIC OPINION & DATA COLLECTION ON LAKE LEVEL

    NEXT STEP    

1,142

 BACKLOTS 
(Approximately)

1,138.1 FEET*

 LEGAL SUMMER LEVEL
*Above sea level 

Houghton Lake Dam - square.png
Houghton Lake Dam-up close.JPG

The Lake Level Control Structure

The lake level control structure (LLCS) is located on a tributary that emerges from North Bay Houghton Lake.

​

It was constructed in 1938 to replace a logging-era wooden structure. The LLCS is built with concrete abutments, wing walls and concrete piers to form six bays which water flows through. Water flow is regulated through the bays using a combination of stop logs and wooden vertical slide gates. 

​

Operation of the LLCS is entirely manual. Vertical wooden slide gates are hoisted out of the water by hand and secured in an open position by chaining the gates to the structure's handrail.

The Process

1

Establish the Special Assessment District Boundaries

Consider Amendments to Houghton Lake Legal Lake Level

Completed December 8, 2022

Where we are now

Permitting, Special Assessment Hearing, Bidding & Construction

Next step

Consider Amendments to Houghton Lake Legal Lake Level

  1. December 21, 2022 | Roscommon County Board of Commissioners passes a resolution to conduct a lake level study.

  2. December 2022 - January 2023 | The delegated authority (county controller) acquires interim financing to complete the lake level study and petitions the court to amend the legal lake level.

  3. February 2023 | Stakeholder meetings with public officials.

  4.  Project team hosts a public webinar to educate property owners about an upcoming survey and to answer questions.

  5. All property owners in the special assessment district receive a survey regarding the legal lake level.

  6. Engineers conduct a lake level study in accordance with Part 307 of Public Act 451 of 1994 to evaluate the current legal lake level.

  7. Study evaluates historical lake levels, shoreline development, environmental impacts, LLCS (lake level control structure) capacity and operations, hydrology, and hydraulics.

  8. Study published and recommends legal lake level/LLCS improvements, estimated project costs/schedule, permitting/engineering requirements, and possible revisions to the legal lake level.

  9. County commissioners review the study and approve a petition to the courts to revise the lake level IF AN AMENDMENT TO THE LAKE LEVEL IS NECESSARY (see below for required steps to amend the lake level).

  10. County mails notices of the hearing to property owners and local units of government within the special assessment district.

  11. Hearing notice is published in the Houghton Lake Resorter newspaper.

  12. The public may provide comments to the county/circuit court by phone or email before the hearing or in person at the hearing.

  13. Circuit court holds a hearing as to whether revisions should be made to the established legal lake level.

  14. After reviewing all comments/testimony, the circuit court amends the legal lake level during a public hearing.

2

3

bottom of page