Edenville Dam Webcam – Watch the Wixom Lake Dam Rebuild

The Edenville Dam Webcam watches the Tittabawassee River below the Edenville Dam in mid Michigan, the dam whose east embankment gave way on May 19, 2020, and emptied Wixom Lake. Michigan videographer Jordan Mowbray runs it on a pan, tilt and zoom camera that moves between several views: the river curving past stone riprap and grassy banks, wide flats of marsh grass, a stand of birch on the shore, and the dam works themselves, where a crawler crane rises over new concrete walls beside the old gate structure. Two more of his cameras sit in the tabs, one fixed on the construction site from the lake side and one looking across to the Tobacco River side of the dam. The restoration is due to reach substantial completion in 2027, so the picture keeps changing as the work goes on.

About the Edenville Dam

The dam stands where the Tobacco River meets the Tittabawassee, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north of the hamlet of Edenville, and most of it lies in Tobacco Township, Gladwin County. Frank Isaac Wixom built it in the mid 1920s for hydroelectric power, and the reservoir behind it took his name. The earthen structure stood 16 meters (54 feet) high and ran 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) along its crest, with two turbines rated at 2.4 megawatts each. Before the failure, Wixom Lake covered about 15 square kilometers (5.7 square miles).

After days of heavy rain, the east embankment failed at 5:46 p.m. on May 19, 2020. The released water overtopped the Sanford Dam, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) downstream. Sanford held, but the flood forced the evacuation of much of Midland, another 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) down the river. More than 10,000 people left their homes, and no deaths or serious injuries were recorded.

The Four Lakes Task Force now leads the restoration of the whole chain of four dams: Secord, Smallwood, Edenville and Sanford. Edenville is the largest of them and the last to be finished, a $142.8 million rehabilitation that received its final permits on March 17, 2025. Spence Brothers is restoring the spillways and placing concrete over the stone backfill of the embankment to guard against washout, while Fisher Contracting handles the earthwork. Trenching machines are cutting a soil, cement and bentonite cutoff wall along an embankment close to 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) long, and the old powerhouse has already been demolished. The task force lists September 2027 for substantial completion and April 15, 2028, for the start of the refill.

Weather and Climate at the Edenville Dam

Midland, roughly 26 kilometers (16 miles) down the river, keeps the nearest long-term climate records. Its 1991 to 2020 normals put January at a high of -1.5°C (29°F) and a low of -8.6°C (17°F), and about 79.9 centimeters (31.4 inches) of snow falls in a typical winter. In the cold months the marsh grass in front of the camera can vanish under snow, ice can build along the riverbanks, and the pale concrete of the construction site stands out against white ground. Lake filling is only allowed between April 15 and October 1, so winter is never the season when the water comes back.

Summers are warm and fairly humid. July averages a high of 27.8°C (82°F) and a low of 16.4°C (62°F), and Midland has recorded extremes from -28°C (-19°F) to 39°C (103°F). Precipitation totals about 849 millimeters (33.4 inches) a year. Spring snowmelt and rain raise the Tittabawassee, and May 2020 showed how quickly a wet week here can turn into a flood. In summer the banks turn green and the marsh grows thick. By November the grass has faded to tan and the birches are bare, which opens up the view across the river toward the dam.

Things to Do Near the Edenville Dam

Midland is the nearest city for a full day out. Dow Gardens spreads over 40 hectares (100 acres) of flower and vegetable gardens, water features and an arboretum, and the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio offers tours of the architect’s own house. Midland Center for the Arts holds the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, with hands-on science, art and technology exhibits. Downtown, the Tridge is a three-way footbridge over the meeting of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa rivers, so the water on this camera passes beneath it farther downstream.

The Pere Marquette Rail-Trail starts in Midland and runs about 50 kilometers (30 miles) to Clare, a long, flat route for walking and cycling. The Chippewa Nature Center protects more than 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of woods, rivers, wetlands and upland fields. Closer to the dam, the Sanford Dam is the next one down the river, where six new crest gates were commissioned in late 2025. Jordan Mowbray streams it too, so you can compare a finished dam with one still under construction.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more Michigan rivers and another working dam, try these next.

• Saginaw River Webcam
• Downtown Grand Rapids Webcam
• Lock and Dam 15 Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Edenville Dam located?

The dam sits at the meeting of the Tittabawassee and Tobacco rivers in mid Michigan, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) north of Edenville, mostly in Tobacco Township, Gladwin County. Midland is roughly 26 kilometers (16 miles) downriver.

What can you see on the Edenville Dam Webcam?

The main camera pans between the Tittabawassee River, its riprap banks, the marsh beside it and the construction site, where a crane works over new concrete walls. A weather panel for Beaverton fills the top right corner, and a clock and temperature bar runs along the bottom. The tabs add a fixed view of the works from the lake side and a view toward the Tobacco River side of the dam.

What happened to the Edenville Dam in 2020?

After days of heavy rain, the east embankment failed at 5:46 p.m. on May 19, 2020, and Wixom Lake drained. The flood overtopped the Sanford Dam downstream and more than 10,000 people were evacuated, but no deaths or serious injuries were recorded.

When will Wixom Lake be refilled?

The Four Lakes Task Force expects substantial completion of the Edenville Dam in September 2027 and plans to start refilling Wixom Lake on April 15, 2028. State rules only allow filling between April 15 and October 1, and the estimates assume normal rainfall.

How much does the Edenville Dam restoration cost?

The Edenville work is a $142.8 million rehabilitation, the largest of the four dam projects on the chain. It covers spillway restoration, a cutoff wall along the embankment, new concrete and new gates.

What is the weather like at the Edenville Dam?

Expect cold, snowy winters, with January highs near -1.5°C (29°F) in nearby Midland, and warm summers, with July highs around 27.8°C (82°F). About 849 millimeters (33.4 inches) of precipitation falls in a typical year.

Who runs the Edenville Dam Webcam?

Michigan videographer Jordan Mowbray runs the stream on an Axis P5655-E pan, tilt and zoom camera. His channel also streams the Sanford Dam, and he raises money to put cameras on the other dams of the chain.

Source: Jordan Mowbray