Sanford Lake
| Sanford Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sanford, Midland County, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 43°42′N 84°23′W / 43.700°N 84.383°WCoordinates: 43°42′N 84°23′W / 43.700°N 84.383°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Tittabawassee River |
| Primary outflows | Tittabawassee River |
| Catchment area | 20,971 acres (8,487 ha) |
| First flooded | 1925 |
| Max. length | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Max. width | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) |
| Surface area | 1,429 acres (578 ha) |
| Average depth | 9.3 ft (2.8 m) |
| Max. depth | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Water volume | 13,899 acre·ft (17,144,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 34.5 mi (55.5 km) |
| Surface elevation | 631 ft (192 m) |
| Frozen | Winter |
| Settlements | Sanford |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Sanford Lake is a man-made reservoir located in Midland County, Michigan. It was formed by the damming of the Tittabawassee River near the town of Sanford, Michigan. The dam is owned and operated by Boyce Hydro,LLC. The main body of the lake stretches for about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the dam, but the water remains deep enough for small boat navigation up past the town of Edenville, Michigan ten miles (16 km) north of the dam. The lake is slightly over half a mile wide at its widest point. A survey by the Michigan DNR measured the main body of the lake at 1,250 acres (5.1 km2). According to the Sanford Lake Improvement Board website maintained by Midland County, the lake has a surface area of 1,499 acres (6.07 km2) and a shoreline length of 34.5 miles (55.5 km).
Sanford Lake is not a well-known tourist attraction but is a popular recreation spot for the county and surrounding counties. There are two public accesses to the lake and many private community access points. Weekends in the summer find the lake filled with many pontoon boats, personal watercraft, sport fisherman, and swimmers.
Sanford Lake Park is located on the west side of the lake near the dam. This park, maintained by Midland County, has boat ramps, a sandy beach area with volleyball and swimming, pull-up parking for boats and jet-skis, picnic pavilions, playgrounds and a concession stand (sometimes). The beach is typically clean and well-groomed. Swimmers of all ages enjoy the water and sandy bottom beach. Access can be made by car for an entry fee or by boat.
The shoreline is mostly developed with single-family homes. Many of these homes are located in small neighborhood communities (Verity Shores, Francis Shores, et al.) which maintain private boat launch sites, picnic areas and lake access for non-lakefront property owners. The area of the lake further north is lined with some wetlands and wilderness areas mixed with housing. There is one small marina on the east shore of the lake (Sanford Lake Marina) which has dockside gas, bait, tackle and snacks plus fundraising for breast cancer research. Sanford Lake features two restaurants, Sanford Lake Bar and Grill, a full-service restaurant, brewpub and bar that maintains a small dock and is a short walk up the bank on the west shore; and Little Italy, an authentic Italian bistro which offers box lunches for boaters, who may use the Pineview Grocery dock.
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Wikipedia