Wolverine Lake

Wolverine Lake was created in the 1920s through a private damming and inundation project funded by local dentist and developer Howard Stuart. A critical early step in creating the lake involved the construction of the nearby dam, which began in 1919. Built with the aid of ten teams of horses, the concrete dam is 72 feet long with 600 feet of levee fill. The dam allowed water levels to rise eight feet in the marsh surrounding Spring, Mayze, Pork Barrel, Bicking Taylor, and Bradley Lakes, thus uniting them. Several lawsuits challenging the changes included one heard by the Michigan Supreme Court. Ultimately, however, Stuart succeeded in his real estate venture. Wolverine Lake testifies to the way humans have modified the landscape to meet their needs.