Michigan Town Residents Clash with State Over Emergency Mill Pond Drawdown

Village of Holly leaders say the state acted without cause, draining a 150-year-old pond and leaving homeowners with mud, lost property value, and an uncertain future.

HOLLY, Mich. — A fight over the future of the Holly Mill Pond is pitting local officials and residents against the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), which recently ordered an emergency drawdown of the waterway despite village leaders’ objections.

The state agency lowered the water level by nearly four feet, exposing larg…