This just keeps getting worse. At first I figured the circumstances leading up to the dam collapse were a major SNAFU by the DEQ (now the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy), something the Governor would likely have little direct knowledge of. Now we find out her and her AG have been actively involved in this since they took office 2 years ago. And that the owner Boyce (no saint by anyone's account) had lowered the water level 8 feet last fall in an effort to safeguard against failure. The Governor sued him to fill it back up.
By inference of demanding it be filled, the State is now claiming the dam was not a potential danger, despite failing their own inspections and the Federal inspections for 20 years. Good luck with that as a defense.
Edenville fell short of a federal requirement that dams that pose a significant danger to the public must be equipped to handle the largest predictable storm, called a “probable maximum flood” or PMF. Edenville’s spillway capacity could only handle about half that level
https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/05/owner-of-failed-dam-state-fought-over-wixom-lake-levels-before-flood.html