$1.555 million in federal appropriations for Midland and Sanford

Midland, Michigan – The U.S. House and Senate passed several funding bills for fiscal year 2026 in the first quarter. Included in these bills were funds for two locally requested projects for flood recovery and improved resiliency in mid-Michigan.

The Midland Business Alliance (MBA) Advisory Committee on Infrastructure recently announced these two Federal Community Project Funding grants: $600,000 to the City of Midland for a backup generator to support drinking water availability in the event of an emergency and $955,000 to the Village of Sanford toward the Saginaw Road bridge reconstruction. These grants were successfully included in this legislation thanks to the work of the Advisory Committee, the local partners and federal legislators.

“Our representatives in Washington, D.C., supported our local requests for fiscal year 2026. We especially thank U.S. Senator Gary Peters for sponsoring Sanford’s grant and U.S. Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet for sponsoring Midland’s project," said Tony Stamas, MBA president and CEO. “We are grateful for the variety of federal project funding we have received for 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2026, as these funds continue to help with mid-Michigan’s flood reduction efforts and our restoration and resiliency-building after major flooding.” Fiscal year 2025 saw a year-long continuing resolution, so no new community grants were approved in 2025.

Emergency Generator for Midland

The $600,000 grant for the City of Midland is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG). The City of Midland has a backup drinking water supply for its entire water system in the event of a power outage at the main water treatment plant. The backup system includes 3.5 million gallons of below-ground water storage and a booster pumping station. In the event of a city-wide emergency or an event that would render the main high-service domestic pumping station inoperable, then the operation of the Valley Drive pump station would serve as a backup system for water service.

To ensure that vital water services can be provided without interruption, the resilient design of this backup water infrastructure also requires the availability of backup generator power. Previously, a portable generator would be trailered, if needed, to the Valley Drive location, an area prone to extensive flooding.

Requested by Congresswoman McDonald Rivet, this $600,000 grant, combined with approximately $150,000 of local funding, will enable the City of Midland to install a permanent generator at the site for added safety and security. The new generator is expected to be installed in 2027.

Saginaw Road bridge in Sanford

A $955,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Highway Infrastructure Programs will help with the design engineering phase of Sanford’s Saginaw Road bridge reconstruction project. The bridge is located one mile west of the M-30/Saginaw Road intersection and is the primary east-west road connecting Midland, Sanford, Coleman and Clare – in addition to connecting one side of the village to the other.

In 2020’s dam failure, the bridge was damaged from water overtopping it. At least 21 billion gallons of water from Wixom Lake and additional water flow from Sanford Lake – as well as sheds, boats, docks, houses, furniture and other debris – slammed into the bridge at rates of approximately 35 mph. When the road approaching the bridge collapsed, the bridge was inaccessible for months until road and bridge repairs could be made, forcing emergency vehicles, commercial and delivery vehicles, school buses, agricultural equipment and commuters to detour five miles around the closure.

In September 2020, the Federal Highway Administration and Michigan DOT provided temporary emergency repairs. The force of the floodwaters created structural concerns with the bridge, eventually resulting in additional weight restrictions.

Requested by Senator Peters, this $955,000 federal grant will be used for the design engineering of the bridge and will complement state funds secured by the Village of Sanford to complete the project, estimated at approximately $14 million.

“Return on Investment”

The MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure was formed in 2021 to examine infrastructure issues that impact the quality of life and economic vitality of mid-Michigan. Legacy flooding challenges and related sanitary sewer issues have been the committee’s first focus.

Several community organizations and businesses provided “seed” funding to support the committee’s efforts: Charles J. Strosacker Foundation, Corteva Agriscience, Dow Company Foundation, Fisher Companies, Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, Johnston Contracting, Midland Area Community Foundation, MyMichigan Health, Patricia and David Kepler Foundation, Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, and Three Rivers Corporation.

“We’ve raised $1,887,500 from our generous local donors. Part of those funds were used to pay the 50% local cost-share for the first U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study. We also paid for engineering services to help the City of Midland expedite $40 million in federal and state grants, with many of those stormwater improvement projects underway in 2026,” said Lee Ann Keller, co-chair of the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure.

“To date, the return on the donors’ community investment has been multiplied more than 37 times thanks to the efforts of our committee, local stakeholders and our legislators. We are proud of the list of grants to the Midland area that total $70,010,000 so far. This ‘return on investment’ is helping to rebuild from the floods and make us more resilient,” said J.W. Fisher, co-chair of the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure.

The second study with the Corps of Engineers has been underway since late 2024 and builds on the hydraulic and hydrology information gathered during the first study. The current study will make recommendations for projects to reduce flooding. The local partners for this study include the County of Midland, City of Midland and the MBA. For more information on flood reduction efforts, visit www.MBAmi.org/FloodStudy.

About the Tittabawassee River Watershed

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources “Tittabawassee River Assessment,” the watershed covers 2,471 square miles, including all or part of the following counties: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon and Saginaw. The main stem of the Tittabawassee River is more than 90 miles long, with more than 600 miles of contributing tributaries, including the Tobacco River, Pine River and Chippewa River. Located in the center part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, this watershed is the fifth largest in the state.

About the Midland Business Alliance

The Midland Business Alliance (MBA) represents more than 3,000 businesses as Midland's business hub. The goal of the MBA is to support the attraction, development and growth of businesses throughout Midland by providing an integrated portfolio of tools and resources. Additionally, the MBA manages the Midland Area Farmers Market and Midland Blooms. Visit www.MBAmi.org for more information.