Monday was day one of the trial over the 2020 collapse of the Edenville Dam.
Over 2,000 property owners in Midland, Gladwin and Saginaw counties are seeking compensation from the state after the dam failure caused around 175 million dollars in damages.
They say the state had jurisdiction over the dam and failed to take action to prevent flooding after a major storm.
Thomas Wuan is a lawyer representing the property owners.
In his opening statement, he argued the state was aware the dam was not structurally sound and concealed the risks. He says they pressured the dam owners to raise the water levels of Wixom Lake to protect aquatic mussels.
"This particular lawsuit, Your Honor, has been filed to hold the State accountable. To hold them accountable for something that was predictable and preventable from their perspective."
The state argued they are NOT responsible for the incident, and the private dam owner ultimately had control over the water levels.
Nathan Gambill is an attorney representing the state:
"This Edenville Dam, it was private property. It was surrounded by a fence. It was operated by a private company. No Boyce Hydro employee took direction from or reported to any state agency."
The trial will likely run through next week.
