It’s been six years since the Sanford and Edenville dams broke, decimating more than 2,500 homes and businesses.
.The Sanford Lake was left drained after the collapse. Now, the Sanford dam is rebuilt, and the lake is finally back to normal levels, but some local businesses are still recovering.
Linda Shepard was just about to reopen the Sanford Marina in 2020 on the day the dams broke.
Shepard had bought the property as a retirement plan – a fun way to spend her summers. That plan was pushed back several years after the marina was completely ravaged by water and debris.
The community helped one another clean up after the storm, but for Shepard and many others, rebuilding was a big financial undertaking.
“I can't get money from SBA because I didn't own it long enough. I can't get disaster loan because I didn't own it long enough," Shepard said. "I have no tax returns before the flood, they just, nope. So I'm now paying for it out of my own pocket.”
Shepard couldn’t afford to rebuild right away. Plus, she said there was no point of a Marina in Sanford without water.
After six years of looking out to see a basin of sand and grass, the lake is back and construction is in full swing.
The space is still without walls and covered in dust, but Shepard said that won’t last long.
“When you see this [the Marina] next, it won't look anything like that," Shepard said. "You'll be able to walk up to that window, order whatever you want, and then have it delivered out the window that we just showed you over there, and sit on the deck and just hang out."
Shepard said she’s planning to build a deck facing the water that can seat 50 people and a live band.
Inside, Shepard said she plans to utilize every inch of space, making the marina a one-stop-shop for food, drinks, gas and bait.
“So you'll be able to pick out your ice cream, hot fudge sundae, have a chocolate malt or buy something from the bar," Shepard said. "Or come in, get your cooler, buy a bag of ice, get some Walt worms. Really, whatever you need.”
The marina also has six new docks and a launch that boaters have already started to use.
“This weekend the parking lot was full," Shepard said. "This just got hammered. It was great. It was so good to see everybody out there.”
The new owners of the Sanford dam say the Lake rose back to its legal level of just over 630 feet.
Officials from the Four Lakes Task Force say erosion and shifting sediment have created varying levels of depths in the lake following the fill.
Shepard said the Marina is scheduled to open in July. She hopes the lakeside business will be a fun and healing space for the people of Sanford.
“I had all the best intentions of being part of the community and never got to be," Shepard said. "So I'm looking forward to meeting everybody and talking to everybody and hearing what their journey was.”
