REGION – Consumers Energy is holding hearings in the Au Sable watershed regarding the possible relicensing – or decommissioning – of the Mio, Alcona, Loud, Five Channels, Cooke, and Foote dams.
At one time, according to a recent presentation by Consumers Energy and the company it has hired to help hold meetings, Public Sector Consultants, Consumers Energy used to own more than 90 dams across the state. More than 70 were sold or “retired” between 1940 and 1970 because they failed to meet economic requirements. Those remaining supply about 1 percent of the utility’s total generating capacity.
The dams on the Au Sable are quite small when measured in megawatts, the standard measure of electric generation output. Mio delivers about 5 MW; Alcona is 8 MW; Loud is 4 MW, Five Channels is 6 MW, Cooke is 9 MW. Foote is 9 MW. 1 MW supplies about enough energy to meet the needs of about 1,200 homes.
The dams have impoundments that are used for recreation, and several have shoreline camping operations much beloved by those who use them and local businesses. The dam system also minimizes invasive species entrance into the upper river ecosystem, including salmon and lamprey eel.
On the other hand, one thing we know trout need is clean COLD water. And these dams are failing to meet the requirements that they discharge water no higher than a certain temperature.
The licenses that allow Consumers Energy to operate its Mio, Alcona and Foote dams says that they should maintain monthly average water temperatures downstream that varies from 38 degrees in January and February to as high as 68 degrees in June, July and August.
The Mio dam is out of compliance 1/3 of the time during June and September, and 76 percent of the time in July and August. Alcona is out of compliance about 70 percent of the time – and 89 percent of the time in July and August. The Foote dam is out of compliance 100 percent of the time in July, August and September.
Each of the dams has a backlog of current maintenance projects, none of which are expected to result in significantly cooler water. Consumers is slated to spend $6.62 million to address problems identified as of 2022 at Mio, $6.41 million for 2022-23 projects at Alcona and $4.87 million in upkeep at Foote in 2022-23.
Removal of the dams would require extensive planning, but based on what has been done on the Boardman River and other projects around the nation, do-able. The estimated cost would be about $10 million to remove each dam.
The presentation by Consumers Energy noted four outcomes of the current process: 1. Relicense and continue to generate power. 2. Surrender the license and sell the dam to a third-party owner. 3. Remove the dam and return the river to its natural state. 4. Replace the dam with an alternative structure.
Anglers of the Au Sable is monitoring the situation and still developing its position. But we encourage you to speak out and offer your input. You can get more information and offer your feedback at www.consumersenergy.com/hydrofuture.
