Mio Dam

Last updated
Mio Dam
Mio Dam Tailwater 2020.jpg
Mio Dam Tailwater 2020
Relief map of USA Michigan.png
Red pog.svg
Location within the state of Michigan
LocationMio, Oscoda County, Michigan
Coordinates 44°39′40″N84°07′54″W / 44.661143°N 84.131697°W / 44.661143; -84.131697 Coordinates: 44°39′40″N84°07′54″W / 44.661143°N 84.131697°W / 44.661143; -84.131697
Opening date1916
Owner(s)Consumers Energy
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Embankment
Spillways 1
Power Station
Turbines Allis Chalmers
Installed capacity 4.96 MW

Mio Dam is a hydro-electric dam located on the Au Sable River in Michigan capable of generating 4.96 MW of electric power. It was the 4th of 6 dams built by Consumers Power between 1906 and 1924 along the Au Sable River and is the furthest upstream of the six. The dam was completed in 1916. The Mio Hydroelectric Plant consists of an embankment on each side connected by a spillway. Located North of the spillway is the powerhouse and outdoor substation. Public access to Mio Pond is provided via a boat ramp maintained by Consumers Energy, and portage facilities are also provided allowing canoes and kayaks access to bypass the dam. Portage the dam on the right using the cement stairs then carry down a gravel road with a canoe slide on the down river side of the dam. The Mio Dam powerhouse continues to operate with the same turbines and generators that were installed over a century ago. [1]

Contents

Recognition and Significance

NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER: In 1984 the Federal government designated the 23-mile stretch of river below the dam as a part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. This special stretch between the Mio Dam and Alcona Dam provides habitat for bald eagles and the endangered Kirtland’s warbler and numerous recreational opportunities like hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, picnicking and bird watching.

MICHIGAN HISTORIC SITE: In 2005 the Mio Dam was named as a Michigan Historic Site [2] because it was the first hydro to route excess river flow through conduits built into the foundation of the powerhouse (known as under-sluce) rather than the typical costly above-ground gated spillway. Nevertheless, in 1988 the dam was modified to meet then-current federal dam safety standards requiring an additional above-ground concrete spillway be added. Now, if the pond level rises above the capacity of the conduit/under-sluice spillway, the water overflows over the newer static spillway.

HYDRO HALL OF FAME: In June 2017, the Mio Dam's historically unique significance was celebrated when it was inducted into the Hydro Hall of Fame by HydroVision International recognizing the ingenuity of its initial design (conduit spillways under the powerhouse foundation) and the over 100 years of value the dam has provided. [1] The unique under-slice design reduced tailwater erosion during spill operation, reduced construction expense, and eliminated ice build-up on tainter gates during winter. This under-sluce design was also incorporated into other Consumers Power Company hydro dams including the next dam downriver from Mio, the Alcona Dam built in 1924.

AU SABLE CANOE MARATHON: The Mio dam is one of 6 dams portaged by canoe race teams during the 120-mile long overnight Au Sable River Canoe Marathon that happens each summer requiring two years to build.

Technical Information

According to page 113 of the book "The Lower Peninsula of Michigan: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites" by Charles K Hyde the Mio dam is an earth embankment dam utilizing a reinforced concrete core wall creating a head of 29 feet of water. The original installation is still in operation today including the two Allis-Chalmers vertical turbines and two Allis-Chalmers generators each producing 2,500 KW, 2,500-volts, and operating at 80 R.P.M. The powerhouse is a rectangular flat-roofed brick building measuring 30 ft wide by 75 ft long. The isolated location for the construction of the dam was miles from the closest rail lines in Luzerne thereby complicating the transportation of supplies including concrete, steel, and some machinery weighing over 30 tons which would need to ship by horse-drawn wagons those last miles. Furthermore, the narrow space available in the channel required the use of a then-innovative "conduit spillway" design patented by William W. Tefft who became the Chiel Engineer for Consumers Power Company. [3] This spillway utilized two 60-inch steel tubes to direct the water under the powerhouse. In addition, the dam has one small concrete spillway with a single tainter gate. [4]

Consumers Energy, who owns and operates the Mio Dam, installed a cool water upwelling system in 2009 to reduce river water temperatures on hot days as negotiated with a comprehensive settlement agreement with multiple resource agencies to improve habitat for fish and other aquatic life downstream. [5] Studies showed that some fish species, like Trout, became stressed as water temperatures increased. The current system in place at Mio and other Consumers Energy Dams uses an underwater air bubbler to lift/mix colder lower-lying water to the intake pipes for the turbines. Consumers Energy's operating license requires the water to be 68 degrees. [6] When water temperatures rise, the compressors are activated typically for 6 hours a day to mimic evening cooling cycles but has been run as long as 24-hours a day at Mio. [7]

River Flow and Safety

Since the mid-1960s, the Mio Dam has operated as a run-of-the-river hydroelectricity dam. The river flow leaving the Mio hydro-electric plant and moving downstream matches the flow entering the Mio pond upstream. Since then, automatic gate operators have been added to the generators for run-of-river controls that automatically adjust the unit governors to maintain the steady 29 feet head elevation, and therefore maintain run-of-river flow through the powerhouse. Consumers Energy, formerly named Consumers Power Company, regularly monitors and review water flows and water temperatures to maintain safe operation of the hydro dams doing a controlled release of excess water when necessary. Additionally, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains 6 real-time water-level gages on the Au Sable River as a part of its National Streamflow Information Program. This information is fed to the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service typically allowing the monitoring and reporting of water levels, flow speed, temperature, and water quality (oxygen) along the river. One of those gauges (ID: MIOM4 [8] ) is located at the Mio Dam.

"Condition C" is a term used to indicate high flow and a non-emergency, "Condition B" indicates a failure may eventually occur, [9] whereas "Condition A" is where there is dam failure or imminent failure of the dam. Consumers Energy says Condition C is not a regular event on Au Sable River hydro dams. Local emergency management teams regularly train and have coordinated event plans should there ever be a "Condition A" event. In July 2020, the Emergency Management Coordinator for both Oscoda and Alcona counties was reported in the Alpena News newspaper as saying that failure of the Mio Dam could be the worst possible danger to the public because it is expected that a failure of the Mio Dam would cause the subsequent five other dams downriver to fail as well. [10]

Related Research Articles

Au Sable River (Michigan) River in Michigan, United States

The Au Sable River in Michigan, United States runs approximately 138 miles (222 km) through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the towns of Grayling and Mio, and enters Lake Huron at the town of Oscoda. It is considered one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies and has been designated a blue ribbon trout stream by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. A map from 1795 located in the United States Gazetteer calls it the Beauais River. In French, the river is called the Rivière au sable, literally "Sand River".

Mio, Michigan Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

Mio is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Oscoda County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Oscoda County. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 1,826.

Priest Rapids Dam Dam in Grant / Yakima counties, Washington

Priest Rapids Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam; located on the Columbia River, between the Yakima Firing Range and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and bridges Yakima County and Grant County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The dam is 24 miles south of the town of Vantage, and 47 miles northwest of the city of Richland. It is located at mile marker 397.1 from the mouth of the Columbia. It is owned by the Grant County Public Utility District (PUD). Priest Rapids, for which the dam was named, are now submerged beneath the dam's reservoir.

Mactaquac Dam Dam in York County, New Brunswick

The Mactaquac Dam is an embankment dam used to generate hydroelectricity in Mactaquac, New Brunswick. It dams the waters of the Saint John River and is operated by NB Power with a capacity to generate 670 megawatts of electricity from 6 turbines; this represents 20 percent of New Brunswick's power demand.

Lake Chelan Dam Dam in Chelan, Washington

Lake Chelan Dam officially known as the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project is located approximately 32 miles (51 km) north of the city of Wenatchee in Chelan County. The dam is located at the lower or southeasterly end of 50.4 miles long Lake Chelan, and is within the limits of the city of Chelan. The powerhouse is located near the community of Chelan Falls. The reservoir has 677,400 acre-feet (835,600,000 m3) of usable water storage. The 10-year average generation for the Project is 365,000 megawatt hours.

Narrows Dam

Narrows Dam is a dam located 6 miles north of Murfreesboro, Arkansas, that impounds the water of the Little Missouri River (Arkansas) to create Lake Greeson. Narrows Dam was authorized as a flood control and hydroelectric power project by the Flood Control Act of 1941. The dam is a feature of the comprehensive plan for the Ouachita River Basin. Lake Greeson is operated for hydroelectric power, recreation, and flood control.

Tippy Dam Dam in Manistee County, Michigan

Tippy Dam or Tippy Hydro was built 1918 and is a hydroelectric dam operated by Consumers Energy. The original name of the dam was Junction Hydro, but it was renamed to honor a Consumers board of directors member, Charles W. Tippy. The dam spans the Manistee River about 170 miles from its headwaters which include Manistee Lake, on the river's way to Lake Michigan.

Au Sable River Canoe Marathon

The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon, presented by Consumers Energy, is an annual 120 mi (193 km) canoe race in Michigan from Grayling to Oscoda. Nicknamed and known simply as "The Marathon," it first ran in 1947, and is perhaps the oldest marathon canoe race in the United States, and is the longest, non-stop, canoe-only race in North America. The race has been billed as "The World's Toughest Spectator Race" as many of the spectators follow the racers overnight down the full 120 miles (190 km) to the finish.

Croton Dam (Michigan) Dam in Newaygo County, Michigan

Croton Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Croton Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. It was built in 1907 under the direction of William D. Fargo by the Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company, a predecessor of Consumers Energy. The 40-foot-high (12 m) dam impounds 7.2 billion U.S. gallons (6 billion imp. gal/27 billion L) of water in its 1,209-acre (489 ha) reservoir and is capable of producing 8,850 kilowatts at peak outflow. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

The Serpentine Dam is a rockfill embankment dam with a concrete face and a controlled spillway across the Serpentine River, located in the South West region of Tasmania, Australia.

Hardy Dam Dam in Newaygo County, Michigan

Hardy Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Big Prairie Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. At the time of its completion, it was the largest earthen dam in North America east of the Mississippi. Its impoundment forms a lake with over 50 miles of shoreline. The dam impounds a reservoir with a surface area of 4,000 acres and its power plant has an installed capacity of 31.5 MW.

Karapiro Power Station Dam in Near Cambridge, Waikato

The Karapiro Power Station is a hydroelectric power station at Karapiro on the Waikato River, in the North Island of New Zealand. The power station lies on Lake Karapiro, a major rowing regatta venue. Karapiro is 30 kilometres (19 mi) south-east and upstream from the city of Hamilton and several kilometres from Cambridge. It is the last of the eight hydroelectric power stations on the Waikato River.

Stave Falls Dam and Powerhouse Dam in Stave Falls

Stave Falls Dam is a dual-dam power complex on the Stave River in Stave Falls, British Columbia, Canada. The dam was completed in 1912 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power production. To increase the capacity of Stave Lake, the dam was raised in 1925 and the Blind Slough Dam constructed in an adjacent watercourse 500 m (1,600 ft) to the north, which was the site of the eponymous Stave Falls. In 2000, the dam's powerhouse was replaced after a four-year upgrade. The powerhouse was once British Columbia's largest hydroelectric power source and is a National Historic Site of Canada.

Alcona Dam Dam in Alcona County, Michigan

Alcona Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan.

Foote Dam Dam in Iosco County, Michigan

Foote Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan.

Cooke Dam Dam in Iosco County, Michigan

Cooke Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 as the Cooke Hydroelectric Plant.

Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project

The Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project is a complex hydroelectric scheme in the northern Sierra Nevada in California, tapping the upper Yuba River and Bear River drainage basins. The project area encompasses approximately 400 square miles (1,000 km2) in Nevada, Placer, and Sierra Counties. Owned by the Nevada Irrigation District, it consists of 16 storage dams plus numerous diversion and regulating dams, and four generating stations producing 425 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The Yuba–Bear Hydroelectric Project consists of the Bowman development, Dutch Flat No. 2 development, Chicago Park development, and Rollins development.

Loud Dam Dam in Iosco County, Michigan

Loud Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan and is located along the National Register of Historic Places River Road Scenic Byway in Northern Michigan. Loud Dam is also part of the River Road Scenic Byway and listed in the National Scenic Byways Program.

Pambla Dam A dam in Kerala, India

The Lower Periyar Dam is a dam built on the Periyar River as part of the Lower Periyar Hydroelectric Project in Kanjikuzhi Panchayat, Idukki District, Kerala. The dam was built to generate electricity. The lower Periyar dam is at Pambla, five kilometres downstream from where Muthirapuzha merges with main river. This 32.36-metre-high dam made of concrete has a width of 284 meters. The powerhouse is at Karimanal, near Neriamangalam, where three generators are installed with a power production capacity of 60 MW each, or a cumulative 180 MW. The Dam was completed in the year 1998 Taluks through which release flow are Idukki, Kothamangalam, Muvattupuzha, Kunnathunadu, Aluva, Kodungalloor and Paravur.

References

  1. 1 2 "First Hydro Plant with a Conduit Spillway: 4.96-MW Mio". Hydro Review. December 1, 2017.
  2. "Mio Hydroelectric Plant - MichMarkers". www.michmarkers.com.
  3. "The Au Sable News". Instruction Department, Au Sable Electric Company. October 12, 1923 via Google Books.
  4. Hyde, Charles K. (June 27, 1976). "The Lower Peninsula of Michigan: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites". Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, Historic American Engineering Record via Google Books.
  5. Werly, Roxanne (July 3, 2013). "River project will help fish thrive during summer heat". WPBN.
  6. Gr, Howard Meyerson | The; Press, Rapids (October 4, 2009). "Officials forge ahead with Croton Dam cooling". mlive.
  7. Meyerson, Howard (August 2, 2012). "New Tippy Dam installation to cool river waters for trout".
  8. "National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service". water.weather.gov.
  9. Boll, Jamie. "PSI: Dam failure feared during Catawba floods". wbtv.com.
  10. "2 Au Sable River dams reach Condition C".