Oscoda area holds six impressive hydroelectric dams
Photo courtesy of Shannone Bondie
William A. and James B. Foote are best known as the founders of Consumers Energy — at first called Consumers Power Company — but near Oscoda, the brothers are more commonly associated with six hydroelectric plants built on the lower Au Sable River.
According to the Historical Marker Database and Wikipedia, the Au Sable River was long on William’s mind as a possible source of power generation, but he wasn’t able to secure financial backing until 1909. He identified three possible sites for dams.
The first of the six, Cooke Dam, was built on land suggested by banker Andrew Cooke. The river was diverted, and the dam foundation was placed by mid-1910, with electricity generation beginning in December 1911.
The second of the six, Five Channels Dam, was built in 1911 and 1912.
“During construction, the company sought to provide a healthy environment for workers and their families by building a forty-five-acre camp complete with a central water supply and sewage system, icehouse, school, washroom, store, and boardinghouse,” according to an historic marker.
“Workers received land on which to build a house. Housing ranged from log or clapboard houses to tarpaper shacks and tents. Camp buildings were moved to the next site (Loud Dam) or razed as the plant neared completion in late 1912.”
The ensuing dams included Loud Dam in 1913, Mio Dam in 1916, Foote Dam in 1918 and Alcona Dam in 1924. The area is commemorated with local popular convenience shop The Dam Store (which yes, offers bumper stickers and t-shirts).
You can see the dams along the River Road National Scenic Byway, which stretches 20+ miles along the Au Sable River in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. For a complete map, click here.
Photo courtesy of Shannone Bondie
Consumers Energy announced several years ago an interest in selling the dams, and it was unclear for a time whether they would stay in operation. Fortunately, in 2025, the company announced a buyer had been secured for 13 hydroelectric damns in Michigan, including those along the Au Sable River.
The new owner, Confluence Hydro, has agreed to keep the dams operating, providing great economic and recreational benefits in Oscoda and beyond — as well as an important historic legacy.