History of Croton Dam (Michigan) in Timeline

Croton Dam, located on the Muskegon River in Croton Township, Michigan, is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant built in 1907. Constructed by the Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company (later Consumers Energy) under William D. Fargo, the dam is 40 feet high and impounds 7.2 billion gallons of water, creating a 1,209-acre reservoir. It can produce 8,850 kilowatts of power at peak outflow. The Croton Dam was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

1900: Early Electric Power Projects

Around 1900, the Foote brothers' early electric power projects focused on street lighting and limited residential and business lighting. These projects were situated near the cities they served due to limitations in long-distance electricity transmission.

1904: Construction Commissioned

In 1904, the Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company commissioned the construction of Rogers Dam and Croton Dam on the Muskegon River, as well as Webber Dam on the Grand River.

1906: Rogers Dam Finished

In 1906, Rogers Dam, located upstream of the Croton Dam, was completed first.

1906: Construction Years

The Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company built the Croton Hydroelectric Plant between 1906 and 1907.

August 1907: Croton Village Submerged

In August 1907, one-third of the village of Croton was submerged as the impoundment lake behind the Croton Dam began filling.

September 7, 1907: Grand Opening of Croton Dam

On September 7, 1907, the Croton Dam and hydro plant had its grand opening with a tour, dinner and baseball game, drawing city and business officials to the village of Croton.

September 1907: Full Service and International Attention

In September 1907, the Croton Hydroelectric Plant went into full service, attracting international attention. Engineers from various countries toured the plant.

September 1907: Dam Construction

The Croton dam was built between June 25 and September 3, 1907.

1907: Croton Dam Built

In 1907, the Croton Dam was constructed under the direction of William D. Fargo by the Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company on the Muskegon River in Croton Township, Michigan.

1908: Steinmetz Visits Transmission Site

In 1908, Dr. Charles Steinmetz from General Electric visited the Croton Dam site and conducted tests on the 100,000-volt high-voltage transmission line.

1909: Line Voltage Increase

In early 1909, the voltage of the Croton Dam's transmission line was increased from 110,000 volts to 115,000 volts.

1915: Death of William A. Foote

In 1915, William A. Foote, one of the Foote brothers instrumental in the development of electric power, passed away.

1915: Expansion of Generating Capacity

In 1915, a significant revamping and expansion of the generating capacity at Croton Dam was carried out, with additional turbines and generators being added. The operating voltage of the original generators was also raised.

1924: Death of James B. Foote

In 1924, James B. Foote, one of the Foote brothers instrumental in the development of electric power, passed away.

1930: Switchyard/Substation Construction

In 1930, the transformers and switching equipment were removed from the generator building, and a separate switchyard/substation went into service to the west of the spillway.

1931: Hardy Dam Joins Croton and Rogers

In 1931, Croton and Rogers dams were joined by the Hardy Dam, situated between them. Hardy was the last major hydroelectric project constructed in Michigan by Consumers Energy.

1979: Listed on National Register of Historic Places

In 1979, the Croton Dam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

September 1986: Threatened by Flood

During the flood of September 1986, the Croton Dam, along with the Hardy Dam, was threatened with failure due to heavy rainfall. It was stated that if Hardy Dam failed, the Croton Dam would have been washed away, submerging communities downstream.

1989: Call for Dam Removal

In 1989, Michigan state fisheries director John Robertson suggested that 11 Consumers Energy dams, including Croton Dam, should be removed from the Muskegon, Manistee and AuSable rivers.

2005: Michigan Historical Marker Replaced

In 2005, the Michigan Historical Marker at the Croton Hydroelectric Plant was replaced with a new one.

2006: Electricity Generation in 2006

In 2006, the Croton Hydroelectric Plant generated 44 million kilowatt hours of electricity, which would satisfy the annual electric consumption of about 6,000 residential customers.

2023: Community Talks

In 2023, Consumers Energy planned to discuss the future of its 13 hydropower dams, including the Croton Dam, in community talks.

2034: Relicensing Through 2034

The Croton Dam has been relicensed by the federal government through 2034, but with required operating changes to reduce harmful effects on the Muskegon River.