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

Au Sable River (Michigan)

The Au Sable River in Michigan runs approximately through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the towns of Grayling and Mio, and enters Lake Huron at 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...

 in Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

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Background

This hydro-electric dam is capable of producing 8,000 kilowatts. It is currently named after the county where it is located, but was originally named for a nearby road called Bamfield. Work began on Bamfield Dam in 1917, but the project stalled due to unstable sand and World War I. Construction resumed in 1923, and Alcona Hydro began commercial operation in 1924. The drop in elevation is approximately 30ft, depending on the time of year.