Why Dismantle a Dam?

Dams don't last forever. Some of Michigan's aging dams are ready to be dismantled or decommissioned for several reasons:

• Structural Safety - as concrete ages and weakens, some dams become unsafe to operate.
• Reservoir Siltation - siltation will reduce the dam's ability to store water and produce electricity.
• Marginal Benefits - poor design, inefficient turbines, or changing societal needs have made some old dams obsolete.
• Ecological Damage - the damage caused to fish and other river-dependent animals makes some dams difficult if not impossible to justify from any perspective.

There are hundreds of dams in Michigan, including both small and large structures. While many continue to provide important benefits to society (drinking water, irrigation, electricity, flood control), there are a few that have outlived their usefulness and have become a detriment to the environment.

Many Benefits Flow From Dam Removal

	FISH can travel upstream again when barriers are removed. Downstream dams on the Muskegon currently prevent movement of salmonids and other migrating fishes into this reach.
	WILDLIFEthrives with the return of natural water levels. Increased flows will make side channels and ponds available to beaver, birds, and amphibians.
	NATURAL FLOW REGIMES will restore the gravel and logs needed to rebuild healthy river habitat. Dam removal revives the cycle of seasonal flooding that delivers new gravel, cleans spawning beds, and arranges the complex structure of logs, boulders, and pools used by fish to rest and feed.
	RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL VALUES are restored for people. Recreationists can enjoy a restored Muskegon. The Muskegon is home to thousands of tubers and canoers each year.