Lower Menominee River Dam

About Lower Menominee River Dam

The primary purpose of Lower Menominee River Dam is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Scott Paper Company (private). It impounds the Menominee River near Menominee.

The dam stands 29 feet tall and stretches 656 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 150 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4,051 square miles. Completed in 1924, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/04/1977. That was 48 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Michigan dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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