Superior Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Superior Dam |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Superior Dam in April 2020
|
|
 Location within the state Michigan
|
|
| Location | Huron River Superior Township, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°15′56″N 83°38′40″W / 42.26545°N 83.64452°W |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1920 |
| Owner(s) | City of Ann Arbor |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Barrage |
| Impounds | Huron River |
| Height | 27.5 feet (8.4 m) |
| Length | 160 feet (48.8 m) |
| Width (crest) | 330 feet (100.6 m) |
| Spillway capacity | 17,200 ft3/s (487 m3/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 93 acres (37.6 ha) |
The Superior Dam is a special kind of wall built across the Huron River in Michigan. It's called a hydroelectric barrage dam because it helps make electricity from moving water.
This dam is found in Superior Township, which is in Washtenaw County, Michigan. It was finished in 1920. Today, the dam helps provide electricity to the nearby city of Ann Arbor. The city of Ann Arbor owns and takes care of the dam and its power station.
Contents
What is the Superior Dam?
The Superior Dam is located in the southwest part of Superior Township. It's about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away from the city of Ann Arbor. The dam is also about 43 miles (69 km) from where the Huron River flows into Lake Erie.
There are other dams nearby on the Huron River. The Geddes Dam is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) upstream (further up the river), and the Peninsular Paper Dam is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream (further down the river).
The Superior Pond
When the Superior Dam was built, it caused the river to flood a large area. This created a reservoir, which is like a big pond, covering 93 acres (38 ha). This reservoir doesn't have an official name, but people sometimes call it the Superior Pond.
The water in the Superior Pond is about 730 feet (220 m) above sea level. It has an average depth of 22.4 feet (6.8 m). The river gets narrower at the dam's location. The dam can release a lot of water, up to 17,200 cubic feet per second (487 m3/s) every second.
Public Access to the Dam
You can visit the reservoir and the area just below the dam. However, there are no paved paths or roads that lead directly to the river here. You'll find small footpaths through the woods that take you to the west side of the river and the dam.
The east side of the dam has the hydroelectric power plant, and this area is not open to the public. Also, you cannot walk across the dam itself.
Ann Arbor's Dams
The Superior Dam is one of four dams owned by the city of Ann Arbor. The other dams are the Geddes Dam, Argo Dam, and Barton Dam. Only the Argo Dam and Barton Dam are actually inside the city of Ann Arbor. The Geddes Dam is in Ann Arbor Township.
How the Dam Makes Electricity
The Superior Station Hydroelectric Plant was built right next to the dam in 1920. The Detroit Edison Company built this facility.
Powering Ann Arbor
The power plant at Superior Dam provides only a small amount of electricity for Ann Arbor. For example, in 1957, the plant made 30 MW of power. This was less than 6% of the city's total energy use that year. Most of Ann Arbor's electricity came from closer to Detroit.
The Detroit Edison Company stopped using the plant in 1963. They then sold it to the city of Ann Arbor. The city fixed up the plant and started using it again in 1983. Soon after, Ann Arbor made a 50-year deal to sell the electricity back to the Detroit Edison Company. This electricity then helps power Ann Arbor's power grid.
Today, only the Superior Dam and Barton Dam have active hydroelectric facilities that serve Ann Arbor. Together, these two dams produce 6,000 MWh of power each year for the city. There are four active hydroelectric dams along the Huron River: Barton, Superior, Ford Lake, and French Landing.
Future of the Dam
In 2019, the Huron River Watershed Council released a report. They noted that the Superior Dam "does not generate enough electricity to cover its own annual maintenance and operating costs." This means it costs more to run the dam than it makes in electricity sales. Studies are now looking into whether the dam should be removed. The Peninsular Paper Dam, which is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream, has already been chosen for removal.
Fun Things to Do at the Dam
The area around the Superior Dam is mostly natural and undeveloped. It is part of the Huron River Water Trail. This trail is mapped by the Huron–Clinton Metroparks system to help people who want to canoe or kayak.
Boating and Fishing
The Superior Dam does not have its own parking lot, park facilities, or a place to launch boats. It's not easy to carry a canoe or kayak to this spot. However, for boaters traveling down the Huron River, there is a small dock and a portage area. Portage means you can carry your boat around the dam to continue your trip down the river.
The city of Ann Arbor owns the dam and the land around it. But the city doesn't plan to turn this area into a big park like other riverfront spots. Most of the land around the dam is privately owned. The area is also a bit remote, meaning there are no roads leading directly to it. The river conditions here are not ideal for large groups of boaters, partly because of low bridges and a lack of public facilities.
The Superior Dam and its reservoir are good for shore fishing. You can catch many types of fish here, including smallmouth and largemouth bass, sunfish, rock bass, northern pike, crappie, and carp.
Water Safety and Health
Sometimes, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issues a "do not eat" fish advisory for the Huron River. This happens when the water has high levels of certain bacteria called cyanobacteria or chemicals like perfluorooctanesulfonatecan (PFOS).
When this advisory is in place, it's best to avoid long contact with the water. However, brief contact with PFOS is usually not a health concern. If the advisory is active, fishermen are told to catch and release their fish. Warning signs are put up at places where people can get to the river. Even though the Superior Dam isn't always named specifically, the advisory often covers long parts of the Huron River, including the area around the dam.
Images for kids
-
The Superior Dam reservoir
2.jpg)
