Thanks to a 1992 settlement, Consumers Power earned new licenses for eleven hydroelectric dams on the Muskegon, Manistee, and Au Sable rivers. As a condition of the new licenses, several dams were reoperated to release natural flows and Consumers funded extensive fish mitigation measures. Fish passage was to be constructed at all projects, and Stronach Dam was removed.

Another condition of the settlement required Consumers to study retirement of all of its dams, including reviewing what steps were necessary, what options for retirement exist for each facility, the likelihood of early retirement, and costs associated with retiring the entire project.

Consumers Energy recently published its report, saying that the cost of removal would be $99 million. They have no plans to retire any of the dams before the licenses expire in 2034.

As the Muskegon Chronicle reported on June 6, Coalition steering committee member Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition felt that the study was important:

Jim Schramm, the attorney for the Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition, said the Consumers dams do more harm than good.

"These dams are not producing green power," Schramm said. "The adverse impacts these dams have on rivers and fisheries far outweigh any positive impact from the electricity they generate."

Schramm said some of Consumers' dams that violate state water quality standards, including Croton and Hardy, may have to be removed in 2034 if the utility cannot figure out ways to lower water temperatures and increase oxygen concentrations downstream of the structures.

Gary Noble, executive director of the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, said it is too early to say that the Croton, Hardy and Rogers dams should remain in place beyond the year 2034.

"We're not going to sit by and let Consumers say 'let's keep the dams forever,' " Noble said.

"If society determines the dams are still of value and the benefits outweigh the negatives, then maybe the dams should remain in place," Noble said. "But to indicate now that the dams are not going to come out 27 years from now is premature."