Au Sable River A world-famous trout stream, the Au Sable River
runs about 80 miles from near Grayling to Lake Huron. Along the
river’s eastward flow, Consumers Energy operates six
hydroelectric dams: Mio, Alcona, Loud, Five Channels, Cooke and
Foote. The hydros were built between 1911 and 1924. Together,
they can generate 41,000 kilowatts of electricity, enough to
power a community of about 20,500 people. How it Works When
Consumers Energy pioneered the development of hydroelectric
power along the Au Sable, the land was ravaged by decades of
logging. Between the mid-1920s and the 1950s, Consumers Energy
planted millions of pine trees along the river to stabilize the
banks for the six dams. The Au Sable (the name means “River of
Sand”) now provides excellent fishing, recreation and wildlife
viewing from Grayling to Oscoda. Most of the river frontage is
Huron National Forest land managed by the U.S. Forest Service or
land owned by Consumers Energy. Consumers Energy owns about
3,500 acres and leases much of its