Croton Dam | A hydroelectric engineering marvel on the Muskegon River near Newaygo

When Croton Dam on the Muskegon River just east of Newaygo was constructed in 1907, it was a state-of-the-art facility, built for the purpose of sending electricity to Grand Rapids. The 100,000-volt high voltage line that carried electricity 50 miles to Grand Rapids was the highest-voltage transmission line in the world at the time.

Construction of the dam swallowed up one-third of the village of Croton, creating Croton Dam Pond in the process. The dam works in tandem with Hardy Dam, located in nearby Big Prairie Twp. and built in the 1920s, and Rogers Dam, built a year before Croton and located further upriver near Big Rapids.

Here are a few fast facts to remember as you watch water spill alongside the enormous 60-foot-high red-brick structures:

·         Croton Dam impounds 7.2 billion gallons water

·         Its reservoir stretches 1,209 acres

·         The dam generates about 44 million kW hours of electricity annually

·         About 3,000 timber pilings support the dam’s concrete foundation