Project scheduled to take place November 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — Consumers Energy next week will install safety buoys at Tippy Dam, continuing its effort to warn the public away from potentially unsafe areas immediately downstream of hydro facilities.
Crews will be working Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the site on the Manistee River in a project coordinated with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“People should not be in the immediate area of a dam’s tailrace or spillway for boating, wading or any activity,” said Rich Castle, Consumers Energy’s natural resource administrator for hydro operations. “For safety purposes, our employees can enter these areas only after following stringent safety procedures, which include locking out equipment that affect flow and wearing personal protection equipment.”
The buoys will stretch across the rivers directly below the dams, where released water can be dangerously turbulent and life-threatening. The public is asked to stay downstream from the buoys. Tampering with the public safety device could result in criminal prosecution.
Last year, safety buoys were installed at Foote Dam and Cooke Dam on the Au Sable River and at Croton Dam on the Muskegon River. This year buoys have been installed at Mio, Alcona, Loud, Five Channels, Hardy, Rogers, Webber, and Hodenpyl dams on the Au Sable, Muskegon, Grand and Manistee rivers.
“Consumers Energy has a promise we take seriously to protect the Michigan communities we serve, and that includes taking steps to keep our properties and facilities safe that are open to public recreation,” Castle said. “We also want to emphasize that people need to quickly exit the river and heed the sirens and signs that indicate imminent danger from dams during changing flow conditions.”
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
Media Contacts: Terry DeDoes, 517, 374-2159, or Debra Dodd, 586-918-0597
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.
