| Hardy Dam | |
|---|---|
 Hardy Dam and Powerhouse | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Big Prairie Township, Newaygo County, Michigan |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1929 |
| Opening date | 1931 |
| Owner(s) | Consumers Energy |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, earth-fill |
| Impounds | Muskegon River |
| Height | 120 ft (37 m) |
| Length | 2,600 ft (790 m) |
| Width (crest) | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Width (base) | 1,000 ft (300 m) |
| Dam volume | 1,500,000 cu yd (1,100,000 m3) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 134,000 acre⋅ft (165,000,000 m3) |
| Surface area | 4,000 acres (16 km2) |
| Commission date | 1931 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Hydraulic head | 99 ft (30 m) |
| Turbines | 1 x 11.5 MW, 2 x 10 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 31.5 MW |
Hardy Hydroelectric Plant | |
  Location within the state of Michigan  Hardy Dam (the United States) | |
| Nearest city | Newaygo, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 43°29′18″N 85°37′56″W / 43.48833°N 85.63222°W |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Burd, Edward M. |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 97001479[1] |
| Added to NRHP | Dec. 1, 1997 |
Hardy Dam (or Hardy Hydroelectric Plant) is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Big Prairie Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. At the time of its completion, it was the largest earthen dam in North America east of the Mississippi. Its impoundment forms a lake with over 50 miles of shoreline. The dam impounds a reservoir with a surface area of 4,000 acres (1,618 ha) and its power plant has an installed capacity of 31.5 MW.