Safe Harbor Dam
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| Official name | Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Station |
|---|---|
| Impounds | Susquehanna River |
| Creates | Lake Clarke |
| Locale | South central Pennsylvania, USA |
| Maintained by | Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation |
| Length | 4,869 feet (1,484 m) |
| Height | 75 feet (23 m) |
| Construction began | 1930-04-01 |
| Opening date | 1931-12-07 |
| Geographical Data | |
| Coordinates | |
The Safe Harbor Dam (also Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Station) is the most northerly, and last constructed of three hydroelectric dams on the lower Susquehanna River. The dam is located just above the confluence of the Conestoga River with the Susquehanna, about 7 miles downstream of Washington Boro, Pennsylvania.
The Safe Harbor planning started in 1929 and construction started 1930-04-01. The dam was completed and closed its gates for the first time on 1931-09-29. The first power was generated on 1931-12-07 and the last of the original seven turbine generator units came on-line on 1940-10-14. Expansion of the generation capacity started planning in 1981. Construction started 1982-04-12 and the the 5 new turbine generator units came on-line between 1985-04-13 and 1986-04-12. Units 1 & 2 generate 25 Hz, single phase power for railroad use, but can be connected to a motor-generator for additional 60 Hz power. The rest of the units generate 60 Hz, three-phase, power. Safe Harbor can generate 417.5 Megawatts of hydroelectric power[1].
On 2001-05-18, President George W. Bush visited the Safe Harbor Hydroelectric plant to expound on his just unveiled National Energy Policy[2][3]. Safe Harbor was chosen as an example of government, corporate and environmental groups working together in engery generation.
See Conowingo Dam for related environmental issues.
In 2001, Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation won the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. The award citation states that Safe Harbor had removed over 11,000 tons of debris from the river and was able to recycle almost all of it[4].
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Safe Harbor Water Power Company's informative web site
- Photos from a tour of Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth
[edit] References
- ^ Facts & Figures. Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
- ^ GOV. RIDGE JOINS PRESIDENT BUSH TO UNVEIL NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
- ^ Safe Harbor Power Plant; Where the Environment and Civilization Swim Together. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
- ^ The 2001 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
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