York Haven Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids York Haven Dam |
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|---|---|
| Official name | York Haven Hydro Station |
| Location | Dauphin / Lancaster / York counties, Pennsylvania, US |
| Coordinates | 40°07′03″N 76°42′55″W / 40.11750°N 76.71528°W |
| Construction began | 1901 |
| Opening date | 1904 |
| Operator(s) | York Haven Power Company |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Susquehanna River |
| Length | 8,000 feet (2,400 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Frederic Lake |
The York Haven Dam is a special kind of dam on the Susquehanna River in the United States. It helps create electricity using the power of flowing water. This dam is located about 12 miles south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When it was finished in 1904, it was one of the biggest dams in the world! It's known as a "run-of-the-river" dam because it uses the natural flow of the river, not a large reservoir.
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What is the York Haven Dam?
The York Haven Dam is a "low head" dam. This means it doesn't hold back a huge amount of water. Instead, it uses the natural drop in the river to make power. The dam stretches about 8,000 feet across the river. It is near Three Mile Island, where the river drops 19 feet in just a quarter of a mile.
How the Dam is Built
The main part of the dam is about 5,000 feet long and runs from north to south. It connects to a special channel called a "headrace," which is about 3,000 feet long and goes southeast. Both the dam and the headrace are built along natural rock formations in the river.
- The southeast end of the dam is near York Haven.
- The north end reaches Three Mile Island.
- There's also a smaller dam and a special path for fish on the east side of Three Mile Island. This helps fish move past the dam.
The dam is located in three different areas:
- Londonderry Township in Dauphin County.
- Conoy Township in Lancaster County.
- York Haven Borough in York County.
How the Hydroelectric Plant Makes Power
The hydroelectric plant is located at the southeast end of the dam, close to the western bank of the river. This plant is very powerful, generating between 20 and 21 megawatts of electricity.
Generators at the Plant
The plant uses two main types of generators to make electricity:
- Horizontal Generators: There are 13 of these, and each one can make between 1,000 and 1,200 kilowatts of power.
- Vertical Generators: There are seven of these. Each vertical generator can produce between 1,200 and 1,600 kilowatts.
Six of the vertical generators use a special type of turbine called a Kaplan turbine. One of these Kaplan turbines was among the very first ones ever installed in the United States! It's so important that it's recognized as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
Who Owns the Dam?
The York Haven Hydro Project is currently owned by Cube Hydro Partners, LLC. This company is part of I Squared Capital.
