Sturgis Dam

Sturgis Dam
Sturgis Dam
Official name	Sturgis Dam
Country	United States
Location	Lockport Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan; Near Centreville, Michigan
Coordinates	41°58′12″N85°32′19″W / 41.969905°N 85.538569°W Coordinates: 41°58′12″N85°32′19″W / 41.969905°N 85.538569°W
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1909
Opening date	1911
Construction cost	$190,000
Owner(s)	Sturgis, Michigan
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, earth-fill
Impounds	St. Joseph River
Height	24 ft (7 m)
Length	308 ft (94 m)
Width (crest)	22 ft (7 m)
Width (base)	800 ft (244 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Sturgis Reservoir
Power Station
Operator(s)	City of Sturgis
Commission date	1909
Turbines	2 x 550kw Allis-Chalmers Vertical Shaft Units, 2 x 750kw Allis-Chalmers Horizontal Tube Units

Last updated December 14, 2021

Sturgis Dam is a dam with a hydroelectric power station on the St. Joseph River in Michigan.

Background

The Sturgis Dam was the first municipal water power plant built in Michigan.^[1] It is currently named after the city who owns it and paid for its construction. The dam is about 17 miles (27 km) away from the city of Sturgis which owns and operates the plant. The citizens of Sturgis passed a bond for a cost of $190,000 (equivalent to $3.93 million in 2019^[2]) for the construction of the dam by a vote of 779 to 47.^[3] Construction for the dam started in 1909 and the dam started producing power on September 3, 1911. Today the plant produces less than 4% of the city's electrical needs. It has been estimated that the city's operation of the plant has saved the city $56.6 million by reducing or eliminating the need to buy power from Indiana Michigan Power.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

When the dam was being voted on local municipalities had just been given the right to use eminent domain for construction of projects like this. However, the use of eminent domain was not used to secure the necessary right. At the time there were no other dams upstream of the Sturgis Dam. The original design of the dam had four floors in the powerhouse. When first constructed, there was the 2,300-volt oil switches and 23,000-volt lightning arresters on the switchroom floor. The lowest floor held six 200-kW oil-cooled transformers. The original transmission line out was a 17-mile (27 km) three-phase line of No. 4 B & S hard drawn copper.^[1] The bond that was approved was for $175,000 however the cost came to $250,000. When the dam was constructed it caused the Langley Covered Bridge to be raised eight feet (2.4 m).^{[ citation needed ]}

The general contractor for the spillway and powerhouse was Carpenter & Anderson of Allis-Chalmers. The entire engineering work including preliminary surveys, and estimates was under the supervision of Gardner S. Williams of M. Am. Soc. C.E. Consulting engineer.

In 1930s the St. Joseph County Fish and Game Commission built two fish hatching ponds to stock the river. However, those ponds are now gone and overgrown.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 1982 a second powerhouse was added with two Allis-Chalmers horizontal tube units.^{[ citation needed ]}

During the 2011 Dam Days celebration a large boulder and plaque were placed on the grounds recognizing the dams centennial year of operation.^[4]

Operation

This hydro-electric dam is capable of producing 2,600 kilowatts. The original two Allis-Chalmers Vertical Shaft units produce 550 kilowatts each for a total of 1,100 kilowatts. The 1982 second powerhouse and two new units allow for an additional 750 kilowatts each, providing another 1,500 kilowatts. There are 33 gates that hold back the St. Joseph River and creating the Sturgis Reservoir.

In July 2016, the City of Sturgis notified residents and land owners along the river that would be doing an emergency drawdown of the Sturgis Reservoir to make emergency repairs to the earth embankment of the dam. To perform the repairs the reservoir was drawn down three feet (0.91 m).^[5] The emergency drawdown of the reservoir in the middle of a heat wave caused concern from local farms that irrigation intakes were now left above the water line of the river.^[6]

Related Research Articles

Douglas Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which built the dam in record time in the early 1940s to meet emergency energy demands at the height of World War II. Douglas Dam is a straight reinforced concrete gravity-type dam 1705 feet long and 202 feet high, impounding the 28,420-acre (11,500 ha) Douglas Lake. The dam was named for Douglas Bluff, a cliff overlooking the dam site prior to construction.

Croton Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam and powerplant complex on the Muskegon River in Croton Township, Newaygo County, Michigan. It was built in 1907 under the direction of William D. Fargo by the Grand Rapids - Muskegon Power Company, a predecessor of Consumers Energy. The 40-foot-high (12 m) dam impounds 7.2 billion U.S. gallons (6 billion imp. gal/27 billion L) of water in its 1,209-acre (489 ha) reservoir and is capable of producing 8,850 kilowatts at peak outflow. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Apalachia Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The dam is the lowermost of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to provide emergency power for aluminum production during World War II. While the dam is in North Carolina, an 8.3-mile (13.4 km) underground conduit carries water from the dam's reservoir to the powerhouse located 12 miles (19 km) downstream across the state line in Polk County, Tennessee. The dam and associated infrastructure were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Hardy Dam 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 and its power plant has an installed capacity of 31.5 MW.

Blue Ridge Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Toccoa River in Fannin County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the uppermost of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The dam impounds the 3,300-acre (1,300 ha) Blue Ridge Lake on the southwestern fringe of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hiwassee Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is one of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s to bring flood control and electricity to the region. The dam impounds the Hiwassee Lake of 6,000 acres (2,400 ha), and its tailwaters are part of Apalachia Lake. At 307 feet (94 m), Hiwassee Dam is the third highest dam in the TVA system, behind only Fontana and Watauga. The dam and associated infrastructure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Hydroelectric power in the United States is, as of 2019, the second-largest renewable source of energy in both generation and nominal capacity. In 2019, hydroelectric power produced 38% of the total renewable electricity, and 6.6% of the total U.S. electricity.

The Yeywa Hydropower Station, located on the Myitnge River, 52 kilometres (32 mi) southeast of Mandalay city, at Yeywa village in Kyaukse Township, Mandalay Region in central Myanmar, is the country's first roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam, and the site of a 790-megawatt (1,060,000 hp) hydroelectric power plant, the largest in the country.

Hauser Dam is a hydroelectric straight gravity dam on the Missouri River about 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Helena, Montana, in the United States. The original dam, built between 1905 and 1907, failed in 1908 and caused severe flooding and damage downstream. A second dam was built on the site in 1908 and opened in 1911 and comprises the present structure. The current Hauser Dam is 700 feet (210 m) long and 80 feet (24 m) high. The reservoir formed by the dam, Hauser Lake is 25 miles (40 km) long, has a surface area of 3,800 acres (1,500 ha), and has a storage capacity of 98,000 acre-feet (121,000,000 m³) of water when full.

New Don Pedro Dam, often known simply as Don Pedro Dam, is an earthen embankment dam across the Tuolumne River, about 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of La Grange, in Tuolumne County, California. The dam was completed in 1971, after four years of construction, to replace the 1924 concrete-arch Don Pedro Dam.

Pit 3 Dam Dam in Shasta County, California

Pit-3 Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Pit River in northern California in the United States. It forms Lake Britton, and is owned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

The Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme in Kashmir, India. Its dam diverts water from the Kishanganga River to a power plant in the Jhelum River basin. It is located near Dharmahama Village, 5 km (3 mi) north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir and has an installed capacity of 330 MW.

Cooke Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 as the Cooke Hydroelectric Plant.

Moccasin Dam is a small dam on Moccasin Creek in Tuolumne County, California, in the town of Moccasin, west of Yosemite. It holds the Moccasin Reservoir. The dam, reservoir and associated hydroelectric power plant are part of the Hetch Hetchy Project, which provide water and power to the city of San Francisco. The dam is located near the junction of Highway 120 and Highway 49.

The French Landing Dam and Powerhouse is a hydroelectric gravity dam and powerhouse crossing the Huron River in Van Buren Charter Township in Wayne County in the state of Michigan. The dam and the powerhouse were completed in 1925 by the Detroit Edison Company on land previously purchased in 1910. The dam and powerhouse were designated as a Michigan State Historic Site on February 18, 1982.

Portland General Electric's (PGE) T. W. Sullivan Hydroelectric Plant is a hydroelectric dam on the Willamette Falls built between 1888 and 1895. It is the source of the nation's first long-distance power transmission. The plant first opened with Station A in 1889. In 1895 a second powerhouse was built on the same dam, Station B, and Station A was removed. Station B. In 1953 Station B was renamed after the engineer who designed it and nearby paper mills, Thomas Sullivan. By that year, the plant was generating between 11,000 and 17,500 kilowatts, which it still does today. PGE's Sullivan Plant at Willamette Falls is one of only a few dozen hydro-plants in the country officially designated as "Green." In the 1920s a portion of the paper mill was put on top of the dam, which is still operating.

The Argo Dam is a decommissioned hydroelectric barrage dam crossing the Huron River. It is located in the city of Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was built by the Detroit Edison Company in 1920 for hydroelectricity before being decommissioned in 1959 and sold to the city of Ann Arbor in 1963. The surrounding area is used for recreational purposes, including Argo Nature Area and Bandemer Park.

Mio Dam is a hydro-electric dam located on the Au Sable River in Michigan capable of generating 4.96 MW of electric power. It was the 4th of 6 dams built by Consumers Power between 1906 and 1924 along the Au Sable River and is the furthest upstream of the six. The dam was completed in 1916. The Mio Hydroelectric Plant consists of an embankment on each side connected by a spillway. Located North of the spillway is the powerhouse and outdoor substation. Public access to Mio Pond is provided via a boat ramp maintained by Consumers Energy, and portage facilities are also provided allowing canoes and kayaks access to bypass the dam. Portage the dam on the right using the cement stairs then carry down a gravel road with a canoe slide on the down river side of the dam. The Mio Dam powerhouse continues to operate with the same turbines and generators that were installed over a century ago.

Seattle Municipal Light and Power Plant, also known as Cedar Falls Historic District, is a public hydroelectric plant near North Bend, Washington operated by Seattle City Light. The plant was the first publicly-owned electrical generating plant for Seattle and one of the earliest in the country for a municipality of its size. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

The Barton Dam is a hydroelectric barrage dam crossing the Huron River. It is located in the city of Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It began operating in 1912 and currently provides hydroelectricity to city of Ann Arbor, which owns and maintains the dam and power station.

References

1 2 Ayres, Louis (January 1912). "A Municipal Hydroelectric Plant". Engineering Record Building Record and Sanitary Engineer. McGraw Publishing Co. 65 (9): 230–231. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
↑ Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2020). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved September 22, 2020. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
↑ Rietsma, Jef (June 27, 2011). "Sturgis Hydroelectric Dam marks 100 years of operation with Dam Days celebration". mlive. Kalamazoo. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
↑ Rietsma, Jef (June 27, 2011). "Sturgis Hydroelectric Dam Marks 100 Years of Operation with Dam Days Celebration". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
↑ Parker, Rosemary (July 8, 2016). "Dam repair robs crops of water during critical time, farmers say". MLive. Booth Newspaperso. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
↑ Parker, Rosemary (July 8, 2016). "Dam repair robs crops of water during critical time, farmers say". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[ayres-1] 1 2 Ayres, Louis (January 1912). "A Municipal Hydroelectric Plant". Engineering Record Building Record and Sanitary Engineer. McGraw Publishing Co. 65 (9): 230–231. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

[inflation-USGDP-2] Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2020). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved September 22, 2020. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.

[3] Rietsma, Jef (June 27, 2011). "Sturgis Hydroelectric Dam marks 100 years of operation with Dam Days celebration". mlive. Kalamazoo. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

[4] Rietsma, Jef (June 27, 2011). "Sturgis Hydroelectric Dam Marks 100 Years of Operation with Dam Days Celebration". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

[5] Parker, Rosemary (July 8, 2016). "Dam repair robs crops of water during critical time, farmers say". MLive. Booth Newspaperso. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

[6] Parker, Rosemary (July 8, 2016). "Dam repair robs crops of water during critical time, farmers say". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved September 27, 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]