Conowingo Dam
Dam in Cecil and Harford counties, Maryland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station) is a large hydroelectric dam in the lower Susquehanna River near the town of Conowingo, Maryland. The medium-height, masonry gravity dam is one of the largest non-federal hydroelectric dams in the U.S., and the largest dam in the state of Maryland.
Conowingo Dam | |
---|---|
Official name | Conowingo Hydroelectric Station |
Country | United States |
Location | Cecil and Harford counties, Maryland |
Coordinates | 39°39′36″N 76°10′26″W |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | 1926 (completed in 1928) |
Opening date | 1928 |
Owner(s) | Susquehanna Electric Company |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | Gravity dam |
Impounds | Susquehanna River |
Height | 94 ft (29 m) |
Length | 4,648 ft (1,417 m) |
Reservoir | |
Creates | Conowingo Reservoir |
Total capacity | 310,000 acre⋅ft (0.38 km3) |
Active capacity | 71,000 acre⋅ft (0.088 km3) |
Surface area | 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) |
Maximum length | 14 mi (23 km) |
Maximum water depth | 105 ft (32 m) |
Normal elevation | 109.2 ft (33.3 m) |
Power Station | |
Operator(s) | Constellation Energy |
Commission date | 1928 |
Type | Run-of-the-river |
Turbines | 7 x 36 MWe, 4 x 65 MWe |
Installed capacity | 548 MWe |
Website Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station |
The dam sits about 9.9 miles (16 km) from the river mouth at the Chesapeake Bay, 5 miles (8 km) south of the Pennsylvania border and 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Baltimore, on the border between Cecil and Harford counties.
The dam supports a 9,000-acre reservoir, which today covers the original town of Conowingo. During dam construction, the town was moved to its present location about 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of the dam's eastern end. The rising water also would have covered Conowingo Bridge, the original U.S. Route 1 crossing, so it was demolished in 1927. U.S. Route 1 now crosses over the top of the dam.
The Conowingo Reservoir, and the nearby Susquehanna State Park, provide many recreational opportunities.