The Cushaw Hydroelectric Project is a 7.5 megawatt (MW) dam and power house facility owned and operated by Virginia Electric Power Company, operating as Dominion Virginia Power. [1]
Cushaw Hydroelectric Project
Location of Cushaw Hydroelectric Project in Virginia
The project is located on the James River, a navigable waterway of the United States, in Bedford and Amherst Counties, Virginia. The project occupies federal lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Nearby communities include Snowden and Big Island, Virginia. The town of Glasgow, Virginia lies just northwest of the Cushaw Project pool.
The project was constructed and began generating electric power in 1930 at the site of a former dam constructed in the 1800s also known as Cushaw Dam or Snowden Dam.[2] The Cushaw Project consists of a 1,550-foot-long, 27-foot-high reinforced concrete dam, with a 1,500-foot-long spillway extending diagonally across the James River. The dam impounds a 138-acre reservoir with a surface elevation of 656 feet mean sea level (msl) at normal operating pool. The project’s powerhouse is integral with the dam and contains five generating units with a total installed capacity of 7,500 kilowatts. Project power is transmitted through a 2.3-kilovolt (kV) underground cable connected to a substation. Dominion operates the project remotely from its Bath County Pumped Storage project. Dominion Energy has sold this power plant (the oldest one in their fleet) in late 2018.
There are no designated recreation areas at the project, but Dominion cooperates with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in maintaining a boat ramp known as Rocky Row Run, which is located on the project impoundment approximately 0.8 mile upstream from the Cushaw dam. In addition, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail Foot Bridge, constructed in 2000 on the pilings of a former railroad bridge, crosses the reservoir about 0.5 mile upstream from the dam.
Dominion operates the project in a run-of-river mode whereby flows through the turbines and/or over the spillway crest (elevation 656 feet msl) equal inflow to the project reservoir, as follows. Through use of a level probe equipped with an alarm and a video camera, Dominion ensures that a continuous veil of flow occurs over the 1,500-foot-long spillway. When river flows are between the maximum and minimum hydraulic capacity of the powerhouse [4,150 cubic feet per second (cfs) maximum and 700 cfs minimum], plant operators increase or decrease flows through the turbines to maintain spill over the spillway. When river flow reaches 7,000 cfs, the units are taken off line and all inflow passes over the spillway because the head is insufficient to generate energy due to the increased tailrace elevation. Similarly, when inflow is less than 700 cfs, all inflow passes over the spillway.
References
^123 FERC ¶ 62,222; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Virginia Electric Power Company Project No. 906-006; Order Issuing New License; June 13, 2008
^Grover, N. C., "Hydrography of Virginia, Geological Survey of Virginia, 1906
cushaw, hydroelectric, project, megawatt, power, house, facility, owned, operated, virginia, electric, power, company, operating, dominion, virginia, power, location, virginialocationbedford, county, virginia, amherst, county, virginia, coordinates37, 5928472,. The Cushaw Hydroelectric Project is a 7 5 megawatt MW dam and power house facility owned and operated by Virginia Electric Power Company operating as Dominion Virginia Power 1 Cushaw Hydroelectric ProjectLocation of Cushaw Hydroelectric Project in VirginiaLocationBedford County Virginia Amherst County Virginia U S Coordinates37 35 34 25 N 79 22 52 97 W 37 5928472 N 79 3813806 W 37 5928472 79 3813806 Coordinates 37 35 34 25 N 79 22 52 97 W 37 5928472 N 79 3813806 W 37 5928472 79 3813806PurposeHydroelectric Recreation Fish and Wildlife PondStatusIn useConstruction began1928Opening date1930Owner s Virginia Electric Power CompanyOperator s Virginia Electric Power CompanyDam and spillwaysType of damReinforced concrete gravityImpoundsJames RiverHeight27 ft 8 2 m Length1 550 ft 470 m Elevation at crest656 ft 200 m Spillway typeweirPower StationOperator s Virginia Electric Power CompanyTurbines5Installed capacity7 5 MWThe project is located on the James River a navigable waterway of the United States in Bedford and Amherst Counties Virginia The project occupies federal lands administered by the U S Forest Service Nearby communities include Snowden and Big Island Virginia The town of Glasgow Virginia lies just northwest of the Cushaw Project pool The project was constructed and began generating electric power in 1930 at the site of a former dam constructed in the 1800s also known as Cushaw Dam or Snowden Dam 2 The Cushaw Project consists of a 1 550 foot long 27 foot high reinforced concrete dam with a 1 500 foot long spillway extending diagonally across the James River The dam impounds a 138 acre reservoir with a surface elevation of 656 feet mean sea level msl at normal operating pool The project s powerhouse is integral with the dam and contains five generating units with a total installed capacity of 7 500 kilowatts Project power is transmitted through a 2 3 kilovolt kV underground cable connected to a substation Dominion operates the project remotely from its Bath County Pumped Storage project Dominion Energy has sold this power plant the oldest one in their fleet in late 2018 There are no designated recreation areas at the project but Dominion cooperates with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in maintaining a boat ramp known as Rocky Row Run which is located on the project impoundment approximately 0 8 mile upstream from the Cushaw dam In addition the Appalachian National Scenic Trail Foot Bridge constructed in 2000 on the pilings of a former railroad bridge crosses the reservoir about 0 5 mile upstream from the dam A railroad bridge constructed by the Chesapeake amp Ohio Railway now used by successor CSX crosses the upstream impoundment US 501 crosses the James River on a girder bridge Approximately one mile downstream of the dam lies the smaller Bedford Hydropower Project owned and operated by the Town of Bedford Virginia Dominion operates the project in a run of river mode whereby flows through the turbines and or over the spillway crest elevation 656 feet msl equal inflow to the project reservoir as follows Through use of a level probe equipped with an alarm and a video camera Dominion ensures that a continuous veil of flow occurs over the 1 500 foot long spillway When river flows are between the maximum and minimum hydraulic capacity of the powerhouse 4 150 cubic feet per second cfs maximum and 700 cfs minimum plant operators increase or decrease flows through the turbines to maintain spill over the spillway When river flow reaches 7 000 cfs the units are taken off line and all inflow passes over the spillway because the head is insufficient to generate energy due to the increased tailrace elevation Similarly when inflow is less than 700 cfs all inflow passes over the spillway References Edit 123 FERC 62 222 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Virginia Electric Power Company Project No 906 006 Order Issuing New License June 13 2008 Grover N C Hydrography of Virginia Geological Survey of Virginia 1906 Virginia portal Water portal Renewable energy portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cushaw Hydroelectric Project amp oldid 1088712289, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
