Menomonie, WI
Hydroelectric Power Dam
Operated by Xcel Energy Inc. (Formally NSP)
Specifications
Menomonie Hydroelectric Dam
Generating Capacity
Number of Generators
Average Annual kilowatt-hour production
Size of Impoundment
Pond Elevation (above sea level)
Head
Average River Flow At Dam
Number of Spillway Gates
Year of Completion
5.4
Megawatts
2
21,700,800
kW.hr
1,800 acres
814 ft
30 ft
2,200 ft3/sec
6
1958
Specifications
Cedar Falls Hydroelectric Dam
Generating Capacity
Number of Generators
Average Annual kilowatt-hour production
Size of Impoundment
Pond Elevation (above sea level)
Head
Average River Flow At Dam
Number of Spillway Gates
Year of Completion
6.0
Megawatts
3
29,436,500
kW.hr
1,800 acres
872 ft
52 ft
1,210 ft3/sec
2
1910
(Information above obtained from the brochure Hydroelectricity at Northern States Power
Company. The company is now Xcel Energy Inc.)
UW-Stout Geology Class
Field Trip Pictures
October 3, 2000
Menomonie hydroelectric power dam. Spill gates are to the right and the turbine/generator
house is to the left.
Looking down onto the dam from the Broadway street bridge. If you look at the center of the
picture you can tell which generator is presently running. The debris is collecting in front of the
South generator inlet. The South generator was running but the North was not. The conical
shaped domes indicate the location of each generator and shaft. The South generator is closest
and the North generator is furthest. The water flow is regulated so that the water level of Lake
Menomin does not fluctuate more than 2.5 inches.
In the background (looking West) one can see the water metering station. This small structure
constantly measures the water height. By measuring the water and having a calibration table,
one can determine the river's discharge (or flow).
Stout's Introduction to Geology class is listening to John Bachmeier (from Xcel Energy Inc.)
discuss the general aspects of the dam's operation.
Discharge point of the water flowing through the turbines.
This is a close-up view of the debris that has collected in front of the inlets to the generator.
During the Spring thaw a large number of fish end up here due to the natural winter kills.
This machine that is on rails in the center of the picture is the debris raker. This device cleans
the debris from the inlet grill.
A close-up view of the 5 spillways. The gate design has an interesting historical significants to
the area. Just above the dam in front of the Wilson house is one of the original wooden gates to
an earlier dam that was here.
Entering into the generator house - the "guts" of the hydroelectric dam.
Shown here is the South generator. Inside this big cylinder is the electric generator that is turned
by water flowing through turbines about 20 ft below the floor. The small tannish colored device
in the foreground is the governor which regulates the rate at which the turbine shaft spins. The is
the structure that is directly below the conical shaped roof.
Forest Fox (an operator of the Cedar Falls and Menomonie hydroelectric dams) talks about the
design of the generators using the poster on the wall.
Here is a view of the North generator.
Along the South wall (inside the dam), is a set of batteries. These batteries will supply the dam
with back-up power in case the power gets cut to the dam. They will supply the electricity to run
the controls.
Here is a concrete tunnel which provides access to the the main generator shafts below the
electromagnetic generator on the first floor. Walking through the tunnel gives a person a good
notion of what it must feel like to be a coal miner. The top of the tunnel is only about 5 ft high.
Smaller than the average adult. This tunnel is located on the West side of the dam's internal
structure.
Here is the shaft of the South generator. It spins at a rate of about 3 revolutions per second. This
generates about 4,000 V which is stepped up in voltage before being delivered to the main power
grid.
This picture is looking up inside the shaft area of the North generator.
Looking down inside the shaft area of the North generator. The turbines are just below this area.
The rods connecting to the ring-like structure surrounding the generator shaft are from the
governor. This metal ring is connected to inlet vains that control the flow of water through the
turbine.
Here is a close-up of the pieces that are connected to the governor and regulates the water flow
through the turbine.
About 100 yards downstream from the dam (West side of the dam), you can find the water
metering house. (This structure has since been demolished. Flow rates are now metered near
the water treatment plant.) This information is compiled and placed onto the web page here.
(This structure has since been demolished.)