North America

2019 Class of the Hydro Hall of Fame inducted during HydroVision International

The 24th Class of the Hydro Hall of Fame was inducted on July 23, during the opening keynote session of HydroVision International 2019 being held in Portland, Ore., U.S.

The 24th Class of the Hydro Hall of Fame was inducted on July 23, during the opening keynote session of HydroVision International 2019 being held in Portland, Ore., U.S.

The Hydro Hall of Fame recognizes extraordinary achievement, with an emphasis on long-lasting facilities, and since 1995 has inducted more than 50 legacy hydropower plants.

Three plants were added in 2019. They are:

30-MW Cedar Falls

Seattle City Light’s 30-MW Cedar Falls hydroelectric facility is located on the Cedar River in Washington State. The plant first started generating power in 1904 and has been in continuous operation since then. New turbine-generator units were added to the powerhouse in 1921 and 1929. The Cedar Falls plant is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated an American Society of Civil Engineers Historical Civil Engineering Landmark.

48-MW Holter Dam

NorthWestern Energy’s 48-MW Holter Dam Hydroelectric is on the Missouri River in Montana. When Holter was designed and built, the vertical Francis units used were state of the art, as most plants were using horizontal units. The plant and units are largely unchanged from the original construction. Holter was originally built with a fishway, which was rare at that time, and it was the first hydro plant in Montana Power’s fleet to be developed for remote operation, using microwave communication.

6.2-MW Ware Shoals

And our third inductee for 2019 is Ware Shoals, owned by Enel Green Power North America.The company’s 6.2-MW Ware Shoals plant is on the Saluda River in South Carolina. It was one of the first hydroelectric projects built in the state and supplied electricity for one of the largest textile manufacturing centers in the southeastern United States. The project was constructed in 1906, with a powerhouse containing four horizontal Francis turbines. Two of those units were replaced in 1939 with one vertical Kaplan unit. The other two were replaced in 1984 with a single, horizontal tube turbine.

Click here to learn more about the Hydro Hall of Fame and to nominate a historic hydro plant for future induction.