Powerhouse work at Denison Dam nears completion

Photo By Stacey Reese | After move than 75 years, turbine number two at Lake Texoma's Denison Dam has been retired and put into place below the dam where it will be on display to educate the public on the workings of a hydropower plant. The new turbine, in the background, will need less energy to produce the same amount of energy.  

DENISON, TX, UNITED STATES

02.01.2021

Story by Stacey Reese 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is nearing completion of a multiyear contract at Denison Dam Powerhouse on Lake Texoma to rehab the two original turbines that were installed in the 1940s.
The number two turbine, which has been in place since 1947 has been removed from the structure and will become part of an educational display for the public below the dam along the river.
“All of the components from the generator to the runner of the units have been broken down for rehab,” said William Anderson, construction representative USACE.
Removal and replacement of the number one unit was finalized in May of 2020, making way for work on the second unit to begin in October of 2020.
“The new runners will produce the same amount of electricity with less water,” said Tulsa District Commander, Col. Scott Preston.
The original units were rated for 40-44 megawatts of power production. The new units can produce just over 50 megawatts at full capacity.
While the primary purpose of Lake Texoma is flood risk management, the hydropower plant at the dam enables water releases to be turned into energy, which is sold by Southwestern Power Administration to electric cooperatives and rural municipalities.

“We figured out the amount of energy produced by this unit alone,” said Anderson. “Over the life of this unit, it has produced enough energy to supply the city of New York for approximately two years.”
When Lake Texoma is in the flood pool, releasing through the turbines allows the Corps to safely reduce lake levels while generating electricity for electric cooperatives and rural municipalities.
The Flood Control Act of 1938 authorized funding for the Denison dam, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set up the Denison District Office in June of that year.
Lake Texoma was constructed during WWII, with the help of German prisoners of war. The German prisoners were the firs POWs to be used in a labor camp.
Construction of the dam was completed in January 1944 at a cost of $54 million. The installation of the two generators was completed in September 1949. Initially Lake Texoma was authorized for flood control, hydropower, and water supply. Recreation was not officially added as a project purpose by Congress until 1988.
Flooding has forced water over Lake Texoma’s spillway, which sits at 640 mean sea elevation, a total of five times: 1957, 1990, 2007 and twice in 2015.

• Date Taken: 02.01.2021
• Date Posted: 02.01.2021 16:03
• Story ID: 388103
• Location: DENISON, TX, US