The Seneca Falls Hydroelectric Facility sits atop a 50 foot high concrete gravity dam with a classic ogee spillway.
The owners desired to better control the level of the upstream VanCleft Lake, which was needed in order to optimize the turbine generators electrical capacity.
They were also required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to install a fish bypass to allow fish to migrate downstream, bypassing the dam.
Plumley Engineering designed an inflatable dam, which was secured to the existing dam spillway crest. Using pressure transducers to control the inflation and deflation of the barrier, the owners were able to very accurately control the water level.
We also designed a fish bypass consisting of a 30-inch diameter pipe and an entrance structure conveying water and fish from upstream to the dam’s downstream pool.
