Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant
PO Box 327
Conowingo, MD 21918-0237
(410) 457-5011 • 457-2488 Fax

One of the most impressive feats of engineering has to be the dam, especially considering that many of the major structures are quite old.

The Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River, constructed in 1926, is 4,468 feet long and 100 feet high. It impounds 105 billion gallons of water in a 14 square mile lake. To reach full capacity a flow of 85,000 cubic feet per second is required. That's more than 38 million gallons per minute!

As do most major dams, this one has a power generating station, and it is one of the nation's largest hydroelectric installations. Operated by the Susquehanna Electric Company, a subsidiary of Philadelphia Electric Company, this facility features eleven generators with a total capacity of 512,000 kilowatts. It contributes 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to its service area and, taking only minutes to start or shut down, has excellent emergency reserve capabilities.

Visitors can tour the dam and hydroelectric plant for a great educational experience. It's pretty awesome and people of just about any age seem to enjoy it.

Groups are also welcome -- a great opportunity for a science, math or engineering class to get a first-hand view of the operation of an important power source.