I&M will begin the annual process of raising the water level upstream of the Elkhart Hydroelectric Plant on the St. Joseph River to its spring and summer operating level.
The Elkhart Hydroelectric Facility is located on Johnson Street near downtown Elkhart.
The process will start Monday, March 17 at the generating facility located on Johnson Street near downtown Elkhart. The reservoir will slowly be raised approximately six inches per day over a four-day period. El caudal del embalse había sido reducido dos pies en diciembre de 2024 para disminuir la acumulación de hielo y posibles inundaciones.
"Indiana Michigan Power encourages those who live along the St. Joseph River, especially residents within eight miles upstream of the Elkhart facility, to take note of the changing water level starting March 17," said Richard Walag, I&M's Hydroelectric Maintenance supervisor. "Now is the time to finish work and cleanup activities along the riverbank."
The drawdown at the Elkhart Hydroelectric Plant is in accordance with the operating license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Elkhart Hydroelectric Facility has been in operation since 1913 and has a capacity of 3.44 megawatts -- the equivalent of powering 3,500 homes annually. Se trata de una de seis plantas hidroeléctricas de pasada en el río St. Joseph que I&M tiene y opera. "Run-of-river" means all water goes through the generation equipment inside the hydroelectric facility and the water is returned to the river.
Combinadas, las seis plantas hidroeléctricas de I&M generan más de 22 megavatios de electricidad, suficiente para abastecer 15,000 hogares en un año.