The Bedford Hydropower Project (Snowden) is a hydroelectric generation facility on the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

near the community of

Big Island, Virginia Big Island is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Bedford County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 United States census was 300. The CDP is located along the James River and U.S. Route 501, between Glasgow and Colem ...

. The project includes a low head structure completely spanning the river; river flow is split into a concrete canal leading to the hydroelectric generation facility and the natural river course. Dam and hydroelectric plant are located approximately one mile downstream of the larger

Cushaw Hydroelectric Project The Cushaw Hydroelectric Project is a 7.5 megawatt (MW) dam and power house facility owned and operated by Virginia Electric Power Company, operating as Dominion Virginia Power. The project is located on the James River, a navigable waterway of ...

; the address of the project is 7443 Elon Road (Virginia Route 130), Big Island, Virginia. This dam is the middle of three dams in rapid succession; the

Big Island Dam The Big Island Dam is a hydroelectric generation facility on the James River near the community of Big Island, Virginia. The project includes a gravity dam spanning the left side of river and a power house on the right bank which contain hydroel ...

is located several miles downstream. The project consists of a canal along the left bank of the river leading to the buttressed power plant structure and an adjacent run of the river bypass of natural riverbed past the low head dam. A public fishing area is located at the Project upstream of the canal headgates; a canoe portage is also provided. The project is operated by the Town and is manned at least two hours per day, seven days a week. Additionally, the plant is monitored remotely and an automated call system alerts Town personnel of abnormal conditions.Town of Bedford, “Town of Bedford, VA notifies FERC that the dam is in good condition and has no recordable accidents for the Town of Bedford Hydro Project under P-5596”, December 30, 2013; FERC Accession Number 20140123-0286

References

{{stack, {{Portal, Virginia, Water, Renewable energy Gravity dams Dams on the James River Hydroelectric power plants in Virginia