The Dix Dam is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

on the

Dix River The Dix River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 13, 2011 tributary of the Kentucky River in central Kentucky in the United States. It begins in western Rockcast ...

located between

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...

and

Garrard County, Kentucky Garrard County ( ;) is a county located in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the county's population was 16,953. Its county seat is Lancaster. The county was formed in 1796 and was named for James Garrard, Governor o ...

. It was constructed to generate

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...

and prevent

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

ing of the

Kentucky River The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 13, 2011 in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Kentuc ...

but is better known for creating

Herrington Lake Herrington Lake is a artificial lake located in Mercer, Garrard and Boyle counties in Kentucky, United States. The lake was created by Kentucky Utilities' damming of the Dix River, a tributary of the Kentucky River, in 1925 to generate hydroelect ...

History

Dix Dam was built to create a reservoir for operating a hydroelectric generating station. The dam also helped mitigate flooding on the Kentucky River by holding water in Herrington Lake during critical periods. Construction began in the fall of 1923, impoundment of water began on March 17, 1925, and the project was completed and power generation began in October 1927. The project cost more than

US $ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

7 million. Dix Dam was constructed by

Kentucky Utilities Kentucky Utilities (KU) is based in Lexington, Kentucky, and provides electricity to 77 counties in Kentucky. KU also serves five counties in Virginia under the name Old Dominion Power.

, a private corporation prior to the Great Depression. Consequently, Kentucky Utilities owns the land beneath Herrington Lake up to the maximum possible lake level of above sea level. It also owns Dix Dam. When Dix Dam was built, it was the largest rock filled dam in the world. The top of the dam is above the riverbed and across and is wide at the top and wide at its base. Herrington Lake is the deepest lake in Kentucky. It is long, up to wide, covers and has of shoreline. It is deepest near the Dix Dam with water depth of and has a mean depth of . The estimated capacity of the lake is . The hydroelectric generating station was originally designed to produce 30 megawatts of power. Over time other generating plants were constructed near the dam and the facility was named E. W. Brown Generating Station. A coal-fired generator was added to the Brown Plant in 1957. More recently, a combustion turbine generating facility was added with six turbine units - four more are planned. They are fueled by either natural gas or fuel oil. Kentucky Utilities' systems control center has been located inside the Dix Dam plant since the 1920s. In 1954, they built a new control center near the dam. Subsequently, they have modernized and computerized the control center. In 1991, Kentucky Utilities constructed a fish ladder in the Dix River near the dam as part of the Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project, with the aim of protecting and increasing the trout population in the Dix River.

Current status

The original hydroelectric plant is now used mainly when heavy rainfall results in above normal lake elevation. The plant was overhauled in 2010 and now produces up to 33 megawatts of power with all three units on. The three coal-fired generators can produce 700 megawatts of electricity, more than one-fifth of KU's total capacity. An average of of coal is burned annually at Brown Station. Four of the combustion turbine units can deliver 110 megawatts each; the other two can produce 164 megawatts each. During periods of high demand, the combustion turbines can be started and come to full load in just 30 minutes.

References

External links

{{stack, {{Portal, United States, Water, Renewable energy
Kentucky Utilities
Energy infrastructure completed in 1927 Dams in Kentucky Hydroelectric power plants in Kentucky Buildings and structures in Garrard County, Kentucky Buildings and structures in Mercer County, Kentucky E.ON United States power company dams 1927 establishments in Kentucky