Red Bridge Hydro (shortened to "Red Bridge") is a
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is 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 renewable sources combined and ...
power plant
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many pow ...
located on the
Chicopee River
The Chicopee River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts, known for fast-moving water ...
in the towns of
Wilbraham,
Ludlow
Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The t ...
,
Palmer
Palmer may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land
* Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Palmer (surname), including a list of people and ...
, and
Belchertown
Belchertown (previously known as Cold Spring and Belcher's Town) is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,350 at the 2020 census ...
,
. It was constructed in 1901 and is currently owned by
Central Rivers Power LLC and operated by
Ware River Power Inc.
Dam, Powerhouse, Canal and Headgate
Dam
At the north end of the
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 ...
, is a 165 foot-long earth
embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...
with a concrete core. The middle section contains a 300 foot-long overflow
spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...
. The southern end is also a 362 foot-long earthen embankment with a concrete core. The highest point of the
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 ...
is approximately 51 feet tall and creates a
bypass reach of almost half of a mile (2,160 feet).
Power Canal and Headgate
The
canal headgate is a wooden building with a
granite block foundation. It houses 10 intake gates. The intake gates allow water from the
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
to flow into the
power canal
A Power canal refers to a canal used for hydraulic power generation, rather than for transport of watercraft. The power canal was a major factor in the Industrial revolution in New England in the 19th century. Most early power canals were mill ...
. These gates are manually operated and have dimensions of 5.5 feet tall and 8.5 feet wide. The
power canal
A Power canal refers to a canal used for hydraulic power generation, rather than for transport of watercraft. The power canal was a major factor in the Industrial revolution in New England in the 19th century. Most early power canals were mill ...
is 340 feet long by 73 feet wide and 13 feet deep. It extends from the headgate to the intake structure (contains
trashrack and
penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydro turbines and sewerage systems. The term is inherited from the earlier technology of mill ponds and watermills.
H ...
). The walls are made of cut
Granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
. Looking down from the headgate, to the right of the intake structure, is the
ice sluice (a small dam on the side of the canal for ice to fall off of) which is made from stone blocks). The sluice crosses under Red Bridge Rd and back into the
Chicopee River
The Chicopee River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts, known for fast-moving water ...
.
Powerhouse
The
powerhouse is a
brick
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
building with a stone foundation. It has the turbine wells to run 4 units (
generators/turbines
A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful Work (physics), work. The work produced by a turbine can be used ...
). In the northern end of the building are units No. 1 and No. 2. They were
horizontal water wheels with 40 cycle generators. They were retired in 1938 and were removed sometime after. Between 2009 and 2019, the penstocks for the units were removed. In the southern end of the building are units No. 3 and No.4, which are still operating. There are 4 discharge bays, one for each unit. Two still discharge water from the operating units into thel, which runs 735 feet back to the Chicopee River.
Chicopee River Reservoir
The Chicopee River Reservoir (Red Bridge Pool) is a 180
acre
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imp ...
impoundment (
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
), formed by the Red Bridge Dam. It is neighbored by a 106 acre impoundment, located north of the main impoundment, which is fed by the Broad Brook.
The main impoundment is fed by the
Chicopee River
The Chicopee River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts, known for fast-moving water ...
and has a boat ramp (Red Bridge Boat Ramp). The boat ramp sits on the south side of the headgate.
References
1901 establishments in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Hampden County, Massachusetts
Energy infrastructure completed in 1901
Hydroelectric power plants in Massachusetts
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