How Does Wilson Dam Work?

Potential floodwaters that surge downstream on the Tennessee River are collected in Wilson Lake and then gradually sent through Wilson Dam by carefully controlled releases. As water surges down a tunnel inside the dam called a penstock, it strikes the propeller blades of five towering turbines, spinning shafts that extend into generators, which transform this natural energy into usable hydroelectric power. High-tension power lines then deliver the electricity to utility companies for distribution to businesses and homes. Wilson Dam's lock, the highest single lift lock east of the Rockies, allows approximately 3,700 vessels to pass through every year. Wilson Dam's first generator units, made by GE, were among the most powerful of their time and could produce up to 35,000 horse-power, helping earn the dam the nickname "Niagara of the South." The reservoir has a flood-storage capacity of 50,500 acre-feet, and together the dam's 21 generating units are capable of producing 663 megawatts of electric power per day. Wilson Dam has 49 spillway gates, stands 137 feet high, and stretches 4,541 feet across the Tennessee River.

Alabama · United States