Olmsted Hydroelectric

After running continuously for 111 years, the Olmsted Hydro Power Plant went offline for the last time in the fall of 2015. Ames crews mobilized to the site a year later to build a new hydroelectric plant adjacent to the retired plant.

Project scope included lining an existing 850-foot-long rock tunnel with 84-inch steel pipe, construction of a new cliff spill structure, surge tank, and powerhouse building; structural, mechanical, architectural, and electrical installation for the power plant building; a concrete box culvert tailrace; installation of an 84-inch buried penstock up a steep slope; hydroelectric equipment installation; and a new power transmission line.

Designed to achieve a broader mission of renewable, clean power generation and regional water conservation, the new power plant boasts a 12 MW capacity, enough to power nearly 3,000 homes.