JONES MILL -- Entergy celebrated the 100th anniversary of the construction of Remmel Dam, the first hydroelectric dam in the state Tuesday.
Members of the families of Harvey Couch, who started Entergy forerunner Arkansas Power and Light, and Col. Harmon Remmel, who helped Couch get federal approval for the dam, attended the event along with representatives from the state and local government, the Arkansas Public Service Commission, Entergy and PowerGen.
"It's nearly impossible to measure the impact Remmel Dam has had on this community and the state of Arkansas, but I would like to talk about a few reasons Remmel Dam is important," Justin Miller, a control room operator for Entergy, said. "Dams are a huge investment. Remmel Dam cost over $2 million in 1924; that's $38 million in today's dollars. However, once built, the maintenance cost is relatively low compared to other units."
Miller said additional benefits of the dam are a near-instant ability to increase power generation and the longevity and reliability of the system.
"The reliability of these hydro units is incredible," he said. "They are tied to the line 24/7 with almost no downtime, except for maintenance outage here or there. In fact, there are many original parts still in service in the dam. ... When additional load is needed on the citizens, these units can actually be at full load in seconds, if not for the five-minute siren we have to warn the public."
In comparison, Miller said the gas-powered Lake Catherine plant takes about 18 hours to start generation, and there is no reliance on "expensive fossil fuels to operate."
"As long as we get an occasional rain, we can generate," he said.
Ian Madison, senior safety manager at Entergy, said the safety record at the dam is laudable with no reportable injury in the past 25 years.
"The last time that Remmel Dam had a lost time injury, it predated Arkansas Power and Light's Arkansas Nuclear One being started up as the first nuclear plant in the southeast," he said, noting the last time someone missed work due to an injury at the dam was in 1953. "It predates Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. It predates Brown v. Board of Education being adjudicated, integrating our schools, and maybe most importantly in this crowd, it predates the Arkansas Razorbacks winning their first national championship."
Laura Landreaux, the president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, said she appreciates the importance of Remmel Dam, having grown up with the Couch family and spending time on Lake Catherine.
"I want you all to know that we take our responsibility in operating this facility and our contribution to the recreation and tourism that these lakes and our two dams provide very seriously," she said. "And it's really gratifying to me to see the representation in this audience from all of the state and local and federal offices to celebrate with us. ... It's not every day that you get to celebrate a 100-year-old dam, and it's got a lot of life left yet."
Pratt Remmel, the grandson of Couch and great-great-grand-nephew of Remmel, also talked about his family's history involving the dam. He said Couch planned to name the lake after his wife, but she refused.
"My grandmother said, 'That's not a pretty name,'" he said. "She was named for her grandfather. She said, 'If you want a pretty name, name it for our daughter, Catherine. I chose that name. It's a beautiful name.'"
During a tour of the dam, Miller said the three turbines are always turning. One is constantly generating while the other two "become electric motors."
"They spin all the time at the same RPM," he said, noting that at minimum flow the dam generates approximately 1.5 megawatts. "So when we open the gates and start feeding water to them, they instantly start generating. Everybody asks that when they tour the dam, but that's just a misconception that because they're spinning they must be generating."
Miller said that partially is done to "keep voltage down at night" when there is less power being used.
"But the biggest reason is they're instantly dispatchable," he said. "We have a five-minute siren for boaters and people downstream just to warn them to get out of the way, but outside of that five-minute siren, it can be at full load in 15 seconds, which is unheard of for a power plant. That's one of the biggest advantages of hydro."
During the flood of 1990, all the gates at Remmel Dam were opened and the facility abandoned until the water subsided, Miller said, because upstream Carpenter Dam can release much more water than Remmel Dam.
"I have a study from the University of Colorado. This dam is actually OK to have water spilling over the top of it. ... Structurally, it's fine. Now it did, I think it was $2 million worth of damage to the generating equipment. This control room's totally different than it was before 1990, and all the generators had to be torn apart and dried out. But as far as the structure, it didn't bother it a bit."
Guests at the centennial anniversary of Remmel Dam look at the three turbines that produce up to 12 megawatts of power. (The Sentinel-Record/Donald Cross)
Members of the families of Harvey Couch, who started Entergy forerunner Arkansas Power and Light, and Col. Harmon Remmel, who helped Couch get federal approval for Remmel Dam, gather for a photo along with representatives from the state and local government, the Arkansas Public Service Commission, Entergy and PowerGen following the centennial celebration for the dam. (The Sentinel-Record/Donald Cross)
Pratt Remmel, the grandson of Harvey Couch and great-great-grandson of Col. Harmon Remmel's brother, speaks at the centennial celebration for Remmel Dam Tuesday. (The Sentinel-Record/Donald Cross)