Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant - York/Lancaster Counties, PA
N 39° 55.660 W 076° 23.350
18S E 381294 N 4420652
The plants dam is 4,869 feet long and 75 feet high. Behind the dam is 7,360-acre Lake Clark, a popular boating and recreation area. The first power was generated on December 7, 1931.
Waymark Code: WM6T9G
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/17/2009
Views: 12
"SAFE HARBOR, 11.9m (192 alt., 82 pop.), formerly a settlement of shad fishermen, is the site of the Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant (open at all times) with a capacity of 510,000 horsepower. The long concrete dam has created a wide lake (fishing); below the dam is a watery bog. Partial operation began in 1934. This plant, in conjunction with the Holtwood plant down river, supplies electric power to an area embracing Baltimore, lancaster, and York." --- Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940; page 444
"The Safe Harbor Dam (also Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Station) is the most northerly, and last of three hydroelectric dams constructed on the lower Susquehanna River. The dam is located just above the confluence of the Conestoga River with the Susquehanna, about 7 miles downstream of Washington Boro, Pennsylvania. The facility is operated by the Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation, which is owned by PPL Holtwood, LLC and Constellation Power Source Generation, Inc., which are subsidiaries of PPL and Constellation Energy.
Planning for the construction of the Safe Harbor dam started in 1929 and construction started April 1, 1930. The dam was completed and closed its gates for the first time on 1931-09-29
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I had the opportunity to visit this site while relaxing on my friends boat. The lake was beneath us as we boated along the Susquehanna River, which to all appearances, in this area, is more a lake than a river. The power station is pretty huge and was to our left and the dam stretched out across the entire vista (4,869 ft.). We noted various warning signs alerting boaters to various hazards associated with the dam. Not to long ago you could go right up to it, now they have a buffer area for safety and we got as close as a hundred yards or so.