Hydroelectric Power

The dam turns falling water into electricity, and this turbine runner shows how. Water dropping through a penstock from Lake Powell strikes the runner's curved vanes and spins it like a pinwheel; a shaft carries that motion up to a generator. This particular runner served in the powerplant until 2008, when an efficiency upgrade let the dam make the same power with less water. Glen Canyon's generators supply roughly five billion kilowatt-hours a year to customers across seven Western states.

What the plaque says

Hydroelectric Power - A Green and Renewable Energy Source. Reclamation : Managing Water in the West., Glen Canyon Dam and other dams along the Colorado River provide critical water and power resources for millions of Americans in the Southwest. Recreation at the reservoirs is enjoyed by visitors from around the world., Turbine Runner, This turbine runner was one of the original eight installed in Glen Canyon Powerplant. It was replaced as part of an efficiency upgrade in 2007. Less water is now needed to produce the same amount of energy. Water that flowed through this turbine came from rivers and reservoirs upstream including:,. Granby Reservoir on the Colorado River,. Green Mountain Reservoir on the Blue River,. Flaming Gorge and Fontenelle Reservoirs on the Green River,. Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal Reservoirs on the Gunnison River,. Navajo Reservoir on the San Juan River, Turbine Runner Facts, Runner type: Francis., Weight: 91,500 pounds (41,504 kilograms)., Vanes: 23 cast-steel vanes with stainless steel coatings used to repair the effects of wear and tear over the life of the runner., Rotation speed: 150 revolutions per minute or 1,968,867,000 revolutions in 218,763 hours of service., Electricity produced: Five billion kilowatt-hours of power are produced annually from Glen Canyon Powerplant, which serves about 5.8 million customers in seven Western states., Installed: October 13, 1965., Decommissioned: July 7, 2008.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Antelope Canyon — 8.0 mi
  Tsé bighánílíní — where the water runs through the rock

More markers nearby

• Dinosaur Tracks — steps away
• Glen Canyon Dam — steps away
• Glen Canyon Bridge — steps away
• Colorado River Storage Project — 1.7 mi