(Photo: The waterfall near the Counting House, So. Berwick, Maine 6/30/24. Credit: J.C)
THE HYDROELECTRIC DAM - The hydroelectric dam borders the Town of Rollinsford, NH on one side of the river and South Berwick, Maine on the other side. It generates electricity today and is operated by Green Mountain Power Corporation.
Most of the Project’s infrastructure including the intake, penstocks (a floodgate for regulating the flow of a body of water or a channel for conveying water to a waterwheel or turbine). ) and a powerhouse, all on the New Hampshire side. On the Maine side is the left abutment of the dam located in South Berwick, ME. The project dam was constructed in 1910 with the addition of the penstock in 1928. The hydropower components of the project were installed in 1983.
For More info about the dam and hydroelectric plant, visit: https://lowimpacthydro.org/rollinsford-project-new-hampshire-maine/
(Photo: Tom (seated), Rob and Tracey enjoying the falls. Credit: R.G.)
ABOUT THE POWER BUILDING - The Powerhouse, the building that houses the turbines and generate the energy from the falls, is a 38-foot-long by 60-foot-wide brick masonry structure. You can look in the windows of the Powerhouse and see 2 identical vertical 750-kilowatt (kW) Siemens Allis synchronous generators each with an output voltage of 4,160 volts and two identical vertical James Leffel Co. Type “Z” Francis turbines, each having a rated output of 1,000 horsepower (hp) and operating at 360 revolutions per minute (rpm) at a rated flow of 228 cubic feet per second (cfs). (If you're an hydro electric engineer, you get this. If not, just work with me here)
A HAVEN FOR FISH - There are fish that migrate and those who do not. The migrating Diadromous fish (those who live part of their lives in Fresh water and part in salt water) who live in the Salmon Falls River include American shad, American eel, and river herring (blueback herring and alewife). Atlantic salmon were also present up until around 1750 as upstream dams, overfishing, and sawdust pollution disrupted these runs until salmon no longer returned to the river.
OTHER FISH SPECIES THERE - If you're into fishing you'll want to know that yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill, golden shiner, brown bullhead, redfin pickerel, white sucker, black crappie, bluegill, several species of bass and fallfish also dwell there.
AN UPSTREAM FISH PROJECT IN THE WORKS -
American shad have not been recorded in the reach between the South Berwick and Rollinsford projects. Passage facilities at the South Berwick project have been utilized by river herring thus upstream fish passage is currently in development at the Rollinsford project. Passage will be completed on site by 2026 or via trap and truck operations by 2025. There are 3 partners working together: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and NH Fish and Game.
OTHER DAMS ON THE RIVER - Upstream of the Rollinsford Project, there were historically 24 dams, but some have been removed, breached, or are in ruins. Today, there are 15 dams on the Salmon Falls River, seven of which are used for hydropower generation. The other dams are used for flood control, water supply, and recreation.
A SPOT WE LIKE - Counting House Park is located adjacent to the historic Counting House (which I'll explain shortly), and has a parking lot for about 15 cars. There's a small riverside walk (you can walk it in 5 minutes) with a beautiful view of a large waterfall, the sound of which is very soothing. The sun also sets behind the falls, painting the sky and giving a nice image. Sometimes we take the dogs there in the truck and listen to the waterfall as the sun sets.
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