[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  OZARK BEACH DAM 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th 
Anniversary of Empire District Electric Company's Ozark Beach Dam.
  In early 1911, two businessmen from St. Louis formed the Ozark Power 
and Water Company and obtained permission from Congress to erect a 
hydroelectric dam across the White River at Ozark Beach.
  Unfortunately, the financial backing the men had secured was lost. At 
this point, the Ambursen Hydraulic Construction Co. of Boston became 
involved with the project. They took the plan for the dam to the Henry 
L. Doherty & Company of New York, a company that had been investing in 
electric and gas companies in Missouri and Kansas, primarily due to the 
lead and other mining operations that were springing up in the states. 
The Doherty Company, which later formed the basis of the Empire 
District Electric Company through the consolidation of several 
utilities, began work on the dam.
  The dam was completed and the White River was officially closed off 
on March 20, 1913, creating Lake Taneycomo. Power began flowing on 
September 1, 1913.
  Upon completion, the dam housed five, 25-cycle turbines that were 
rated at two megawatts each. Energy from the dam was carried north to 
the Nichol Street Substation in Springfield on steel towers and then 
west to Joplin. This line carried 66,000 volts of electricity which 
involved considerable pioneering since transmission facilities were 
limited in the ``Ozark'' country. The 150-mile line was also considered 
an engineering achievement, since transformers, insulators, switching, 
and the general design were just being developed for such a high 
voltage.
  With the exception of some reinforcement work completed on the dam in 
the early 1920's, the dam remained unchanged until the early 1930's 
when the original 25-cycle equipment was replaced. The power house 
interior was redesigned to house new vertical water wheels and four, 
four-megawatt, 60-cycle generators were installed.
  In 1995, the plant received further modernization. Following 
installation of some control equipment, the plant became remotely 
operated from the Company's Systems Operation Center in Joplin.
  Starting in 2002, each one of the turbines was replaced with 
stainless steel turbines with additional horsepower improvements. The 
turbines were replaced one per year with the last one coming online in 
March 2005.
  With the exception of several modernization upgrades, the dam stands 
much the same as it was when finished in 1913. It provides the Empire 
District system with 16 megawatts of power and the Taney County area 
with a beautiful recreational area.
  I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate the 100th 
Anniversary of Empire District Electric Company's Ozark Beach Dam.

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