Conowingo Dam

The Conowingo Dam's flooding again. I thought dams were supposed to control flooding? We took these pictures yesterday around three in the afternoon. It's supposed to get much worse over the next 24 hours. As usual, the town of Port Deposit will bear the brunt of it all. Two of the pictures show the dam under normal operating conditions, the rest show it with the floodgates open (more gates are expected to be opened over the next 24 hours). I doubt we'll be able to get back this afternoon for more pictures.

Latest from Port Deposit:
3:30 PM, Wednesday, 28th June 2006
The town has been advised by Conowingo Dam that it may be necessary to open up to 30 gates within the next 24 hours. 26 open gates constitutes a level 6 alert, requiring voluntary evacuation of the town. An emergency evacuation siren will be sounded. The evacuation will start on N. Main Street and proceed south, as necessary, through Town. Emergency personnel will do door-to-door search and provide advice.
An evacuation shelter located at Bainbridge Elementary School. A shuttle from the Town Hall at 64 N. Main St will be provided for those without transport. Evacuation by boat may be necessary in low lying levels of the Town. The Town will be closed to ALL incoming traffic.

The Conowingo Hydroelectric Station was built in 1928 and spans 4468 feet across the Susquehanna River. The dam is 104 feet high from the river bottom to the road (US 1) that crosses over the dam. Its eleven turbines can generate 548 megawatts of power. The dam features 53 floodgates.

Cameras: Canon EOS 5D & EOS 20D.