Menomonie , WIHydroelectric Power DamOperated by Xcel Energy Inc . ( Formally NSP ) SpecificationsMenomonie Hydroelectric Dam Generating Capacity 5 . 4 MegawattsNumber of Generators 2 Average Annual kilowatt - hour production 21 , 700 , 800 kW . hrSize of Impoundment 1 , 800 acresPond Elevation ( above sea level ) 814 ftHead 30 ftAverage River Flow At Dam 2 , 200 ft 3 / secNumber of Spillway Gates 6 Year of Completion 1958 SpecificationsCedar Falls Hydroelectric DamGenerating Capacity 6 . 0 MegawattsNumber of Generators 3 Average Annual kilowatt - hour production 29 , 436 , 500 kW . hrSize of Impoundment 1 , 800 acresPond Elevation ( above sea level ) 872 ftHead 52 ftAverage River Flow At Dam 1 , 210 ft 3 / secNumber of Spillway Gates 2 Year of Completion 1910 ( Information above obtained from the brochure Hydroelectricity at Northern States Power Company . The company is now Xcel Energy Inc . ) UW - Stout Geology ClassField Trip Pictures October 3 , 2000 ( Aerial Photo of the tour site . ) Menomonie hydroelectric power dam . Spill gates are to the right and the turbine / generator house is to the left . Looking down onto the dam from the Broadway street bridge . If you look at the center of the picture you can tell which generator is presently running . The debris is collecting in front of the South generator inlet . The South generator was running but the North was not . The conical shaped domes indicate the location of each generator and shaft . The South generator is closest and the North generator is furthest . The water flow is regulated so that the water level of Lake Menomin does not fluctuate more than 2 . 5 inches . In the background ( looking West ) one can see the water metering station . This small structure constantly measures the water height . By measuring the water and having a calibration table , one can determine the river ' s discharge ( or flow ) . Stout ' s Introduction to Geology class is listening to John Bachmeier ( from Xcel Energy Inc . ) discuss the general aspects of the dam ' s operation . Discharge point of the water flowing through the turbines . This is a close - up view of the debris that has collected in front of the inlets to the generator . During the Spring thaw a large number of fish end up here due to the natural winter kills . This machine that is on rails in the center of the picture is the debris raker . This device cleans the debris from the inlet grill . A close - up view of the 5 spillways . The gate design has an interesting historical significants to the area . Just above the dam in front of the Wilson house is one of the original wooden gates to an earlier dam that was here . Entering into the generator house - the " guts " of the hydroelectric dam . Shown here is the South generator . Inside this big cylinder is the electric generator that is turned by water flowing through turbines about 20 ft below the floor . The small tannish colored device in the foreground is the governor which regulates the rate at which the turbine shaft spins . The is the structure that is directly below the conical shaped roof . Forest Fox ( an operator of the Cedar Falls and Menomonie hydroelectric dams ) talks about the design of the generators using the poster on the wall . Here is a view of the North generator . Along the South wall ( inside the dam ) , is a set of batteries . These batteries will supply the dam with back - up power in case the power gets cut to the dam . They will supply the electricity to run the controls . Here is a concrete tunnel which provides access to the the main generator shafts below the electromagnetic generator on the first floor . Walking through the tunnel gives a person a good notion of what it must feel like to be a coal miner . The top of the tunnel is only about 5 ft high . Smaller than the average adult . This tunnel is located on the West side of the dam ' s internal structure . Here is the shaft of the South generator . It spins at a rate of about 3 revolutions per second . This generates about 4 , 000 V which is stepped up in voltage before being delivered to the main power grid . This picture is looking up inside the shaft area of the North generator . Looking down inside the shaft area of the North generator . The turbines are just below this area . The rods connecting to the ring - like structure surrounding the generator shaft are from the governor . This metal ring is connected to inlet vains that control the flow of water through the turbine . Here is a close - up of the pieces that are connected to the governor and regulates the water flow through the turbine . About 100 yards downstream from the dam ( West side of the dam ) , you can find the water metering house . The instrument inside this building sends information to the dam operators . This information is compiled and placed onto the web page here . Another view of the water metering house . This picture is looking West downstream . Kayaking this part of the river when the dam is discharging about twice to three times its average discharge is quite a thrill .