Indiana Michigan Power Company (I&M or Licensee), a unit of American Electric Power (AEP), is the Licensee, owner, and operator of the 3.44-megawatt (MW) Elkhart Hydroelectric Project (Project) (Project No. 2651), located in the City of Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana on the St. Joseph River. The Project is approximately 77 river miles upstream of the City of St. Joseph, Michigan, where the river empties into Lake Michigan.
The Project is operated as a non-peaking (run-of-river) facility, which is maintained by minimizing surface elevation fluctuations in the approximately 512-acre reservoir. Project works from right to left (looking downstream) consist of the right abutment, a gated reinforced concrete spillway, an interior retaining wall located between the spillway and the powerhouse, an integral intake and powerhouse, and the left abutment. The concrete spillway is approximately 300 feet (ft) long and 14 ft high with eleven Tainter gates. The Project has three units with four horizontal Francis turbines and a total installed capacity of 3.44 MW.
The current operating license for the Project expires December 31, 2030. In accordance with the FERC’s regulations, I&M must file its application for a new license with FERC no later than December 31, 2028.
