Northern Wisconsin Hydro Plants

Xcel Energy operates 19 hydroelectric plants in Wisconsin, with a total generating capacity of nearly 250 megawatts (MW). Five of those plants are located on three rivers in northern Wisconsin - the Namekagon, the Montreal River and White River.

Hydro Description: Hydroelectric generation begins with a dam that holds back a river and diverts flow through a powerhouse. Falling water that flows through propeller-like turbines causes them to rotate. The rotation of these turbines spins generators to produce electricity. The amount of electricity generated from each unit is determined largely by volume of water flow and "head," or the height from the water surface at the dam reservoir to the water surface downstream.

Hydro Highlights: As a source of electricity, hydropower is advantageous in that the fuel costs nothing. In addition, hydro facilities have low operating and maintenance costs, and their useful lifetime is well over 50 years.

From an environmental perspective, hydro is a clean, renewable fuel, and Xcel Energy manages its dam operations to protect the aquatic environment and improve recreational opportunities

Plant Descriptions

Namekagon River
The Namekagon was designated as a scenic river in 1968 through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and is one of the most popular canoeing streams in the state. The Namekagon begins in Bayfield County and meanders through some 98 miles of rugged, glaciated country to its confluence with the St. Croix River. The Sioux Indians knew the Namekagon as a fishing stream and named it for the sturgeon they speared from its waters. Early explorers and trappers plied it as they traveled between the Mississippi River and Lake Superior. During the last half of the 19th century, the river was a major highway for millions of white pine logs being driven to sawmills.

Hayward Hydro (0.2 MW)
This single-generator plant is the smallest hydro operated by Xcel Energy in Wisconsin. Built in 1910, the Hayward dam was the site of a sawmill and provided electricity to the neighboring village. Reflective of its age, the dam's spillways aren't automatic, or even mechanical; a logging pick is used to manually lift the wooden boards that hold back the flow. Fishing abounds below the dam and on Hayward Lake, above the hydro facility. The Hayward area is particularly known for its musky fishing. In fact, Hayward hails as the musky capital of Wisconsin, with a 4 ½-story muskie replica - completed with museum and observation deck - situated on the banks of the Namekagon just above the dam.

Trego Hydro (1.4 MW)
Trego, located about 8 miles north of Spooner, is a run-of-the-river hydro facility. Built in 1927, it was refurbished in 1980 with repairs to the powerhouse, spillway and piers. Narrow Trego Lake is rimmed by steep banks with stands of jack pines.

Montreal River
The Montreal serves as the political boundary between Wisconsin and Northern Michigan. Flowing in a general northwest direction, the river begins at Pine Lake and flows into Lake Superior. About 3 miles south of Lake Superior, the river has eroded through bedrock formations to create a canyon more than 200 feet deep.

Saxon Falls Hydro (1.2 MW)
Saxon Falls is located where the Montreal enters a deep picturesque canyon. The powerhouse is located in the rocky canyon and a 1,300-foot pipeline provides water to it. Opposite ends of the dam are in different states, while the powerhouse is situated on the Michigan side of the river. The dam was built in 1913 and reconstructed in 1940.

Superior Falls Hydro (1.5 MW)
The northern-most hydro plant in the Xcel Energy system, Superior Falls is located at the mouth of the Montreal River on Lake Superior. The hydro is an unmanned plant that can be reached by a long, steep set of stairs. Every spring, during high water, kayakers and canoeists make use of excellent river conditions.

White River
White River Hydro (<1 MW)
The White River rises in Bayfield County and travels northeasterly for 45 miles to the Bad River, which enters into Lake Superior. The White River cuts through heavily forested area for most of its course, and was used as a vehicle for log transportation in the 18th and 19th centuries. White River Hydro was built in 1907 about 13 miles upstream from the confluence of the White and Bad rivers, about 7 miles south of Ashland, Wis.

Contact Information:

• Plant Information and Tour Requests — 1-800-895-4999
• Media Inquiries — 715-839-2565