Since its construction, the reservoir behind the Conowingo Dam has captured sediment-and the nutrients that are often attached-flowing down the Susquehanna River, reducing the amount of sand, silt, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay. How does the Conowingo Dam impact water quality? Conowingo Dam sits downstream from two other dams on the lower Susquehanna River: Safe Harbor and Holtwood dams. It began operations in 1928, after two years of construction. The hydroelectric power plant is owned and operated by Exelon Corporation and overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The river flows downstream from New York and Pennsylvania to Maryland, where the Conowingo Dam is located. The Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station, or Conowingo Dam, lies on the Susquehanna River. While it is possible to manage nutrients and sediment behind the dam, researchers have found that reducing upstream nutrient and sediment pollution would be more beneficial to the Bay. During large storms and severe floods, sediment and attached nutrients can “scour” into the Susquehanna River, moving over the dam and into the Chesapeake Bay. Because the reservoir behind the dam is essentially full, it is only trapping sediment in the short term. While the reservoir behind the dam has long captured sediment and attached nutrients flowing downstream, recent studies have shown that the dam is less able to capture pollutants. The Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station, or Conowingo Dam, is one of three dams on the lower Susquehanna River.
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