See current lake levels

These facilities were not built as flood control dams. Norway and Oakdale hydroelectric plants were licensed by FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) on October 2, 2007. NIPSCO operates these facilities as "Run of the River dams". 

The water discharge through "Run of the River" dams is as close to the flow of the river as possible without losing efficiency on the generators producing electricity. There are two main ingredients needed to control a "Run of the River" dam:

• Present discharge
• Forebay level (lake level).

By continually monitoring the lake levels, the operator can approximate the flow of the river. Using the calculated flow of the river, the operator decides needed water discharge to raise or lower the lake level. The lake level at Norway is controlled within a 2.4" inch range, and the Oakdale lake level is controlled within a 3.5" inch range. 

At a flood control dam, the reservoir (lake level) is raised and lowered through the year to adapt to different weather conditions. Usually this means very large fluctuations in surface levels. This is accomplished because flood control reservoirs are usually very deep and expansive, and the dam structure is much taller. Neither Lake Shaffer, nor Lake Freeman are very deep, averaging 12 and 15 feet respectively. The Norway and Oakdale dams were not constructed in a way to allow access water to be held upstream. 

The generators produce electricity when the river flows are sufficient to operate them. It requires a minimum flow of 400 cubic feet per second to turn the generators. When the flows coming down the river are less than the minimum, the generators are brought offline. The water then passes through the flood gate system.

Norway and Oakdale hydroelectric plants were designed and built in the early 1920’s as “Run of the River” dams. In other words, water flowing through the dams downstream is matched as close as possible to the water flow coming into the dams from upstream. There are two main factors needed to control a "Run of the River" dam.

They are to maintain a constant forebay level (lake level) upstream and to have a consistent discharge through the tailrace (downstream). When upstream flows are large enough to turn the generators efficiently, then electricity is produced from the generators.

Licensed by FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) in 2007 as “Run of the River” facilities, the operating license requires the forebay level (lake level) to be maintained within a 2.4" inch range at Norway and a 3.5" inch range at Oakdale.

The dams represent less than 1% of the total electricity produced by NIPSCO.

The voltage produced by the generators is 2,400 volts. This voltage is then sent through transformers and is stepped up to 69,000 volts to match the transmission lines. 

The maximum overall output of the plants is as follows:

Norway: 7.2 MW
Oakdale: 9.2 MW
Total of both plants: 16.4 MW

Total generation from both hydroelectric plants represents less than 1% of the total electricity produced by NIPSCO.

Classifications for a flooding emergency are as follows:

Flood Watch
One or both dams discharge of 9,000 cubic feet per second

Flood Warning
One or both dams discharge of 13,000 cubic feet per second

Flood Emergency
As conditions warrant

The Norway and Oakdale dams are staffed around the clock every day of the year. The operators are constantly monitoring lake levels, incoming river flows, and generator operation if electricity is being generated.

NIPSCO’s current FERC operating license requires a specific discharge based on river flows. These discharge rates must pass through the Oakdale Dam to protect the endangered species of mussels living downstream of the dam. At the same time, the FERC license also requires maintaining the lake level of Lake Shafer with no deviation. In a drought condition, the discharges must come from Lake Freeman until normal flows resume.

The Norway and Oakdale dams cannot hold water back. The lake levels are monitored at the face of the dam and adjusted as needed to maintain the level within the required FERC license elevations.

Both the Norway and Oakdale dams are designed and operated as "Run of the River" facilities. This means that the water that flows down the river must pass through the each dam and continue downstream. The dams cannot hold back water and are not designed to be flood control dams.

Water is discharged through both hydroelectric plants to maintain the lake level. The amount discharged will vary between the two plants. This water may flow through the generators or through the floodgates. At the Oakdale plant, a requirement in NIPSCO’s FERC operating license is to have a specific discharge based on river flows. This is due to an endangered species of mussel that inhabits areas downstream of the Oakdale dam.

Whether or not you are a White County resident, the White County Emergency Alert Program allows anyone to sign up for alerts about emergencies and other important community news including hydro updates. You can sign up using this link below.

For information on conditions along the Tippecanoe River, please call your County Emergency Management Agency.

Carroll County Emergency Management Agency:
1-765-564-4243

Tippecanoe County Emergency Management Agency:
1-765-742-1334

White County Emergency Management Agency:
1-574-583-4692

Both of the hydroelectric plants generate electricity that is offered into the MISO energy markets. There are no direct circuits from either plants to any specific communities.