In the hills southeast of Salina, Oklahoma, on the Saline Creek arm of Lake Hudson, the Grand River Dam Authority’s W.R. Holway Reservoir has been quietly playing an important role in electricity production for 48 years.
Some may know it as “Chimney Rock Lake” or simply “Pumpback Lake” and they could also tell you about the quiet and scenic surroundings along the 21-miles of shoreline that surround just over 700 surface acres of water. Open to the public and always a favorite of anglers, Holway is a year-round destination. Although GRDA rules prohibit the use of internal combustion engines, visitors can be found using canoes, paddles and electric trolling motors to navigate its deep and quiet waters.
Where the water flows … A shot of the canal and fore bay structure at the Grand River Dam Authority’s Salina Pumped Storage Project (SPSP) during a previous inspection. GRDA is drawing down the level of the W.R. Holway Reservoir in mid-February to allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to complete a required five-year inspection. In early March, the water will once again be flowing through this area.
But the reservoir plays another role for GRDA. Its waters represent potential energy, as the only pumped storage facility in the state. The six hydroelectric turbine generations inside the project’s powerhouse can also be used as pumps to move water out of Lake Hudson, up the hillside through large pipes (penstocks) and into Holway for storage. Then, when power is need, the water flows back through the pipes and generators, producing hydroelectricity.
Because of that important role, routine inspections of the facility are sometimes needed. So in mid-February, GRDA will be drawing down the level reservoir in order for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to complete one of those inspections. At the same time, GRDA will be gathering information to help guide a repair project to take place sometime next year. The inspection is expected to last through early March, with the refill and return to more normal water levels beginning as early as March 9.
By early spring, the serenity, scenery and angling opportunities of Holway Reservoir should once again be readily available, as they have been for almost half a century now.
Headquartered in Vinita, GRDA is Oklahoma’s state-owned electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees and efficiency.
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