Overview

The Spray Cotton Mills Hydroelectric Project was installed as additional capacity for Spray Cotton Mills (formed 1896), adding to the existing power generation on the Barnett Canal. The powerhouse was built in 1929 and the equipment was operational in 1930. During the 1970’s Spray Cotton Mills purchased the dam, some property “up river along the pond”, the canal and adjacent river property, as well as all remaining water rights held by Spray Water Power and Land Company. Spray Cotton Mills continued to operate the plant as a non-jurisdictional project.

In 1994, Spray Cotton Mills, with the approval of the N.C Utilities Commission, entered into an agreement with Duke Power to sell its production output to Duke Power. The powerhouse equipment was fully refurbished in 2000 and some equipment and canal operating automation was installed in 2001.

Beginning in 2006, Irvine River Company began operating the Project, after the purchase of the surrounding property; the sale of the entire Project was concluded in 2009. Starting in 2006, Irvine River Company made significant improvements to the canal infrastructure and new equipment controls were installed in 2010. A new 10-year contract with Duke Energy Carolinas was negotiated for the Project in 2024.

Project Works

Project works consist of: (a)A 10 foot high masonry dam, 620 feet wide; (b) a 12 acre reservoir with a storage capacity of 36 acre-feet; (c) an 80 foot long canal headwork, consisting of five 5 foot wide inlet gates and one spill gate; (d) a 50 foot long canal spillway connected to the downstream side of the canal inlet; (e) two canal spill gates located near the inlet of the canal; (f) a 40 foot wide, 8 foot deep, 3,800 foot long open earthen canal; (g) a 25 foot wide trashrack at the powerhouse; (h) a 22.5 foot high, 49.5 foot long power house containing one Francis-type turbine and generator; (i) a tailrace discharging flows back into the Smith River; (j) a substation containing a 1000KVA 600V to 4160V transformer and interconnection to Duke Energy’s 4160V distribution line; (k) a canal tailrace with 2 water relief gates: one adjacent to the trash rack and one at the terminus of the water canal located 400 feet downstream of the powerhouse intake and discharging into Tackett Branch, which flows into the Smith River, and related facilities.

Contact

Mark Bishopric
markb@irvineriver.com
(336) 634-9744

Capacity & Generation

Capacity: 550 kW total

Generating Units:
· Single runner Leffel Francis turbine (vertical shaft)
· Direct connect GE synchronous generator

Gross Head:
32 feet at the powerhouse

Average Annual Generation:
3.8 GWh

Power Purchase Agreement:
Duke Energy Carolinas

Real Estate: 23 acres

Notes:
The Spray plant is located in Rockingham County NC, 15 miles from the Avalon and Mayo Hydropower plants, also for sale.

The Spencer Mountain Hydro Plant is located in Gaston County, NC.