Generating hydroelectric power is a use of water and gravity far-removed from the days of the overshoot water wheel used to grind corn and drive sawmill equipment. The construction of a powerhouse and dam and installation of major equipment in an engineering feat of major magnitude. Many factors must be considered, from necessity to reliability to potential savings in the total cost of the final product.

The following is a simplified description of the manner in which hydroelectric plants like Weiss powerhouse generate electricity.

• Water collects in the forebay and flows through trash racks into the penstock.

• Water flows through the spiral-shaped scroll case and into each of three 50-ton turbines at approximately 3.9 million gallons of water per minute. As the water passes by the large blades on the turbine, it causes the shaft to spin at up to 90 rpm, generating 39,000 horsepower.

• The shaft rotates inside a Westinghouse generator, which contains a D.C. magnet that converts the rotation's mechanical energy into electrical energy. Afterwards, the electricity is sent to a transformer where voltage is increased for transmission along high-voltage power lines to substations, and then on to customers.

• After leaving the turbine, water flows into the draft tube and is funneled into the tailrace, where it flows back into the original river bed.