Savannah in Hardin County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

The Turbine

A Cog in the Wheel

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 27, 2014

1. The Turbine Marker

Inscription. Imagine this 125-ton carbon-steel turbine spinning at 81.8 revolutions per minute. Picture more than 99.491 gallons of water per second rushing through the intake to spin its heavy blades, which generate 36 megawatts of electricity. Measuring over 24 feet wide and nearly 13 feet tall, this Kaplan adjustable-blade turbine, the fourth to be installed at Pickwick Dam, began commercial operation in 1942. Although it's huge, this turbine plays only a small role in TVA's balanced river system. Hydroelectirc Dam
Power Lines
River
Powerhouse
Generator
Turbine
Intake
Reservoir

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 35° 4.389′ N, 88° 15.039′ W. Marker has been damaged. Marker is in Savannah, Tennessee, in Hardin County. It is on Power Lane. Marker is located at Pickwick Dam Next to the Power House. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 350 Power Ln, Savannah TN 38372, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West

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Tennessee.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: Pickwick Landing Dam (here, next to this marker); Welcome (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Civilian Conservation Corps and Pickwick Landing State Park (approx. 1.6 miles away); Pickwick Landing (approx. 1.7 miles away); Battle of Shiloh (approx. 5.2 miles away); 54th Ohio Infantry (approx. 5.2 miles away); Chalmers' Brigade (approx. 5.3 miles away); 55th Illinois Infantry (approx. 5.6 miles away).

Also see . . . Kaplan turbine. The Kaplan turbine was an evolution of the Francis turbine. Its invention allowed efficient power production in low-head applications that was not possible with Francis turbines. The head ranges from 10–70 metres and

Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 29, 2026

2. The Turbine Marker

Marker has been vandalized.

the output from 5 to 200 MW. Runner diameters are between 2 and 11 metres. Turbines rotate at a constant rate, which varies from facility to facility. That rate ranges from as low as 69.2 rpm (Bonneville North Powerhouse, Washington U.S.) to 429 rpm. The Kaplan turbine installation believed to generate the most power from its nominal head of 34.65 m is as of 2013 the Tocoma Dam Power Plant (Venezuela) Kaplan turbine generating 230 MW (Turbine capacity, 257MVA for generator) with each of ten 8.6 m diameter runners. (Submitted on September 15, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, September 27, 2014

3. The Turbine Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 414 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 15, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 2. submitted on October 29, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 3. submitted on September 15, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.