Overton Power Updates Power Lines To Echo Bay

The Overton Power District crews have been spending an otherwise slow summer installing a new power line from Overton all the way to Echo Bay on Lake Mead. This project will update and replace an old power line that has served Echo Bay since the 1960s. Once it is finished, the new line promises to provide better service and greater capacity to Echo Bay and the areas to the south of Overton.

“With the closure of Overton Beach Marina, the Park Service has expected an increase in the

But it is not just future demand that the National Park Service (NPS) is hoping to address with this project. “The power situation right now at Echo Bay is not great,” said NPS Project Manager, Richard Marshall. “That area has frequently been subject to brown-outs and voltage drops when demand is high during the summer.” Overton Power provides power to about 15 meters at Echo Bay.
The new distribution line will consist of 12 miles between what is known as the “Poverty Flats” area, on the hills south of Overton, to Echo Bay. The cost of that portion of the project is $1.2 million. This cost has been funded in full by the Park Service using money from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA). Work crews began working on the project back in May. The new line runs exactly parallel to the old power line to minimize additional impact on the environment.

The new power poles look differently than the old ones. First they are larger in order to accomodate the larger wire size being used. They also lack the cross bars on the top that the old poles have. Instead the wiring is attached directly to points right on the poles. This has a environmental purpose. “The new poles fulfill new requirements for raptor protection,” said Marshall. Marshall explained that raptors and other large birds like to roost on the crossbars of power poles. This can be dangerous to these birds. The new poles don’t provide this roosting spot.

The new line to Echo Bay is scheduled to be completed by the end of August. To date, crews have already installed all 200 of the power poles that will hold the line. Crews are currently working to install wire on those poles.

In addition to this distribution line to Echo Bay, OPD has also planned a new transmission line to more efficiently bring power from Overton up onto the “Poverty Flats” area and send it further south. This part of the project includes an additional six miles of updated power line and a new substation which will be constructed at “Poverty Flats”.

The Park Service is participating in this portion of the project, putting up about 10% of the cost. Simplot Silica is also expected to participate in the cost of the transmission line and substation.

“This part of the project will improve the service to the park and to Simplot,” said Cooper. “It will also indirectly benefit the customers in the south part of Overton.” Because the new lines will be more efficient, problems of outages and dips in power service will be prevented for those residents living south of Overton, Cooper said.

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