A system and methods of controlling a powered anode are disclosed. The method includes varying an electrical power input driving the powered anode through a range of values of a first electrical parameter, the range defined by an upper range limit and a lower range limit and measuring a current value of a second electrical parameter of the electrical power input during the varying. The method also includes determining a slope between the measured current values of the first and corresponding second electrical parameters and measured previous values of the first and second electrical parameters and comparing the determined slope to a predetermined slope threshold range and applying the current value of a first electrical parameter to the electrical power input when a discontinuity in the slope is determined.