|
TVA's Hiwassee Dam
|
|
|
This is the best shot we got of the downstream side of
Hiwassee Dam in between rain showers. This dam is on the Hiwassee River,
measures 1,376 feet long by 307 feet high, and can produce 121 megawatts. We
have seen it listed as a pumped storage plant on maps at Fontana and Hiwassee
Dam facilities. TVA experimented with the pumped storage concept here in
the 1950's, studied the idea further in the 1960's and started
construction of the Raccoon Mountain Plant in
1970.
|
|
|
A closeup of the powerhouse with the requisite crane.
|
|
|
The Hiwassee Switchyard.
|
|
|
A view of the backside of the dam, and the roadway
accross the top. The road goes right through another crane, apparently for the
maintnance of the floodgates. This is one TVA dam that does not have a
dedicated crane for each floodgate, but there is a smaller one that is moved
between the seven floodgates as required. Right after we took this shot, the
skies opened up, so we'll have to finish up later.
|
|
|
In the meantime, Pat's friend and ex-coworker Rob Welch supplied this view of
the dam. On a day with obviously better weather, he hiked up the side of
the mountain downstream to get this shot.
|