Visited a Hydro Electric facility today
 

Just a small one :-) Located just south of Las Vegas

I was particularly impressed that the turbines were VGT; I asked why they were and was told that they dramatically improved real world efficiency; just like the ones on Big trucks.

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Caution before installing or operating read instruction Manual

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Plenty more pics in my Iphoto gallery.

Any questions?

I'm in awe of that dam every time I see it on TV, a movie, magazine, etc. Its just amazing. I'd love to see it someday.

That thing is amazing. It is also on my to-do list.

I wish the pics better showed the scale.
It is truly awesome in person.
If anybody does go, I've prety much decided that the most expensive tour is actually worth the $ (after going on the cheap one)

50 foot ID Pipe http://gallery.me.com/dremd/100126/100_0588/web.jpg

600 Ton Generator on 4x8 plywood
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i'm very jealous, i'd love to see hoover dam

here in arkansas, my mom is the chief of hydropower over 2 hydroelectric dams. i got to go on the more "in-depth" dam tour (before 9/11 raised the security level), when one plant was being rebuilt. got to go down into the bottom of the actual spiral case of one unit (that means i was looking up at the turbine, standing next to the gate where the water leaves the unit. the unit was de-watered, of course).

wait, does that mean my mom has a dam eco-job? (sorry, couldn't resist a new dam joke. i've worn all the others out) :D

Tour Guide: So did security inform you of our camera Policy?

Group: Huh; what, oh crap

Tour Guide: Take all the Dam pictures you want.

That is awesome. Those people would get very tired of me very quickly. I would have questions for days and days.