The SML Hydroelectric Dam
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Virginia's largest Lake
You can learn a whole bunch of information by going on a field trip to the the SML Dam. You will learn the history, what it does, and explore the mechanics behind the wall. You will get to see things no other has seen. Learning the history about the dam is an honor. You can learn how they built it with all of the materials and land they had. Some people don’t realize that there are homes under the hundreds of feet of water. The project took six years. It required 200 people to move 300,000 cubic yards of mountain forests to make way for the 175,000 cubic feet of concrete. To start the project, a 1,500 foot cable was built between the mountains in order to help move material back and forth. The cable could withstand half million tons so it could transport heavy materials that were used to construct the dam. The wall were completed September 1963. The capacity was reached on March 7, 1966. As a result, the lake became the recreational capital of Southwest Virginia. This is a Hydroelectric dam. That means that water from the lake passes through turbines and creates electricity. More water equals more power. In 1964, the first four generators were installed. Now the Dam houses five hydroelectric generators. This power goes mainly goes to the houses around the lake and the counties surrounding. The energy is produced during high-demand times (during the day) and pumped back into the lake during low demand times (during the night). During the summer and winter when electricity is needed, more water is needed. The water that is released is able to be pumped up back into the lakme for re-use. |