Summary: Built by the Army Corps of Engineers between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee Dam was the largest concrete structure in the world for decades. With the expansion of the third power station in 1974 made it the largest power plant in the world at the time. It still remains the largest power plant in the USA with a capacity of over 6 GW in three power stations. It also has a large pumped storage facility of several hundred MW that links to the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. As the center-piece of the Columbia Basin Project, the dam’s reservoir supplies water for the irrigation of 671,000 acres. Tour Summary: The tour will starts at 12:00 noon at the Visitor Center where we will receive a safety briefing. We will then get into USBR vans and head to the Banks Lake Headworks. From there kind of a driveby view of the BPA 230kV&500KV substations. We can’t get out for security reasons. From there, travel to Crown Point for a great view of the dam and get out for pictures. We will travel to the 3rd power house which has recently completed generator and turbine refurbishments. We will go up to the top of the dam overlooking the spillway for pictures and then back to the vans and visitor center by 4:30. Visit Requirements: – This is a hard hat, VIP tour of an operating power plant so closed toe shoes and sensible clothing is required. Shorts, dresses, sleeveless shirts, tank tops, high heels are not permitted. – Photo ID is required for this tour. Unfortunately, US Citizens only due to time it takes to perform background checks. US citizens will be asked to provide a copy of their ID to the USBR at least one week in advance of the tour and will be required to present their driver’s licenses or valid ID the day of the tour. – No backpacks, fanny pack, bags, purses, etc., are allowed. Wallets fitting in a pocket are OK. Water will be provided along the way. – This is a technical tour for IEEE members and their quests. There is a shorter tour available for the public that may be more appropriate for others such as younger children. More info on the public tour can be found at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee/visit/tour.html – There is a significant amount of standing, walking and climbing stairs on this tour. – Photos are allowed in most areas of the tour. Restricted areas will be pointed out during the tour briefing. Agenda: Agenda 12:00 pm – Welcome and Introductions 12:30 pm – 4:30 Tour of the switchyard, Banks Lake Headwork, Coulee Dam and Powerhouses Highway 155, Grand Coulee, Washington, United States, 99116
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