Grand Coulee Dam

End of August 2010, I had a chance to visit Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State,...seeing the big Dam is always exciting for me, because I've ever had a chance to work in Power Plant Project, in Kedung Ombo Dam, Central Java, Indonesia during 1991-1993 which was built by Indonesian-France joint company. The France companies were Cegelec and Alstom Neyrpic, I heard they're famous contractors in France. Sometimes it's hard to believe that man and the technology were able to build the huge Dam, especially for me who doesn't have engineer or science background school, it's always thrill to see the big building and I felt like I am a 'liliput' entering the giant land.

Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the largest electric power-producing facility[4] and the largest concrete structure in the United States.[5] It is the fifth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world, as of the year 2008.

The reservoir is called Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, named after the United States President who presided over the completion of the dam. The foundation was built by the MWAK Company, a joint effort of several contractors united for this purpose. Consolidated Builders Incorporated, including industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, completed the dam. The United States Bureau of Reclamation supervised the design and construction and the Bureau continues to operate the dam today.[6] Folk singer Woody Guthrie was commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration to write songs about the Columbia Basin Project;[7] the songs Roll On Columbia and Grand Coulee Dam are part of that series.
The Grand Coulee Dam is almost a mile long at 5223 feet (1586 m). The spillway is 1,650 feet (503 m) wide. At 550 feet (168 m), it is taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza[8]; all the pyramids at Giza could fit within the total area of its base.[2] Its hydraulic height of 380 feet (115 m) is more than twice that of Niagara Falls. There is enough concrete to build a 4-foot-wide (1.2 m), 4-inch-deep (100 mm) sidewalk twice around the equator[9].

There's small hotel facing the Dam called 'Columbia River Hotel', it's pretty with the small balconies facing the Dam so that people who spend the night there can enjoy the 'laser show' that perfoms at the certain dates during Summer.
Anyway, driving hours and hours from our place in Tacoma, with my husband and almost 2 year old daughter at that time, was worthy to see the beautiful scenery and the darn big Dam.
posted by : indomama2010, and some source from Wilkipedia