Kentucky Dam ( Part of the TVA )

On the way to the Men's retreat in Hardin, we (Matt, Adam and I) stopped at the Kentucky Dam which is part of the Tennessee Valley Authorithy, one of FDR's largest projects in the New Deal.

Adam and Matt gravitated immediately toward the swirling water and the signs indicating Danger. Adam ran up the stairs after the trip down to the surface while Matt and I discussed Adam's heavy breathing after completing the ascent. We suggested that he run up and down a few times, but he was eager to get to Bob's.

Adam also swung from one of the original turbines that turned the great generators 60 years ago. During that time, I'm sure there were lots of jobs involved with monitoring water levels, energy levels, pressures and safety of all kinds for the employees. Today, I would imagine that most of the monitoring is done by computers remotely from another state.

Here's the text describing the turbine on one of those plaques from the self guided tour:
Imagine this 102-ton carbon-steel turbine spinning at 78.3 revolutions per minute. Picture more than 78,500 gallons of water per second rushing through the intake to spin its heavy blades, which generate 37 mega-watts of electricity. Measuring over 21 feet wide and nearly 12 feet tall, this adjustable-blade Kaplan propeller-type turbine, the first to be installed at the Kentucky Dam, began commercial operation in 1944. Although it's huge, it plays only a small role in TVA's balanced river system.