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Morrow Point Dam
 
Cimmaron Creek entering the Gunnison River just above the NP and just below the Morrow Point Dam
 
This bridge connects the trail on this side to another trail downstream. It was a bit unnerving when three of the girls made it bounce several inches when they ran in step on it!

The Morrow Point Dam is 469 feet high. The powerplant generates 120 MWs. Essentially the flow through the Black Canyon NP is determined by the flow through the turbines of this dam, changing the nature of the flora and fauna of the canyon bottom.

 

There is another dam downstream for the irrigation water diversion tunnel and one above it at Blue Mesa Reservoir. This dam is actually in the Black Canyon since it begins just below the Blue Mesa.

 
The boys skipping rocks
 
The Morrow Point Dam with the underground powerplant on the right side below the dam
 
A close view of the gates and baffles below the dam

The powerplant releases water based on the demand for electricity. Because hydro power is cheaper than steam powered generation, when there is adequate river flow, these units will sometimes run at full load 24 hours a day. The Department of the Interior, the dam owner, tries to minimize this trend. But they are strongly opposed to releasing water to flush the river as natural flows would. And since the water from the reservoir is colder than normal in summer, the fish pay a price, too.

 
The "doors" at the top middle are the "floodgates", really overflow gates. The water drops over 400' into the stilling basin at the bottom of the dam.
 
This is the transmission line intertie; the power from the generators reaches this station via underground cables.
 
This is an actual train and truss bridge from the narrow gauge rail constructed in 1890 which once ran through the canyon to this point but it exited along the Cimmaron due the extreme narrowness of the downstream canyon.
COMMENTS
Mirella said at 7:52 a.m. on May 14, 2008:
Very interesting story.
Moabjeeper said at 8:40 a.m. on May 14, 2008:
Nice presentation. Will look for my pics so I can be a copycat.
Bob
Siagian said at 2:15 a.m. on May 16, 2008:
what did the fish say when he knocked his head on the concrete wall?

but seriously dude, your tabblos make me want to step right into the pictures....
Oldbogus said at 12:15 p.m. on May 29, 2008:
Thanks for the compliments.
Kingbud said at 5:11 p.m. on Feb 20, 2009:
This is cool: first time I've seen tabblo. Very nice pix. My dad's company did the piping work in the construction of this dam when I was a little kid. They also did Blue Mesa. In about 1964 or so we took a family vacation and stayed outside of Gunnison on Spring Creek. I guess he visited the dams but at that age I was oblivious. nice job ; )
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