| "Bigger than your electric fan."
Each one of these huge motors is rated at 65,000 horsepower! They
pump water out of Lake Roosevelt and up into another reservoir called Banks
Reservoir. This water is used in the Columbia Basin irrigation project.
Much of central Washington's potato crops and corn fields owe their existence
to the water from Banks Reservoir.
The reservoir also serves as a giant water power bank. Some people would liken it to a huge rechargeable battery. When water is lifted up into the reservoir, it is like depositing energy in a bank. Occasionally, when extra electric power is needed by the residents of the Pacific Northwest, a few of these motors can turn around and serve as generators. Water falling back out of Banks Reservoir can bring back some of the power that it took to push it up there; sort of like discharging a battery. This "power storage" system can be used to help the region ride out its "peaks" and "lows" in power consumption. Scroll down to see large crane. See more pictures of Grand Coulee Dam.
To Robert's bike touring photo album |
