Monticello Dam. Dam in Napa County , California , United States . It is best known for its large drainage device, called “The Big Hole”.
Summary
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- 1 History
- 2 Features
- 1 Glorious Hole
- 3 Source
History
The dam was built between 1953 and 1957 . The hydroelectric plant was built in 1983 with three generators. In 1988 the Glory Holes were created, huge 16 meter diameter artificial drainage pipes used to empty the dam. These holes, more than 100 meters deep, have killed some of the most intrepid bathers, who have ventured to investigate these phenomena.
characteristics
It has a height of 93 m and a crest length of 312 m, and 249,000 cubic meters of concrete . The dam was built on the Putah Creek River to form Lake Berryessa (the second longest man-made lake in California) and flood the Californian town of Monticello. Most of the electrical power produced is sent to the North San Francisco Bay .
Glorious Hole
It is a tube-shaped concrete spillway that resembles a large, giant-scale bathtub drain. Its dimensions leave no room for doubt: it has a diameter of 22 meters, and it fulfills its function when the water exceeds 134 meters in height in the reservoir.
It is not the only bell-shaped spillway in the world. In fact, these types of sections are known by the name of “mornig glory” due to their similar design to the homonymous flower: “morning glory”, some climbing plants whose flowers are born with the sun every day and die at sunset. .
