Gordon Dam

The Gordon Dam is in the UNESCO World Heritage area of Tasmania, in Strathgordon.  Strathgordon is truly an amazing place when it comes to nature.  As Discover Tasmania explains, the surrounding area includes "vast expanses of water, forested islands, distant snowy peaks, and a peaceful quiet". A video of the dam and the surrounding area is included here. It is 460 feet tall making it the fifth highest commercial dam in Australia and the highest in Tasmania.  (For perspective, the Hoover Dam is over 700 feet tall).  It sits on the intersection of Lake Gordon and Lake Peddler, Australia's largest freshwater lake. Built in 1974, it really is an awesome engineering feat.

The water from the dam drops 600 feet and uses this potential energy to power turbines of 144 mega Watts, outputting 432 mega Watts, which then becomes 13% of Tasmania's power.  That is quite sustainable.  For perspective, hydropower is 6.4% of US power, while 13% of Tasmania's power comes from just this one dam.  

Another fun fact: rappelling the dam is one of the top ten adrenaline activities in the world today...anyone interested?  Check out opportunities here.  

Brittany Hallawell

sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectric_power_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam

http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/about/regions-of-tasmania/hobart-and-south/strathgordon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Dam