There are many interesting places to visit in the USA. Nestled in the northern Cascade mountain range sits one of the largest engineering feats of the last century: Shasta Dam. Located in northern California, the Shasta Dam tour should be added to your travel list for the following reasons:
1. Built in 1945, The Shasta Dam is the tallest center overflow dam in the world.
5 General Electric turbines in the dam’s power plant are capable of producing up to 710 megawatts
2. Part of its construction involved building the world’s largest conveyor belts (9.6 miles long) that transported gravel from what is now known as the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding to the dam construction site. Turtle Bay features the world famous Sundial Bridge (also a must visit).
3. Located at the north end of the Sacramento Valley, the Shasta Dam created Shasta lake for long-term water storage, flood control, and hydroelectricity.
4. 80% of all the rain in California falls in the northern region. The Dam supplies water all the way down to the central region which has the majority of California’s agriculture.
5. The grounds include a well-manicured open grass park area with picnic tables and it’s conducive to Frisbee games and fun for the family.
6. The comprehensive hour tour takes you under and through the dam in addition to the inside where the turbines are located. Ask for Antoinette who will also give you a history lesson as World War 1 and the Pearl Harbor invasion delayed construction for years.