Did You Know...

...that dams have played an important role in the Olympics? Mead & Hunt, Inc., of Wausa, Wisconsin, has designed a unique gate to modify the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation's (WPSC) 28-foot-high hydropower dam on the Wisconsin River, to regulate stream flows for canoeing and kayaking. Downstream of the dam, which was originally built in 1839, a canoe/kayak course was developed in recent years, primarily by placing boulders in the stream.

More recently, in order to host higher-level events, it was necessary to improve portions of the course. With the cooperation and financial assistance of WPSC, a special 20 by 8.65-foot collapsible gate was installed, replacing the original tainter gate, to accommodate canoes and kayaks and to regulate flows for different levels of difficulty. Flows can be varied from 700 to 1200 cfs. The gate solidifies the status of the Wausau whitewater course as an Official Training Center by the U.S. canoe/kayak team.

In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, all of the gold and silver medalists, and all but two of the bronze medalists in whitewater slalom had raced at the Wausau course. The course is also used as a training and practice facility for swift water rescue. In addition, the course has created an important recreation area in the community and has increased economic activity through tourism and those who participate in canoe/kayak events. Let the games begin!

Thanks to Terry L. Hampton, Mead & Hunt, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, for contributing this "Benefits of Dams."

(reprinted from the USCOLD Newsletter, March 1996, page 3)