Taum Sauk ... Part II

Today was my third delivery to Taum Sauk Reservoir. But it was the FIRST time I got to DRIVE INSIDE!!! OMG!!! Imagine if you will; a giant, kidney-shaped, concrete swimming pool about 4 football fields long and sides about 250 feet high in the deep end. Oh, and it sits on TOP of the 3rd highest mountain in Missouri.



If you want the more detailed storu of Ameren UE's Taum Sauk Reservoir, you can click on "October" and then "1.5 Billion Gallons of water" just to your left here and you will go to an earlier post I did from my first visit. The short story is: Taum Sauk is a VERY large pool of water that is "control-released" thru a tunnel past two giant turbines to produce electricity during peak usage - ie. hot summer days. The water is collected in a lake just below the power station and then pumped back up into the resevoir overnight for use the next day.

In December 2005, there was a leak. A section of wall breached and 1.5 gallons of water washed down the mountainside. They are almost done with the rebuilding and have begun hauling out equipment no longer required. That's why I was there.

It was a cold, blustery day; raining most of the time and temperatures never got above 45. A great day - if you're a duck! And here I am standing on solid bedrock, on top of a mountain. Surrounded by a smooth, concrete wall slanting slightly back as it rises 250' into grey skies. At times the wind gusts would cause you to take a 'side-step' as you were caught unawares. I sure hope the drain is open.

The walls are thicker at the bottom - as you might expect - with a 10'W by 13'H tunnel to get inside. I did not measure but it had to be a 100' long. Once inside we drove to the opposite end. Just like a swimming pool, this has a 'deep section' with a 30' wide drain leading down a 7,000 foot tunnel.


This is looking into the 'deep-end' and that square looking thing in the middle is the cover for the drain. I waited up top here and they brought the equipment up to me to load. (click on the pix to make it big and then your back button to return)

The inside of that tunnel had been inspected and repaired as needed with a type of scaffold that hangs off the side and is motorized - kind of like a window washer on a skyscraper.

So, in spite of the totally HORRIBLE weather, it was a most exciting day. I saw something that very few poeple will ever see. And I made some money! WOO-HOO!!! Other than the chance of snow (it's 32 degrees and rain at the moment), life is good.