Highgate Falls Hydro Dam

USA / Vermont / Swanton /
Provides power for the towns of Swanton and Highgate. The power plant is roughly 1,000 feet downstream.

What isn't evident from photos is that the dam is topped by a reinforced rubber tube, 15 feet in diameter, which is inflated or deflated to maintain the desired water level (computer-controlled blowers and valves keep the water to within an inch of the set height). When it was first installed, it was the longest of its type in the world.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   44°56'3"N   73°2'51"W
This article was last modified 13 years ago