The Itaipu Dam

This thrilling blog entry is brought to you by our brilliant students who wrote and produced it all yesterday when we visited the AWESOME Itaipu Dam and saw, for the first time in UA Brazil Sciences history, the open Itaipu Spillway for the overflow of the mighty Parana River ....
Hey everyone!
Today, we visited the Itaipu Dam, the second largest dam in the world. Both Brazil and Paraguay use this dam as an energy source. Because it is shared by two countries the dam is equally split both structurally and by the number of workers. The force of the water in the dam is 20 times stronger than Iguassu Falls. Itaipu is also one of the seven modern marvels of the world and none of its massive components weighs less than 87 tons. A surprising addition to our visit to the dam included the open spillway which is only open 10% of the year. We were lucky to be the first UA Brazil group to see the spillway open! With the rain and strong winds, the water flowing from the spillway was also much more forceful than on an average day. After touring outside the dam, we made our way inside the most famous South American hydroelectric power structure. Inside the dam, we were shown a display of the construction process of Itaipu, from the Parana River to the diversion canal to the final product known today as the Itaipu Dam.
Other Fun Activities of the Day: -Hiked a nature path (saw a family of monkeys)
-saw Iguassu Falls (Devil’s Throat)
- took a boat ride to the Falls
- discovered a new type of buffet where pizza, pasta & chicken wings keep coming to your table
Love,
Jessica, Macheli, Rachel, Samantha & Emily
Lastly, we have a little video to share with you about the construction of Itaipu which began in 1975 and ended in 2007.