# HO dam



## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Howdy,
I'm working on a small river coming out of a lake and thought it would be kind of cool to have a dam (like a power dam) where the river flows out. Has anyone out there ever seen some pics that I could go by?? 
I'm planning to use EnviroTex Lite for the water, but the level of the lake will be higher than the level of the river. That's why I thought it would be cool to have a dam betweem the two.
Any brainstorms??
Thanks,
Bob


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## 93firebird (Dec 25, 2011)

google search conowingo dam, or hoover dam


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## broox (Apr 13, 2012)

Theres a really cool dam just out of Adelaide (South Australia) nicknamed "the whispering wall". Not only does the whole scene look stunning, but the acoustics are amazing. Literally whispering messages between people on opposite sides of the dam wall face. Its a fair distance too, easy 100 metres I'd think (lemme google it)

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barossa_Reservoir
140 metres across



> Barossa Reservoir is a reservoir in South Australia, built between 1899 and 1902 ... At the time of its completion, the reservoir was hailed as an engineering marvel, and at a total of 36 metres, was the highest in Australia.[1] The thin arch of the dam retaining wall, curved against the pressure of the water, was an innovation considered radical, and attracted the Reservoir international attention.[2] It was featured in the Scientific American and caused the American Engineers News to remark that its "boldness of design deserves to rank with the most famous dams in the world".[2] Nowadays, the dam is notable for its parabola effect, where a voice can be heard clearly from one side to the other — over 140 metres, end to end.


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

93firebird said:


> google search conowingo dam, or hoover dam


How about something a little more reasonable in size: a common flood-control/reservoir dam. I think this fits the situation a bit better.

http://www.thamesriver.on.ca/water_management/Pittock_Dam.htm
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Vw6YKmD-01E/TpTUm9p1MbI/AAAAAAAAOc4/XvAoPwmBm00/WP_000417%255B5%255D.jpg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Dams come in all sizes, shapes, complexity. If you're looking for something from a small pond to a stream, consider a beaver dam!!!

Broox ... neat read on the "whisperng dam"! I hadn't heard of that one before.

TJ


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

tjcruiser said:


> Dams come in all sizes, shapes, complexity. If you're looking for something from a small pond to a stream, consider a beaver dam!!!
> 
> Broox ... neat read on the "whisperng dam"! I hadn't heard of that one before.
> 
> TJ


TJ,
This is more like from a medium size lake to a small river. There will be a drop down to the river level of about 1", that's why I thought a small dam would be cool.
One way or another I'll figure it out.
Thanks,
Bob


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

Raleets: you definitely want just a small flood control dam then. Just a small dam with a spillway and some adjustable sluice gates. Thousands of examples of little dams like this on rivers through cities all over the place.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

cv_acr said:


> Raleets: you definitely want just a small flood control dam then. Just a small dam with a spillway and some adjustable sluice gates. Thousands of examples of little dams like this on rivers through cities all over the place.


Yes, you are 100% correct! In fact, there is a PERFECT example right here in Flint, MI on the Flint River.
Problem is, I'm not so sure I'm capable of scratch building something that would look decent. 
Bob


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Just reiterating the points above ...

If your HO drop is 1", that's an 87" drop in real life ... not nearly enough energy-potential to warrant a power turbine device like you eluded to in the original post. Sounds like a simple spillway / sluice is the way to go.

TJ


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## gofisher2 (Jul 19, 2012)

You might want to try a small version of the Nimbus dam on the lower american river. I used to live there and it might meet your needs. If you google it, you can get some good images. Maybe model the dam with only a couple of gates.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

TJ & All,
You guys are the greatest! :thumbsup:
I knew I could count on you to get me on the right path. Lots of great suggestions in your posts and I'll put them all to work.
Thanks again,
Bob


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