Mascarenhas de Morais Dam, Hydroelectric power station on Grande River, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Mascarenhas de Morais Dam is a concrete structure stretching 600 meters across the Grande River at an elevation of 666 meters. It generates electricity through ten vertical Francis turbines and stores about 4 cubic kilometers of water behind it.
Construction began in 1952 and the facility was completed in 1956, with the sitting president officially opening it in 1957. It represented an early Brazilian effort to develop hydroelectric power for the country's growing energy needs.
The structure was named after a Brazilian military figure and created an artificial lake that shaped the regional landscape. The area around the water changed how local residents and visitors experience the environment today.
The facility operates an overflow system with 11 gates that allows for controlled water release during heavy flow periods. Keep in mind that this is an active power station, so access to certain areas may be restricted.
The spillway system features a concrete chute that directs water safely away during flood periods. This engineering detail shows the technical care required to operate such large structures reliably.
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