Telling Hydropower's Story with a High-Tech Treasure Hunt

摘要

Visitor centers at large hydro projects in the U.S. nearly became an endangered species after 9/11. Fears about additional attacks on critical infrastructure led to restricting public access to many hydro projects, putting visitor centers in jeopardy. But thanks to increased security measures, the visitor centers at the Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph and Rocky Reach hydro facilities were able to remain open to the public. The challenge, however, has always been in attracting more visitors so the compelling story of clean, renewable hydropower can be told to as many people as possible. And although tour guides and staff with the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (owner of 6,809-MW Grand Coulee), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (owner of 2,620-MW Chief Joseph) and Chelan County Public Utility District (owner of 1,300-MW Rocky Reach) had cooperated informally in the past to encourage visitors to stop at each other's projects through community events related to safety, fish and conservation, an effort involving significant cooperation and collaboration had not been tried previously.