Grand Coulee Dam's Open Spillways
Clip: Season 24 Episode 6 | 15s
This 15-second time-lapse video shows the Grand Coulee Dam's spillway closing.
More than a mile long, the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest concrete structure in the U.S. In the fall of 2011, dam operators agreed to open the spillway just for American Experience. "It was very exciting that they agreed to spill for us for a short period specifically for the film," said Associate Producer Lauren DeFilippo. "We ran to the top and bottom [of the dam] in about 30 minutes."
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Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
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Grand Coulee Dam's Open Spillways
Clip: Season 24 Episode 6 | 15s
More than a mile long, the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest concrete structure in the U.S. In the fall of 2011, dam operators agreed to open the spillway just for American Experience. "It was very exciting that they agreed to spill for us for a short period specifically for the film," said Associate Producer Lauren DeFilippo. "We ran to the top and bottom [of the dam] in about 30 minutes."
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In the spring of 1952, work was finally underway on the Columbia Basin Project. (1m 5s)
The biggest challenge in building Grand Coulee Dam was diverting the flow of the Columbia. (2m 40s)
Grand Coulee Dam: Engineering Challenges
The engineering challenges became apparent as soon as construction got underway. (2m 46s)
Grand Coulee Dam: Pouring the Concrete
It took millions of cubic yards of concrete to build Grand Coulee Dam. (1m 56s)
The Impact of Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam was dedicated in front of a crowd of 8,000 on March 22, 1941. (1m 13s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.