Despite construction activity, tours still available...
Free tours of Pensacola Dam offered all summer long

Langley – Though there is much activity in and around the area, due to the ongoing construction of the new Grand River Dam Authority Ecosystems and Education Center, GRDA is reminding the public that free tours of historic Pensacola Dam are still being offered, through Labor Day.

Tours originate from the visitor center, located inside the GRDA Lake Patrol Headquarters building, on the west end of Pensacola Dam in Langley. Tours are free to the public and are offered everyday -- including July 4 -- from 9:30 AM to 4 PM.

Constructed between 1938 and 1940, GRDA’s Pensacola Dam is one of the longest multiple arch dams in the world. Depression-era labor helped to build the dam, which is Oklahoma’s oldest hydroelectric project and GRDA’s first electric generation facility. Its art deco powerhouse and importance to the region are key reasons it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Those taking the tours can expect to view a short video on the dam’s history, inside the visitor center, before touring through the powerhouse of the facility, which still produces low-cost, hydroelectric power for Oklahoma today.

For more information on dam tours, email tours@grda.com or call the tour office at 918 782 9594, ext. 3808.

Grand River Dam Authority News Release Contact: Justin Alberty
Corporate Communications Director Grand River Dam Authority
(918) 256 5545 jalberty@grda.com www.grda.com For immediate release: 6/30/09