Talking tunnels and turbines in the hazy February sunshine
28th Feb 2019 by Rowan McCleary
Two schools were able to make the most of the unseasonably warm weather upon Tongland Dam during their visits to the Galloway Hydro Scheme this week
This week, two large groups visited Tongland for a tour of the Power Station and Dam. Being based locally to the Power Station, the large group of 35 children from Twynholm Primary School were already quite familiar with the workings of the station. On Wednesday, 25 Primary 5 pupils from Noblehill Primary (in Dumfries) were also surprisingly familiar with the locations of the dams, particularly upstream in the system.
Due to the large numbers attending the tours this week, we were accompanied by a Drax engineer, who was able to provide a great insight into the workings of the station, particularly the gadgets and panels in the control room. The tours were made all the more special with the unseasonably hot and hazy February sunshine. It really was a treat to be out and about!
If you are a primary or secondary school covering topics such as electricity/renewable energy/hydro power or have an interest in interactions between nature and hydro power generation and would like to have a two hour tour of Tongland Power Station and Dam, please contact Barbara Maxwell at Drax via email: Barbara.Maxwell@drax.com for more information.
The long awaited Sparling Bridge successfully opened on Saturday 30th November. Crowds gathered either side of the bridge on the sunny afternoon to celebrate the grand opening of the new pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting the communities of Minnigaff and Newton Stewart.
The Galloway Fisheries Trust is working with Natural England to produce a detailed Smelt Restoration Management Plan for the inner Solway Firth, to be the framework for European smelt (sparling) recovery in designated Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) around England and Wales.