Day 14 - 07/09/69 Ait Aadel

        Bin-el-Ouidane - Ait Aadel  07/09/69

Hot                                                                                           29049
                                                                                                 28914
                                                                                                      135 miles

Mo and Chris up at 6 am to film the dam at dawn. I got up at 08:15 watched by the locals. Filmed our breakfast and then surveyed the dam.Could not get inside to see the turbines but Mo chatted to two technicians in the pub. Met a party of Safari people. Main dam had head of 100 metres and dam height of 105 metres.
3 Francis  Alstron (France) turbines 45 MW each.Lake capacity 1.5 x !0^9 cubic metres, lake area = 3600 k^2, flow rate per turbine = 56 m^3/sec.
Alstron France 1946-1953.
Dam was completed in 1953.
2nd dam supplies head of 228m for powerhouse at Afourer - 8 Francis turbines each 56 MW, flow rate = 24m^3/sec. Also 2 Kaplan turbines for local power requirements at the dam itself and in the surrounding valley.
Water is then used to irrigate the nearby plain - orange grooves and maize fields-
in large water channels. The scheme is still being extended.
Bought food at El-Kelaa-des-Srarhna in the market place.Very busy despite being Sunday. Supper of stew and potatoes and grapes.Camped in valley near to
Ait Aadel dam.