List of dams and reservoirs in Washington

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As of 2023, the U.S. state of Washington has 1,242 dams that are able to impound 10 acre-feet or more of water and are regulated by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE). These include dams that produce hydroelectricity and create reservoirs for irrigation, drinking water, or recreational uses. According to the DOE, approximately 52 percent of dams in the state are privately owned, while 31 percent are owned by local governments.[1]

The Chief Joseph Dam, a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River near Bridgeport, Washington

Approximately 87 percent of dams in Washington are earth fill dams, with the second most-common type being concrete gravity dams (6%). Only 113 dams in the state are taller than 50 feet (15 m). King County has 123 dams—the most of any county in the state.[1] The majority of dams were built between 1960 and 1999.[1] Proposals to remove underused dams and restore fish habitats emerged in the early 21st century with support from the state's Native American tribes; the first major dam removal was the Condit Dam near White Salmon in 2011, which was followed by two dams on the Elwha River near Port Angeles. As of 2024, 39 dams in Washington have been removed.[2]

The largest dam in Washington, in terms of structural volume, reservoir capacity, and electricity production, is the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. It is the largest power station in the United States with a nameplate capacity of 6,809 megawatts and one of the largest concrete structures in the world.[3] The tallest dam is Mossyrock Dam on the Cowlitz River in Lewis County, at 606 feet (185 m).[4] The longest dam is O'Sullivan Dam on Crab Creek, at 19,000 feet (5,800 m); it is among the longest earth fill dams in the United States.[5]

List

Key
Located on state border with Oregon
More information Dam, County ...
Dams and reservoirs in Washington over 25 feet (7.6 m)[1]
Dam County River Reservoir Type Installed
capacity
(MW)
Height Reservoir
capacity
Year Owner Primary
purpose(s)
ft m acre.ft dam3
Alder Dam Pierce/
Thurston
Nisqually River Alder Lake Arch 50.0 330100 241,950298,440 1945 Tacoma Power Hydroelectric
Bonneville Dam Skamania Columbia River Lake Bonneville Gravity 1,242.0 19760 537,000662,000 1937 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Boundary Dam Pend Oreille Pend Oreille River Boundary Lake Arch-gravity 1,070.0 340100 95,000117,000 1967 Seattle City Light Hydroelectric
Box Canyon Dam Pend Oreille Pend Oreille River Box Canyon Reservoir Gravity 90.0 6219 60,00074,000 1956 Pend Oreille Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Chief Joseph Dam Douglas/
Okanogan
Columbia River Rock Island Pool Gravity 2,620.0 13541 516,000636,000 1979 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric
Cle Elum Dam Kittitas Cle Elum River Cle Elum Lake[n 1] Earthfill 16550 436,900538,900 1933 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Culmback Dam Snohomish Sultan River Spada Lake Rockfill 112.0 26280 165,774204,479 1965 City of Everett, Snohomish County PUD Water supply
Cushman Dam No. 1 Mason North Fork Skokomish River Lake Cushman Arch 43.2 23572 453,400559,300 1926 Tacoma Power Hydroelectric
Cushman Dam No. 2 Mason North Fork Skokomish River Lake Kokanee Arch 81.0 17553 8,0009,900 1930 Tacoma Power Hydroelectric
Diablo Dam Whatcom Skagit River Diablo Lake Arch 129.0 389119 88,500109,200 1930 Seattle City Light Hydroelectric
Dry Falls Dam[n 2] Grant Grand Coulee Banks Lake Earthfill 12337 1,275,0001,573,000 1949 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Gorge Dam Whatcom Skagit River Gorge Lake Gravity 199.2 30091 9,70012,000 1961 Seattle City Light Hydroelectric
Grand Coulee Dam Grant/
Okanogan
Columbia River Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake Gravity 6,809.0 550170 9,562,00011,795,000 1942 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation,
Hydroelectric,
Flood control
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks and Dam King Lake Washington Ship Canal Lake Washington[n 3] Gravity 0 267.9 458,000565,000 1916 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigation
Howard A. Hanson Dam King Green River Howard A. Hanson Reservoir Earthfill 23572 136,700168,600 1961 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood control,
Water supply
John Day Dam Klickitat Columbia River Lake Umatilla Gravity 2,160.0 18456 2,530,0003,120,000 1971 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Ice Harbor Dam Franklin/
Walla Walla
Snake River Lake Sacajawea Gravity 603.0 10030 249,000307,000 1962 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Kachess Dam Kittitas Kachess River Kachess Lake[n 4] Earthfill 11234 239,000295,000 1912 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Keechelus Dam Kittitas Yakima River Keechelus Lake[n 5] Earthfill 12839 157,900194,800 1917 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
LaGrande Dam Pierce/
Thurston
Nisqually River LaGrande Reservoir Gravity 65.0 19259 2,7003,300 1945 Tacoma Power Hydroelectric
Lake Chelan Dam Chelan Chelan River Lake Chelan[n 6] Gravity 59.2 4012 677,400835,600 1927 Chelan County Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Lake Tapps (Multiple dikes) Pierce Off-stream Lake Tapps Earthfill 48,25859,525 1911 Cascade Water Alliance Recreation,
Water supply (proposed)
Little Goose Dam Columbia/
Whitman
Snake River Lake Bryan Gravity 810.0 9629 516,300636,800 1970 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Long Lake Dam Lincoln/
Stevens
Spokane River Long Lake Gravity 71.0 21365 105,000130,000 1915 Avista Hydroelectric
Lower Baker Dam Skagit Baker River Lake Shannon Arch 79.0 28587 161,470199,170 1925 Puget Sound Energy Hydroelectric
Lower Granite Dam Garfield/
Whitman
Snake River Lower Granite Lake Gravity 810.0 10030 440,200543,000 1975 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Lower Monumental Dam Franklin/
Walla Walla
Snake River Lake Herbert G. West Gravity 810.0 10030 432,000533,000 1969 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Masonry Dam King Cedar River Chester Morse Lake/
Masonry Pool[n 7]
Arch-gravity 30.0 21566 93,900115,800 1915 Seattle Public Utilities Water supply,
Hydroelectric
Mayfield Dam Lewis Cowlitz River Lake Mayfield Arch-gravity 162.0 25076 133,764164,995 1963 Tacoma Power Hydroelectric
McNary Dam Benton Columbia River Lake Wallula Gravity 986.0 18356 1,350,0001,670,000 1954 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
Navigation
Merwin Dam Clark/
Cowlitz
Lewis River Lake Merwin Arch-gravity 136.0 31395 422,000521,000 1931 PacifiCorp Hydroelectric
Mossyrock Dam Lewis Cowlitz River Riffe Lake Arch 300.0 606185 1,685,0002,078,000 1968 Tacoma Power Hydroelectric
Mud Mountain Dam King White River Mud Mountain Lake Earth/rockfill 0 432132 106,000131,000 1948 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood control
Pinto Dam Grant Off-stream Billy Clapp Lake Earthfill 13040 21,20026,100 1948 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Priest Rapids Dam Grant/
Yakima
Columbia River Priest Rapids Lake Gravity/
Embankment
955.6 17854 237,100292,500 1961 Grant County Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Rock Island Dam Chelan/
Douglas
Columbia River Rock Island Pool Gravity 623.7 13541 131,000162,000 1933 Chelan County Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Rocky Reach Dam Chelan/
Douglas
Columbia River Lake Entiat Gravity 1,299.6 13040 382,000471,000 1969 Chelan County Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Ross Dam Whatcom Skagit River Ross Lake Arch 460.0 540160 1,435,0001,770,000 1949 Seattle City Light Hydroelectric
Roza Dam Kittitas Yakima River Yakima River Gravity 67 20 1939 United States Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Skookumchuck Dam Thurston Skookumchuck River Skookumchuck Reservoir Earthfill 1.0 19058 34,80042,900 1970 TransAlta Water supply
South Fork Tolt River Dam King South Fork Tolt River South Fork Tolt Reservoir Earthfill 6.55 20061 57,90071,400 1964 Seattle Public Utilities Water supply
Swift Dam Skamania Lewis River Swift Reservoir Earthfill 240.0 512156 755,600932,000 1958 PacifiCorp Hydroelectric
The Dalles Dam Klickitat Columbia River Lake Celilo Gravity 1,878.3 20061 330,000410,000 1957 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric,
navigation
Tieton Dam Yakima Tieton River Rimrock Lake Earthfill 15.6 31997 203,600251,100 1925 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Toutle River Sediment Retention Structure Cowlitz North Fork Toutle River [n 8] Earthfill 0 18456 160,000200,000 1989 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sediment control
Upper Baker Dam Whatcom Baker River Baker Lake Arch 91.0 31295 285,000352,000 1959 Puget Sound Energy Hydroelectric
Wanapum Dam Grant/
Kittitas
Columbia River Lake Wanapum Gravity/
Embankment
1,040.0 18556 796,000982,000 1963 Grant County Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Wells Dam Chelan/
Douglas
Columbia River Lake Pateros Gravity 851.4 16049 331,200408,500 1967 Douglas County Public Utility District Hydroelectric
Wynoochee Dam Grays Harbor Wynoochee River Wynoochee Lake Gravity 10.8 17553 69,40585,610 1972 City of Aberdeen Water supply
Yale Dam Clark/
Cowlitz
Lewis River Yale Lake Earthfill 134.0 32398 402,000496,000 1953 PacifiCorp Hydroelectric
Close

Removed dams

See also

Notes

  1. Natural lake raised by dam.
  2. Holds Banks Lake along with the smaller North Dam.
  3. Natural lake with its ocean outlet re-routed via the ship canal. The lock and dam structure maintains the lake level.
  4. Natural lake raised by dam.
  5. Natural lake raised by dam.
  6. Natural lake raised by dam.
  7. Chester Morse Lake is a natural lake enlarged by the Chester Morse Dam in 1900. When Masonry Dam was constructed in 1915 it submerged the old dam and created a new body of water, just downstream and connected to Chester Morse Lake, called Masonry Pool.
  8. The Sediment Retention Structure was constructed to trap debris flow sediment after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The basin behind the dam is almost entirely filled with silt.

References

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