Chief Joseph Dam
Encyclopedia
The Chief Joseph Dam is a concrete gravity dam
on the Columbia River
, 2.4 km (1.5 mi) upriver from Bridgeport, Washington
, USA
. The dam was authorized as Foster Creek Dam and Powerhouse for power generation and irrigation by the River and Harbor Act of 1946. The River and Harbor Act of 1948 renamed the project Chief Joseph
Dam in honor of the Nez Perce chief who spent his last years in exile on the Colville Indian Reservation
. Like the nearby Grand Coulee Dam
, Chief Joseph Dam completely blocks salmon migration on the upper Columbia River.
Construction began in 1949, with the main dam and intake structure completed in 1955. Installation of the initial generating units was completed in 1958. Eleven additional turbines were installed between 1973 and 1979, and the dam and lake were raised 3 m (10 ft), boosting the capacity to , making Chief Joseph Dam the second largest hydroelectric power producer in the United States.
The dam is 877 km (545 mi) upriver from the mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, Oregon
. It is operated by the USACE Chief Joseph Dam Project Office, and the electricity is marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration
.
must be passed on to Wells Dam
at approximately the same rate. With 27 main generators in the powerhouse, it has the hydraulic capacity of 6030 m3/s.
In the event more water flows to Chief Joseph Dam than could be used for power generation, the spillway gates would be opened to pass the excess water. With an average annual flow rate of 3058 m3/s, the Columbia River seldom exceeds the powerplant’s capability to pass water, and spilling of water is infrequent at Chief Joseph Dam.
behind the dam is named Rufus Woods Lake, and runs 82 km (51 mi) up the river channel. Bridgeport State Park
, on the lake, is adjacent to the dam.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, 2.4 km (1.5 mi) upriver from Bridgeport, Washington
Bridgeport, Washington
Bridgeport is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bridgeport's population was 2,059 at the 2000 census.Bridgeport is located near the Chief Joseph Dam.-History:...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The dam was authorized as Foster Creek Dam and Powerhouse for power generation and irrigation by the River and Harbor Act of 1946. The River and Harbor Act of 1948 renamed the project Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, popularly known as Chief Joseph, or Young Joseph was the leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce during General Oliver O. Howard's attempt to forcibly remove his band and the other "non-treaty" Nez Perce to a reservation in Idaho...
Dam in honor of the Nez Perce chief who spent his last years in exile on the Colville Indian Reservation
Colville Indian Reservation
The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe...
. Like the nearby Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...
, Chief Joseph Dam completely blocks salmon migration on the upper Columbia River.
Construction began in 1949, with the main dam and intake structure completed in 1955. Installation of the initial generating units was completed in 1958. Eleven additional turbines were installed between 1973 and 1979, and the dam and lake were raised 3 m (10 ft), boosting the capacity to , making Chief Joseph Dam the second largest hydroelectric power producer in the United States.
The dam is 877 km (545 mi) upriver from the mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
. It is operated by the USACE Chief Joseph Dam Project Office, and the electricity is marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration
Bonneville Power Administration
The Bonneville Power Administration is an American federal agency based in the Pacific Northwest. BPA was created by an act of Congress in 1937 to market electric power from the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River and to construct facilities necessary to transmit that power...
.
Type
Chief Joseph Dam is a run-of-the-river dam which means the lake behind the dam is not able to store large amounts of water. Water flowing to Chief Joseph Dam from Grand Coulee DamGrand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...
must be passed on to Wells Dam
Wells Dam
Wells Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the Columbia River, downstream from the confluence of the Okanogan River, Methow River, and the Columbia River in Washington State. The dam, associated structures, and machinery make up the Wells Hydroelectric Project. It is owned and operated by...
at approximately the same rate. With 27 main generators in the powerhouse, it has the hydraulic capacity of 6030 m3/s.
In the event more water flows to Chief Joseph Dam than could be used for power generation, the spillway gates would be opened to pass the excess water. With an average annual flow rate of 3058 m3/s, the Columbia River seldom exceeds the powerplant’s capability to pass water, and spilling of water is infrequent at Chief Joseph Dam.
Reservoir
The reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
behind the dam is named Rufus Woods Lake, and runs 82 km (51 mi) up the river channel. Bridgeport State Park
Bridgeport State Park
Bridgeport State Park in Okanogan County, Washington is one of the Washington State Parks. It consists of with of freshwater shoreline on Rufus Woods Lake, the reservoir behind Chief Joseph Dam. The park includes of lawn in an otherwise desert setting...
, on the lake, is adjacent to the dam.
See also
- Hydroelectric dams on the Columbia RiverHydroelectric dams on the Columbia RiverHydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries in North America.- Mainstem Columbia dams :-Snake River:-Pend Oreille-Clark Fork–Flathead:-Kootenai River:-See also:...
- List of power stations in Washington