Rocky Reach Dam - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Rocky Reach Dam is a hydroelectric 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...

in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Washington. Chelan County Public Utility District

Chelan County Public Utility District

The Chelan County Public Utility District, or Chelan County PUD, provides electric, water, and wastewater public utility services in Chelan County, in north-central Washington, USA....

's Rocky Reach Dam and Hydro Project is located in north central Washington state, USA 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...

, about seven miles (11 km) upstream from the city of Wenatchee

Wenatchee, Washington

Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...

. By river, the dam is 215 miles (346 km) below the Canadian border, and 473 miles (761.2 km) above 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...

. The reservoir impounded by the dam is Lake Entiat

Lake Entiat

Lake Entiat is a reservoir between Chelan County and Douglas County in North Central Washington that is formed above Rocky Reach Dam , a hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River. The reservoir is north of Wenatchee and stretches upstream to the Wells Dam. Lincoln Rock State Park is on its east...

. The project provides energy for more than 7 million people throughout the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...

.

Rocky Reach is nationally recognized for efforts to protect the environment. A first-of-its-kind juvenile fish bypass system was completed in 2003 to help young salmon and steelhead on their way to the ocean. A major powerhouse upgrade started in 1995 includes new turbines that are more fish friendly. Improvements to turbines and generators are also designed to improve efficiency and reliability.

Rocky Reach Dam Location

Located on the Columbia River on Highway 97A, Just seven Miles north of Wenatchee.

The Visitor Center

This is a great place to start your visit. "Look a Salmon in the Eye" (May–September) in our fish viewing room. In the Visitor Center Theater, you can watch "Experience Chelan County", a movie that takes viewers on a trip up the Columbia River, with historical stops at Rock Island, Rocky Reach, and Chelan Dams. Before you venture on the other sights on Rocky Reach Dam, you can get a Quick snack at the Cafe'/Gift shop, or pick up a memento of your visit.

The Powerhouse

Located in the middle of the dam, is a treasure chest full of exhibits located on the fourth floor. This interpretive museum offers a rare glimpse into rich history of early life of the Columbia River.

Generators

Seven Westinghouse Generators and four Allis-Chalmers Generators. Water flows around the first seven Turbines at a rate of 115,723 gallons per second and 145,047 gallons per second on the remaining four turbines.

History

The Rocky Reach site has long been recognized for its hydroelectric potential. The United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Army Corps of Engineers

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

first considered the site in its 1934 "308 Report". In the 1950s, the site became the focus of extensive studies by the PUD. Geological contour maps were studied, construction costs were estimated, and lengthy computations on such things as the forces and stresses a dam would have on the surrounding area were made.

The original site selected for the Rocky Reach Project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was about one mile (1.6 km) upriver from where the dam is today. The present site was found to have superior rock for anchoring the dam, and the river channel is narrower at that location.

The Rocky Reach Project was developed over a period of about 15 years. Construction of the dam and original powerhouse with seven generating units began in 1956 for the purpose of power production and flood control. The addition of four more units began in 1969 after ratification of the Columbia River Treaty

Columbia River Treaty

The Columbia River Treaty is an agreement between Canada and the United States of America on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. For more information about the Columbia River Treaty, visit Columbia Basin...

between the United States and Canada. The additional units were installed primarily to make use of stored water released from reservoirs in Canada and the Libby Dam

Libby Dam

Libby Dam is a dam on the Kootenai River in the U.S. state of Montana.Dedicated on August 24, 1975, Libby Dam spans the Kootenai River upstream from the town of Libby, Montana. Libby Dam is tall and long. Lake Koocanusa is the name of the reservoir behind the dam; it extends upriver from...

reservoir in Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

.

The District received a preliminary permit for the Project from the Federal Power Commission (FPC) on August 10, 1954. An application to construct and operate the dam was filed with the same agency on January 13, 1956. The Federal Power Commission issued a license to build the Project six months later, on July 12, 1956. Construction of the dam and original powerhouse began on October 2, 1956 under the supervision of the District's engineering design firm, Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation. The immediate task was the installation of cofferdams to seal off the area designated for the spillway from the river flow during low water.

Following spillway construction, the powerhouse was built. A total of 3.3 million cubic yards of dirt and rock were moved during the five-year initial construction. Employment peaked at 2,184 in July 1959. The initial seven generating units were placed in commercial operation on November 1, 1961, six months ahead of schedule. On September 1, 1966, the District filed an application with the Federal Power Commission to amend the Project License to add four generating units. The FPC issued the license amendment May 23, 1968. The second phase of construction began April 22, 1969, and was completed December 1, 1971. The expansion work increased the power plant's generating capability by 60 percent, from 815,000 kilowatts to 1.287 million kilowatts.

The Project was financed through the sale of revenue bonds. A revenue bond is a pledge of future revenues generated by the project to repay debt. No tax money was used. The original project, which cost $273.1 million, was financed with a $23.1 million bond issue completed in November 1956 to allow for an early construction start. It was followed by a completion bond issue of $250 million in January 1958.

Included in the Project costs were the relocation of a rail line, highways, land acquisition, relocation of the Town of Entiat

Entiat, Washington

Entiat is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,112 at the 2010 census.-History:Entiat was officially incorporated on April 25, 1944...

, and financing. The subsequent powerhouse expansion and addition of four generating units completed in 1971 were financed by a revenue bond issue of $40 million, sold in July 1968.

Repayment of the revenue bonds is guaranteed through power sales contracts between the Chelan County Public Utility District and the purchasers of Rocky Reach power: PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric

Portland General Electric

Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...

Company, Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy is Washington state's oldest local energy utility providing electrical power and natural gas in the Puget Sound region of the northwest United States...

, Avista Corp., the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) which has a plant just south of Wenatchee, and the District's electric distribution system. Each of the contracts covers a period extending 50 years after the November 1961 starting date of commercial operation for the initial seven generating units, or until final payment is made on the $273 million in bonds sold for the initial phase of the Project, whichever is longer. The contracts expire in November 2011.

The original Project License was issued July 11, 1957 by the Federal Power Commission

Federal Power Commission

The Federal Power Commission was an independent commission of the United States government, originally organized on June 23, 1930, with five members nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate...

, expiring in 2006, and the facility was subsequently re-license until 2052. The Rocky rech dam also has a Washington State park very little way up the River, This is called the Lincoln Rock State Park.

The Rocky Reach Dam was featured on an episode of Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...

's Dirty Jobs
Dirty Jobs
Dirty Jobs is a program on the Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television, in which host Mike Rowe is shown performing difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the typical employees. The show premiered with two pilot episodes in November 2003...

, hosted by Mike Rowe

Mike Rowe

Mike Rowe may refer to:*Michael Rowe, television writer for Futurama*Mike Rowe , host of the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs* Mike Rowe , retired Canadian professional ice hockey player...

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