Grand Coulee Dams Research Articles

Cultural and educational releases of salmon in areas blocked by major hydroelectric projects on the Columbia River

Abstract Salmon are revered by Pacific Northwest Tribes as a central figure in their cultural and spiritual identity and have been a critical food resource for millennia. Historic commercial overfishing and hydropower development on the Columbia River have devastated salmon runs and altered tribal communities. Before European settlement of North America, most Pacific Northwest Tribal economies were based on obtaining salmon for food and bartering for other commodities. Despite extensive efforts to promote salmon recovery in downstream areas, most salmon populations continue to struggle throughout the Columbia River Basin. Over 1,800 km of historical salmon habitat remain inaccessible upstream of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams due to lack of fish passage at these facilities. The Indian Tribes of the upper Columbia Basin are working collectively on salmon reintroduction efforts through both a long-term scientific phased approach and near-term cultural and educational releases. This paper will briefly outline the Phased approach and provide detail on the initial results of some recent cultural and educational releases of salmon in the blocked area. The cultural and educational releases had a goal of reconnecting the people with the salmon and the salmon with historic habitats. These salmon release events were diverse and included school children releasing juvenile fish they raised in the classroom, releasing adult salmon to swim free and reproduce, and tribal members harvesting salmon from their ancestral waters. Ceremonies were held to celebrate the significance of salmon to the tribal cultures and the salmon's return home. In addition to the ceremonies, some fish were tagged to evaluate survival and behavior and to begin to document the effectiveness of trap and haul efforts. The effort resulted in anadromous salmon reintroduction to their traditional waters for the first time in 60 to 110 years. These efforts have generated tremendous interest from the press and given the people of the region a glimpse at what is possible, building momentum for the larger Phased reintroduction effort.

Woody Guthrie, American Radical

Woody Guthrie, American Radical

The Columbia Basin Project: Seventy-Five Years Later

The Columbia Basin Project (CBP) is the largest comprehensive reclamation project in the United States. An intertwined system of water diversion, capture, storage, movement, and use for hydroelectric production and irrigation, made famous by the capstone of Grand Coulee Dam, the CBP completely transformed the arid environment of central Washington and the economy of the Pacific Northwest (PNW). As this project stretches now into 75 years of plans, actions, reactions, and potential future actions, there is a surprisingly small amount of literature examining this project and its far-reaching implications. Originally planned as a reclamation project, the CBP morphed over time as values and priorities changed; never achieving completion, approximately two-thirds of the original planned project acreage is currently irrigated, but with escalating ecologic and economic implications. The most obvious ecologic implication has fixated debates about development in the Pacific Northwest, and that is the near annihilation of historic salmon runs due to dam construction. As this question (salmon versus dams) consumes most scholarly literature related to the CBP, we chose instead to examine everything except ecologic implications. This article reviews the existing literature on the CBP from several fields, noting that many economic, social, legal, policy, and agricultural questions remain unanswered after 75 years. Those unanswered questions become particularly important in light of recent discussions within Washington State concerning completing the CBP, thus potentially increasing the size of irrigated lands by one-third in the Columbia Basin Project.

Proposed Third Power Plant at Grand Coulee Dam

Engineering studies by the Bureau of Reclamation indicate a third power plant at Grand Coulee Dam with installed capacity 3,600,000 kw is technically and economically feasible. This site, with existing large storage capacity, high head, and its location with respect to downstream reregulatory pondage and Canadian upstream storage to be developed under the Columbia River Treaty, is the most logical and desirable location for adding generating capacity needed in the Pacific Northwest. The plant is economically well-justified with a benefit-cost ratio of 3.24 to 1. The third power plant will be located below the dam on the right bank of the Columbia River in the area now occupied by the right-bank switchyard. Proposed construction includes a forebay dam and forebay, the third power plant and switchyard, a permanent visitors center, and riverbank protective works. Modification of the two existing power-plants and left-bank switchyard and relocation of the right-bank switchyard is planned to accommodate the new facilities. Bureau-developed digital computer programs will be extensively used in design of the plant, with the first unit scheduled to go on line less than 8 yr after availability of funds. Construction program would be more or less continuous through completion of all twelve 300,000-kw units.

Critique of Chapman's "Energy Problems in the Pacific Northwest"

I gather from the remarks tonight thus far that most of the audience is familiar with the past development of the Columbia River. But, just to be sure, I would like to point out that the federal government first became involved in the development of the Columbia River in the 1930's when Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams were started as WPA projects. The agency I am with, Bonneville Power Administration, was created in 1937 to serve as the marketing agency for the power produced at these federal multi-purpose projects. We started with Bonneville dam and today we have as the sources of generation 15 federal multi-purpose projects in the Columbia River Basin. Five more are under construction, and an addi tional three authorized for construction. The agency I represent markets power in the Pacific Northwest, basically defined as Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, and Western Montana. The load data figures given to you by Dr. Chapman actually cover a little bit more geography than the agency I represent. I believe southern Idaho is included in his figures. In the geographic area in which we operate, we are wholesalers to 115 different entities—89 are utilities. One of these, I might mention is the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority serving western British Columbia. We have been intertied at Blaine since World War II.

The Columbia River Treaty: A Critical View

Every summer, tourists in large numbers are attracted to Grand Coulee Dam, which until recently was the world's largest. Part of the attraction is the water spilling over the dam in a man-made cascade more than twice as high as Niagara, and often carrying more water. Like Niagara, these artificial falls are illuminated at night for the tourists. The spectacle is one of wasted energy on a very large scale, and it is repeated at each of the dams downstream, which together with Grand Coulee are equivalent to eight Niagara Falls. If there has been a quick spring accompanied by abundant rain, great quantities of water almost inundate these dams. As it rushes to the sea, the water bursts its banks in the estuary, taking lives at will, and ruining millions of dollars worth of property at a time. The beauty of wasted energy is not only fascinating; it is too often deadly. Moreover, the waste is needless. The water which goes over the spillways to please the tourists could be used at a different time of the year to generate very cheap electricity; in the winter, the generators stand idle for much of the time for lack of water to drive them. In order to be used in a different season, the water needs to be stored in reservoirs, just as the wheat harvest must be stored in granaries if it is to be used during the winter season. It happens that the granaries of the Columbia River are for the most part located in Canada. There is, therefore, an opportunity for Canada and the United States to create great wealth by co-operating with one another on the Columbia River. The Columbia River controversy arises principally over where and when this wealth is to be created, and how it is to be shared. In the negotiations which have taken place, there are a number of points of direct conflict, in the sense that either Canada or the United States in the outcome will win at the expense of the other. Points which are not in conflict do not require negotiation.

Irrigation pumping with grand coulee power

The columbia basin project includes the grand Coulee dam and power plant, the Grand Coulee pumping plant, and about one million acres of irrigable land for which irrigation water will be made available. The power plant will comprise an ultimate installation of 18 main generating units and 3 station service generating units which will be capable of developing 2,300,000 kw.

The grand coulee power development

The grand coulee power development is a part of the Columbia Basin Project which is primarily an irrigation enterprise. The Grand Coulee dam raises the water level in the Columbia River over 300 feet, but a tremendous amount of power is required to raise water an additional 300 feet for irrigation purposes. This power requirement can be met largely by off-peak power developed at the Grand Coulee power plant consisting of two powerhouses which will have an ultimate installation of almost 2,000,000-kva generating capacity.

The Grand Coulee Power Development

The grand coulee power development is a part of the Columbia Basin Project which is primarily an irrigation enterprise. The Grand Coulee dam raises the water level in the Columbia River over 300 feet, but a tremendous amount of power is required to raise water an additional 300 feet for irrigation purposes. This power requirement can be met largely by off-peak power developed at the Grand Coulee power plant consisting of two powerhouses which will have an ultimate installation of almost 2,000,000-kva generating capacity.

Irrigation Pumping witn Grand Coulee Power

The columbia basin project includes the grand Coulee dam and power plant, the Grand Coulee pumping plant, and about one million acres of irrigable land for which irrigation water will be made available. The power plant will comprise an ultimate installation of 18 main generating units and 3 station service generating units which will be capable of developing 2,300,000 kw.

Earthquakes and Reservoir Loading Near Hoover, Shasta, and Grand Coulee Dams

Earthquakes and Reservoir Loading Near Hoover, Shasta, and Grand Coulee Dams

Development and Use of Engineering Geology

The engineer is forced to consider early in the study of new projects what effect natural conditions will have on costs and ultimate success of construction. Gradually, he has realized in geology a way to anticipate and understand these conditions. Appreciation was not instantaneous, for it has required at least 35 years to arrive at the present status. The engineering geologist is primarily concerned with the occurrence and physical character of rocks, ordinarily at relatively shallow depths. His work in obtaining necessary information revolves more around questions of feasibility and security than matters of economic justification. The investigation and construction of Boulder, Grand Coulee, Shasta, Friant, and Marshall Ford dams present a wide variety of problems. These are, according to volume, the five largest concrete dams in the world.

Penstocks for the Grand Coulee Dam

Abstract The ultimate power development for the Grand Coulee Dam includes eighteen main units of 150,000 hp each and three station-service units of 14,000 hp. Individual penstocks of 18 ft diam were provided for the main units and of 6 ft diam for the station-service units. The penstocks are of welded-plate steel construction, fabricated and X-rayed in accordance with the API-ASME Code. The 18-ft penstocks were fabricated in a plant erected near the dam, and the 6-ft penstocks were produced in the subcontractor’s shop. All penstocks were installed in octagonal tunnels provided for that purpose through the dam, and were embedded in reinforced concrete after installation.

The Columbia basin project

Grand Coulee Dam, now under construction on the Columbia River in the State of Washington, will create a 150-mile lake From which irrigation water for more than a million acres of land will be pumped by part of the power to be generated at the dam. This article describes the purposes of the project, which will not be completed in its entirety for half a century, and the present status of construction of the dam.

The Columbia Basin Project

Grand Coulee Dam, now under construction on the Columbia River in the State of Washington, will create a 150-mile lake from which irrigation water for more than a million acres of land will be pumped by part of the power to be generated at the dam. This article describes the purposes of the project, which will not be completed in its entirety for half a century, and the present status of construction of the dam.

Water-Power in the United States

II GRAND COULEE DAM THE second of the great power projects in the * United States to be described is the Columbia Basin Project, Washington. It includes the construction of a dam which, when completed, will be the second highest in the world; the formation of an artificial reservoir with an area of 82,000 acres or 128 square miles; the installation of a power plant which will ultimately exceed the capacity of any other now in existence, and an important irrigation canal system over adjacent territory.

Electrically cured concrete for grand coulee dam : H. B. Hodgins. ( Electrica Journal, Vol. 33, No. 4.)

Electrically cured concrete for grand coulee dam : H. B. Hodgins. ( Electrica Journal, Vol. 33, No. 4.)

The Grand Coulee Dam

THE Columbia River in the United States is second in size only to the Mississippi. Owing to the fact that its source is high in a region of melting enows in the mountains of western Canada and Montana, its discharge is more continuous than that of all the arid regions of the west and the middle west combined. In an article in the Scientific American of April, Grace Kirkpatrick gives an interesting account of the Grand Coulee (Grand Valley) dam which engineers are now busily constructing. In prehistoric times the Columbia River, then much larger than it is to-day, was dammed by a glacier, and the torrents of water which poured through the high cliffs bordering the river flowed down and formed the Grand Coulee. The walls of the valley are in some places 1,000 feet high. The upper 20 miles of the river are being closed with dams at each end to form a huge reservoir. The Columbia River sweeps across the State of Washington and forms for many miles the border between Washington and Oregon. On the plateau above its canyon-like banks are millions of arid acres known as the Columbia Basin which if suitably irrigated would be one of the most fertile lands in the world. The dam is being built in two units, the high dam and the low dam. The latter is exclusively a power development while the high dam will be used for power, irrigation, storage and navigation development. The dam will raise the waters of the Columbia so that they can be pumped into the reservoir of the Grand Coulee and will then flow over the parcned acres of the Columbia Basin. The blocking of the river will create the largest artificial lake in the world. It is 151 miles long and will extend into Canada. The spillway in the centre of the high dam will be 1,800 feet long and no less than 325 feet high.