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 production. It is the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States[3] and one of the largest concrete structures in the world.[1]
The proposal to build the dam was the focus of a bitter debate during the 1920s between two groups. One wanted to irrigate the ancient Grand Coulee with a gravity canal and the other supported a high dam and pumping scheme. Dam supporters won in 1933, but for fiscal reasons the initial design was for a "low dam" 290 ft (88 m) high which would generate electricity, but not support irrigation. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and a consortium of three companies called MWAK (Mason-Walsh-Atkinson Kier Company) began construction that year. After visiting the construction site in August 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began endorsing the "high dam" design which, at 550 ft (168 m) high, would provide enough electricity to pump water to irrigate the Columbia Basin. The high dam was approved by Congress in 1935 and completed in 1942; the first water over-topped its spillway on June 1 of that year.
Power from the dam fueled the growing industries of the Northwest United States during World War II. Between 1967 and 1974, the Third Powerplant was constructed. The decision to construct the additional facility was influenced by growing energy demand, regulated river flows stipulated in the Columbia River Treaty with Canada and competition with the Soviet Union. Through a series of upgrades and the installation of pump-generators, the dam now supplies four power stations with an installed capacity of 6,809 MW. As the center-piece of the Columbia Basin Project, the dam's reservoir supplies water for the irrigation of 671,000 acres (2,700 km2).
The reservoir is called Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, named after the United States President who presided over the authorization and completion of the dam. Creation of the reservoir forced the relocation of over 3,000 people, including Native Americans whose ancestral lands were partially flooded. The dam has also blocked the migration of salmon and other fish upstream to spawn.
The Grand Coulee Dam, located on the Columbia river in central Washington, is the largest concrete structure in the United States. It forms the centerpiece of the Columbia Basin Project, a multipurpose endeavor managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In addition to producing up to 6.5 million kilowatts of power, the dam irrigates over half a million acres of Columbia river basin farm land and provides abundant wildlife and recreation areas.
Historical OverviewDam Photo GalleryColumbia Basin Irrigation ProjectHydroelectric Power GenerationBibliographyRelated Links
The exact coordinates of the Grand Coulee Dam are: 47°57'21"N 118°58'54"W
If you were to drive from the White House in Washington, DC to the Grand Coulee Dam it would take 42 hours and you would travel 2,570 miles.
Grand Coulee Dam is basically at Grand Coulee.
Washington near the Columbia River
It is in Washington.
Washington
The Grand Coulee Dam is located on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington.
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington.
The Grand Coulee Dam is not located in Washington, D.C. It is located in the U.S. state of Washington. Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington.
Grand Coulee Dam is located in the North Western United States of America. Eastern side of the State of Washington. The Capital of the State of Washington is Olympia, located south of Tacoma and Seattle. The dam is located in northern Grant County. Grant County seat is south of the Dam, located in Ephrata, Washington. Surrounding towns close to Grand Coulee Dam are: Grand Coulee Coulee Dam Electric City Elmer City Wilbur Coulee City Nespelem
it is found in washington
Olympia, Washington.
Washington
The Grand Coulee Dam is located in the state of Washington in the United States. Currently, there are visitors that come to see the dam, with tours of the nearby power plant available nearly every day.
Washington state
It's on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington.
Grand coulee dam was finished on June 1, 1942.
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington.