Ice Harbor Lock and Dam
Encyclopedia
Ice Harbor Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity run-of-the-river
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity
Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby a considerably smaller water storage called pondage or none is used to supply a power station. Run-of-the-river power plants are classified as with or without pondage...

  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 Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...

 in Walla Walla and Franklin counties 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. The dam is located 8 miles (13 km) northeast of the town of Burbank
Burbank, Washington
Burbank is a census-designated place in Walla Walla County, Washington, United States, where the Snake River meets the Columbia. The population was 3,291 at the 2010 census. Named for Luther Burbank, the city is located just east of Pasco and Kennewick, across the Snake and Columbia Rivers,...

 and 12 miles (20 km) east of Pasco
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...

, river mile
River mile
In the United States, a River mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the River kilometer...

 9.2. Its name comes from a tiny bay in the river where boats once tied up to wait for upstream ice-jams to break up.

Construction began in June 1955. The main structure and three generators were completed in 1961, with an additional three generators finished in 1976. Generating capacity is 603 megawatts, with an overload capacity of 693 MW. The spillway has ten gates and is 590 feet (180 m) long.

Ice Harbor Dam is part of the Columbia River Basin
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...

 system of dams.

Inside the Dam on the South side of the river is a large visitor center that has been recently updated to include a new film "The Snake - River of Life" and a new modern interactive touch screen kiosk with information on the dam and recreational opportunities in the area. The visitor center also offers an excellent fish ladder viewing room where you can sit and observe the migration of Salmon, Steelhead and Shad. Due to security, visitors must pass through the security gate to gain access.

Lake Sacajawea
Lake Sacajawea (Washington)
Lake Sacajawea is formed by the Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River. It stretches from there upstream to the Lower Monumental Dam. It is named for Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman who accompanied Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during their exploration of the American West....

, named for Sacajawea, is formed behind the dam. The lake stretches to the base of Lower Monumental Dam
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete, run-of-the-river dam on the Snake River, and bridges Franklin County and Walla Walla County, in the state of Washington. The dam is located six miles south of the town of Kahlotus, and 43 miles north of the town of Walla...

, 32 miles (50 km) upstream. The Wallula Channel, formed from the backup of Snake River entering 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...

 just southeast of Pasco
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...

, runs 10 miles (16 km) downstream from the base of the dam.

Navigation lock
  • Single-lift
  • 86 feet (26 m) wide
  • 675 feet long


The highest temperature ever measured in Washington state, at 118 °F (47.8 °C), was recorded at Ice Harbor Dam on August 5, 1961.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK