Little Goose Lock and Dam
Encyclopedia
Little Goose Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete, run-of-the-river
dam
in Columbia and Whitman
counties in the state of Washington, on the Snake River
. The dam is located 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of the town of Starbuck
, and 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Dayton
.
Construction began in June 1963. The main structure and three generators were completed in 1970, with an additional three generators finished in 1978. Generating capacity is 810 megawatts, with an overload capacity of 932 MW. The spillway has eight gates and is 512 feet (156 m) long.
Little Goose Dam is part of the Columbia River Basin
system of dams.
Lake Bryan, named for Doctor Enoch A. Bryan, is formed behind the dam. The lake stretches to the base of Lower Granite Dam
, 37 miles (60 km) upstream. Lake Herbert G. West
, formed from Lower Monumental Dam
runs 28 miles (45 km) downstream from the base of the dam.
Navigation lock
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...
in Columbia and Whitman
Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
counties in the state of Washington, 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...
. The dam is located 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of the town of Starbuck
Starbuck, Washington
Starbuck is a town in Columbia County, Washington, United States. The population was 129 at the 2010 census.-History:Named for railroad official W. H. Starbuck, the town was originally a junction on the main line of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. The town was platted in 1894, and...
, and 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Dayton
Dayton, Washington
Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,526 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Construction began in June 1963. The main structure and three generators were completed in 1970, with an additional three generators finished in 1978. Generating capacity is 810 megawatts, with an overload capacity of 932 MW. The spillway has eight gates and is 512 feet (156 m) long.
Little Goose 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.
Lake Bryan, named for Doctor Enoch A. Bryan, is formed behind the dam. The lake stretches to the base of Lower Granite Dam
Lower Granite Lock and Dam
Lower Granite Lock and Dam is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam on the Snake River, and bridges Whitman County and Garfield County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The dam is located 22 miles south of the town of Colfax, and 35 miles north of Pomeroy.Lower Granite Dam is part of the...
, 37 miles (60 km) upstream. Lake Herbert G. West
Lake Herbert G. West
Lake Herbert G. West is a reservoir formed by the Lower Monumental Dam. It extends up the Snake River for 28 miles to the tailwater of Little Goose Dam...
, formed from 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...
runs 28 miles (45 km) downstream from the base of the dam.
Navigation lock
- Single-lift
- 86 feet (26 m) wide
- 668 feet (204 m) long
See also
- Lower Granite Dam
- Ice Harbor Dam
- Lower Monumental Dam
- Little Goose Dam in Grand Forks County, North DakotaGrand Forks County, North Dakota-National protected areas:*Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge*Little Goose National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 66,109 people, 25,435 households, and 15,617 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile . There were...
(47°55′47"N 97°50′25"W)