Wanapum Dam
Encyclopedia
Wanapum Dam is a hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

 project located 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...

 downstream (south) from Vantage, Washington
Vantage, Washington
Vantage is a census-designated place in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 70 at the 2000 census.-History:The area around Vantage has been occupied by the Wanapum Native Americans since prehistory. A number of well-preserved rock-paintings have been found on the cliff...

 where Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...

 crosses the Columbia from Grant County into Kittitas County. It is owned by the Grant County Public Utility District
Grant County Public Utility District
Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, or Grant County PUD, is a public utility district in north central Washington state. It is owned by its customers and governed by a Board of Commissioners elected by the customer-owners. Though it is not regulated by another governmental unit, a PUD...

. Its reservoir is named Lake Wanapum
Lake Wanapum
Wanapum Lake is a reservoir on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. It was created in 1963 with the construction of Wanapum Dam. It stretches from there upstream to the Rock Island Dam. The lake is named for the Wanapum people....

.

The dam, and its lake, are named after the Wanapum
Wanapum
The Wanapum tribe of Native Americans formerly lived along the Columbia River from above Priest Rapids down to the mouth of the Snake River in what is now the U.S. state of Washington. About 60 Wanapum still live near the present day site of Priest Rapids Dam...

 Indians. The dam has a rated capacity of 1,038 megawatts and annually generates over 4 million megawatt-hours.

History

The Wanapum dam was originally licensed in 1955 for a period of 50 years. Construction was initiated in 1959 with initial beneficial operation in 1963. The initial license expired in 2005, after which the Grant County PUD operated the dam on yearly license extensions while negotiations for license extension proceeded. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...

 approved a license extension of 44 years for both the Wanapum dam and the downstream Priest Rapids dam
Priest Rapids Dam
Priest Rapids Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam; located on the Columbia River, between the Yakima Firing Range and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and bridges Yakima County and Grant County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The dam is 24 miles south of the town of Vantage, and 47 miles...

on April 17, 2008. The license extension was conditioned upon programs to:
  • modernize the power generation capability of the dam,
  • monitor water quality,
  • improve wildlife habitat,
  • protect nearly 700 Wanapum Tribe archaeological sites in the vicinity, and
  • enhance recreation with new campsites, picnic areas and trails.

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