Grand Coulee Dam

Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in Washington, built by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. Along with the Hoover Dam it is among the most famous dams in the United States. The reservoir it backs up is called Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, named after the United States president who presided over the conception and completion of the dam.

Facts

• Largest concrete dam in North America, largest concrete structure in the United States with 11,975,521 yd³ (9,155,942 m³) used
• Crest length, 5,223 ft (1592 m)
• Lat. 47°57'N, Long. 118°59'W
• Dam height: 550 ft (168 m), about twice the height of the Statue of Liberty
• Hydraulic Height: 380 ft (116 m)
• Reservoir Capacity: 421 billion ft³ (11.9 km³)
• Average release: 110,000 ft³/s (3,100 m³/s)
• 4 power plants, 33 generators, 6,809 MW power production capacity, 21,000 GWh per year
• Largest hydroelectricity generator in the United States, third largest in the world.
• Irrigation: over 500,000 acres (2,000 km²)
• First water over the spillway: June 1, 1942
• Owner/operator, US Bureau of Reclamation