Milner Dam is a rockfill

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

near Burley in south central

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

. It impounds the Snake River in a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

named Milner Lake. The dam spans the river across two islands, with three embankments. Milner Dam was authorized for construction as a privately capitalized venture under the 1894

Carey Act The Carey Act of 1894 (also known as the Federal Desert Land Act)Carey Act in Idaho http://www.gchshome.org/careyact.htm. allowed private companies in the U.S. to erect irrigation systems in the western semi-arid states, and profit from the sales ...

, a precursor to the 1902

Reclamation Act The Reclamation Act (also known as the Lowlands Reclamation Act or National Reclamation Act) of 1902 () is a United States federal law that funded irrigation projects for the arid lands of 20 states in the American West. The act at first covere ...

. Ira Burton Perrine, a local rancher, chose the site and recruited financial backers, including

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

banker Stanley B. Milner and eastern investors Frank H. Buhl and Peter L. Kimberly. The Buhl-Kimberly Corporation built the dam and the Twin Falls Canal in 1903–1905. Milner Dam's primary purpose is

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

but it also produces

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

. It is currently owned and operated by Milner Dam, Inc. The dam is high and long. The storage capacity of its reservoir, Milner Lake, is . The lake covers 4,000 acres (16 km²). Inspections in 1988 indicated a high risk of dam failure in an earthquake. In order to pay for the $11 million cost of rebuilding the dam, the operating companies contracted with Idaho Power to build a 57.5 megawatt hydroelectric powerplant downstream from the dam, with Idaho Power in return loaning funds for the dam's reconstruction. The 1992 powerplant has 46 and 11.5 MW generators, with a small 800 KW generator for low-flow conditions. Water for the powerplant is drawn from the Twin Falls Canal during seasons when water is not needed for irrigation. Milner Dam was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on July 10, 1986.

References

External links

Milner Dam
at the Twin Falls Canal Company * {{Authority control 1905 establishments in Idaho Buildings and structures in Jerome County, Idaho Buildings and structures in Twin Falls County, Idaho Dams completed in 1905 Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho Dams on the Snake River Energy infrastructure completed in 1992 Historic American Engineering Record in Idaho Hydroelectric power plants in Idaho Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho National Register of Historic Places in Jerome County, Idaho National Register of Historic Places in Twin Falls County, Idaho

See also

References

External links