The Minidoka Dam is an

earthfill 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, a ...

in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

United States, on the

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

in south central

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, 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 Monta ...

. Completed in 1906, the dam is east of

Rupert Rupert may refer to: People * Rupert (name), various people known by the given name or surname "Rupert" Places Canada * Rupert, Quebec, a village *Rupert Bay, a large bay located on the south-east shore of James Bay *Rupert River, Quebec *Rupert ...

on county highway 400; it is high and nearly a mile (1.6 km) in length, with a wide overflow spillway section. Minidoka Dam and power plant were listed 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 ...

in 1974. Walcott Park, close to the dam, is a popular summertime picnic area. Lake Walcott State Park and the headquarters for the Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge are adjacent to the dam.

History

Minidoka Project - Minidoka Dam - Idaho-Wyoming - NARA - 294678

Minidoka Dam on Snake River in Idaho (1911)

The Minidoka dam was the first Reclamation Service project in Idaho, part of the Minidoka Project of dams, reservoirs and canals. Construction began in 1904 and by 1906 most of the dam's canals and laterals were finished. By 1909, Minidoka Dam's power plant, the first federal power plant in the northwest, was completed. By its completion, the total cost of the dam was $5.8 million, which exceeded estimates. The Minidoka project brought water into the southeastern areas of Idaho near the cities of

and Burley. The project was successful, as what was once an uninhabited sagebrush desert is now bountiful farmland. The powerplant installation was significant as a precursor of much larger projects on the

Columbia River The Columbia River ( Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia ...

, including

Bonneville Dam Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon ...

. A study examining the possibility of raising the crest of the dam by was conducted from 2000 to 2009, but with costs ranging from $150 million to $205 million the project has not been pursued. A $50 million spillway repair project is expected to go ahead.

Power plant

The Minidoka Dam was initially designed and constructed without power generation facilities, but the Minidoka power plant was soon added in 1909-1910. It was designed to generate electricity for pumping operations to support irrigation on the south bank of the Snake River. While irrigation water could flow by gravity to the north bank, water for the south bank had to be raised to a higher elevation. Units 1-5 generated power using propeller-style units., but did not efficiently use the water volume passing through the dam. Unit 6, a 3MW unit with a Francis turbine, was added in 1927, with the 5.5 MW Unit 7 added in 1942. Units 1 - 5 were retired in 1995, before the construction of the Allen E. Inman Powerplant in 1997. The new plant houses Unit 8 and 9, each with a 10MW Kaplan horizontal unit. The original plant housing Units 1 -5 has been preserved and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Excess power from the original powerplant was sold to local farmers, making the Minidoka area one of the first rural areas to have an electric power distribution system.

Statistics

* Provides supplemental water supply to more than 1 million acres (4000 km²) of land. * The reservoir has a storage capacity of . * The reservoir, Lake Walcott, is named after a Bureau of Reclamation engineer. * The reservoir extends 26 miles (42 km) up the Snake River and has a shoreline of 80 miles (130 km).

References

External links

Minidoka Dam at USBR

{{National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in Cassia County, Idaho Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho Hydroelectric power plants in Idaho Buildings and structures in Minidoka County, Idaho Dams on the Snake River Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho Minidoka Project Earth-filled dams United States Bureau of Reclamation dams Dams completed in 1906 Energy infrastructure completed in 1910 Energy infrastructure completed in 1927 Energy infrastructure completed in 1942 Energy infrastructure completed in 1997 1910 establishments in Idaho National Register of Historic Places in Cassia County, Idaho

History

Power plant

Statistics

See also

References

External links