Cushman Dam No. 1 is a
hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
on the North Fork of the
Skokomish River
The Skokomish River () is a river in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is the largest river flowing into Hood Canal, a western arm of Puget Sound. From its source at the confluence of the North and South Forks the main stem Skokomish ...
in
Mason County, Washington
Mason County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 65,726. The county seat and only incorporated city is Shelton, Wa ...
, which in derogation of the natural and treaty rights of the Native inhabitants impounded and enlarged the formerly natural
Lake Cushman, leading to damage claims in excess of $5 billion and an eventual settlement agreement with the Skokomish tribe that terminates the right to operate the dam(s) after 2048. It was built by
Tacoma City Light (now
Tacoma Power
Tacoma Power is a public utility providing electrical power to Tacoma, Washington and the surrounding areas. Tacoma Power serves the cities of Tacoma, University Place, Fircrest, and Fife, and also provides service to parts of Steilacoom, L ...
) in 1924–1926. Tacoma's demand for electricity grew rapidly after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Tacoma City Light's
Nisqually River Hydroelectric Project, built in 1912, could not meet the demand and the utility decided to build a new hydroelectric project on the North Fork Skokomish River. The dam and powerhouse first began to deliver electricity on February 12, 1926.
It has a concrete
arch
An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
design and includes 90,000 cubic yards (69,000 m³) of concrete, covering a whole of water. Two 21,600 kilowatt generators provide 127 million kilowatt-hours annually to the
Tacoma Power
Tacoma Power is a public utility providing electrical power to Tacoma, Washington and the surrounding areas. Tacoma Power serves the cities of Tacoma, University Place, Fircrest, and Fife, and also provides service to parts of Steilacoom, L ...
system.
Construction began on July 7, 1924, under the commissioner Ira S. Davidsson (1918–1940). It has a top width of and a base width of , at high and long. The transmission of electricity to Tacoma, over lines crossing
Tacoma Narrows, was activated, or "formally energized", on March 23, 1926, with the push of a button by President
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
in a ceremony at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
.
A second, smaller dam,
Cushman Dam No. 2, downstream of Dam No. 1, was completed by December 1930.
See also
*
Cushman Dam No. 2
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Mason County, Washington
References
External links
*
Historic American Engineering Record
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). It administers three programs established to document historic places in the United States: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American E ...
(HAER) documentation, filed under Hoodsport, Mason County, WA:
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
Dams in Washington (state)
Hydroelectric power plants in Washington (state)
Dams completed in 1926
Buildings and structures in Mason County, Washington
Dams on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Mason County, Washington
Energy infrastructure completed in 1926
United States power company dams
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
Tacoma Public Utilities
{{Washington-NRHP-stub