Rocky Reach Dam is a

run-of-the-river Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...

hydroelectric 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 ...

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, aqua ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

of Washington owned and operated by Chelan County Public Utility District. It has 11 generators rated in total 1300 MW. The project is on the

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

in north central Washington state about upstream from the city of Wenatchee. The dam is above the mouth of the Columbia. The

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

impounded by the dam is Lake Entiat. The project provides energy for more than 7 million people throughout the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

. Rocky Reach is nationally recognized for efforts to protect the environment. A first-of-its-kind juvenile fish bypass system was completed in 2003 to help young salmon and steelhead on their way to the ocean. A major powerhouse upgrade started in 1995 includes new turbines that are more fish friendly.McKee, C, and G. Rossi, "Rocky Reach Kaplan Turbines: Development of Fish-Friendly Runners," Hydropower into the Next Century, Barcelona, Spain, 1995, as cited in www.tva.gov/environment/pdf/rri_aree.pdf. Improvements to turbines and generators are also designed to improve efficiency and reliability.

Tourism

The project is located on the Columbia River on Highway 97A, north of Wenatchee. The visitor center shows films describing the Columbia River. The "Look a Salmon in the Eye" exhibit from (May–September) is a fish viewing room. The Powerhouse includes exhibits on the fourth floor. The Rocky Reach dam is near the Lincoln Rock State Park a short distance upriver. The Rocky Reach Dam was featured on an episode of

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...

's ''

Dirty Jobs ''Dirty Jobs'' is an American television series that originally aired on the Discovery Channel in which host Mike Rowe is shown performing difficult, strange, disgusting, or messy occupational duties alongside the job's current employees. The sho ...

'', hosted by

Mike Rowe Michael Gregory Rowe (born March 18, 1962) is an American television host and narrator. He is known for his work on the Discovery Channel series '' Dirty Jobs'' and the series '' Somebody's Gotta Do It'' originally developed for CNN. He hosted ...

History

In 1934 the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

first reported on the hydroelectric potential of this site. By the 1950s, studies were carried out by the Chelan County P.U.D. for detail design of the project. The present site is about downstream of the site investigated by the Corps of Engineers, due to better conditions for foundations. A preliminary permit was issued in 1954. In 1956 construction of the powerhouse and the first seven generating units began. Four more generators were installed starting in 1969, increasing nameplate capacity to 1287 megawatts. The original project cost was US $273.1 million, financed by bonds sold by the PUD. Project costs included relocation of highways and railroad, land acquisition, and relocation of the town of Entiat. Repayment of bonds was through revenues from long-term sales contracts between Chelan County Public Utility District and local industrial and distribution customers. The facility has been re-licensed until 2052. The powerhouse now has seven Westinghouse generators and four Allis-Chalmers generators. The turbines are adjustable-blade Kaplan type to allow for efficient production of energy at varying water levels. Water flows through each of the first seven turbines at a rate of 116 thousand gallons per second and 145 thousand gallons per second through each of the remaining four turbines.

References

External links

Rocky Reach Dam Website
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Chelan County, Washington Dams on the Columbia River Dams in Washington (state) Buildings and structures in Douglas County, Washington Hydroelectric power plants in Washington (state) United States local public utility dams Dams completed in 1969 Energy infrastructure completed in 1956 Energy infrastructure completed in 1969 Gravity dams Tourist attractions in Chelan County, Washington

Tourism

History

See also

References

External links