SHI BLOGS TOO

The Dams

Today I will be writing a bit of history and sharing photo's of the dams that have been built in this corner of the state of Washington. I have observed all of these dams except for Upper Baker Dam.

I have already mentioned Lower Baker Dam in a few blog entries down. So, I will start with that one.

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Lower Baker Dam, visible from the town of Concrete, it's a bit of history. Built in 1925. In 1927 the dam was increased to 293 ft. in height. Which made it the highest dam in the world. The Power plant slightly down stream from base generates 70 megawatts. Baker Lake area is accessible, by road off Highway 20 in Skagit County, Washington.

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Upper Baker Dam on Baker River north of Concrete, Washington. Built in 1959, produces up to 105 megawatts.

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The Ross Dam built by The Skagit River Hydroelectric Project along with two other dams The Gorge Dam and the Diablo Dam.

The dams are located in Whatcom County above the town of Newhalem, which lies just west of North Cascades National Park.

Diablo Dam was begun in 1927, five miles upstream from Gorge Dam.

All three dams were listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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Diablo Dam and Skagit River in full flood stage. The Seattle City Light Company operates this and the nearby Ross and Gorge dams, which hold back water on the Skagit River in the north Cascades, and generate electricity for Seattle. The Skagit project started in 1919.

The Diablo Dam, reservoir, and powerhouse was the second of the three to be built, constructed between 1927 and 1936. The Ross Dam, built later, formed a reservoir which extends into Canada.

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The Gorge Dam on the Skagit River.

You can see this dam right off of Highway 20 heading east before the beginning of the North Cascade Mountains, as you leave Newhalem and head towards the pass.

Construction of Gorge Dam began in 1921 and the first power was delivered to Seattle in 1924. The cost of the dam was $13 million dollars.

In 1961 a new Gorge High Dam was completed (300 feet, 91 meters) to replace the original Gorge Dam.

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I figure this is as good a place as any to include this photo of the Dalles Bridge. The Dalles Bridge crosses The Skagit River downstream from where we live.

We have to cross this bridge every time we go into Concrete or down Highway 20 to Sedro Woolley and Mount Vernon, I-5 and and beyond.

It gets it's name from the rocky canyon that it was built across.

That concludes my history lesson for the day.