Lake Chelan Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Chelan Dam |
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Aerial view of dam looking up lake
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 Location of Lake Chelan Dam in Washington
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| Official name | Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project |
| Country | USA |
| Location | Chelan, Washington |
| Coordinates | 47°50′4.05″N 120°0′43.23″W / 47.8344583°N 120.0120083°W |
| Construction began | 1926 |
| Opening date | 1927 |
| Owner(s) | Chelan County P.U.D. No. 1 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity structure |
| Impounds | Chelan River headwater |
| Height | 40 feet (12 m) |
| Length | 490 feet (150 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Raised Lake Chelan 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Total capacity | 15,800,000 acre⋅ft (19.5 km3) |
| Catchment area | 924 sq mi (2,390 km2) |
| Power station | |
| Commission date | September 1927 |
| Hydraulic head | 400 feet (120 m) |
| Installed capacity | 59.2 megawatts |
| Steel-reinforced concrete | |
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Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Power Plant
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| Location | Southwestern end of Lake Chelan to Columbia River |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| MPS | Hydroelectric Power Plants in Washington State, 1890--1938 MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 88003442 |
| Added to NRHP | December 15, 1988 |
The Lake Chelan Dam, also called the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project, is a big dam in Washington state. It's about 32 miles (51 km) north of Wenatchee, in Chelan County. This dam is located at the lower end of Lake Chelan, which is a very long lake, about 50.4 miles (81.1 km) long.
The dam is found within the city limits of Chelan. Its powerhouse, which helps make electricity, is located near a community called Chelan Falls. The lake behind the dam can hold a lot of water, about 677,400 acre-feet (835,600,000 m³) that can be used. Over the last 10 years, the project has made an average of 365,000 megawatt hours of electricity each year.
Contents
History of the Dam
The Chelan River has a long history of having dams built on it. These dams were used for things like helping boats travel, making electricity, and providing water.
Early Dam Attempts
In 1894, a big flood caused the lake level to rise 11 feet (3 m) higher than usual. To prevent this from happening again, a part of the dam was planned and built to handle such high water. A dam was built in 1892 to raise the level of Lake Chelan. This was done to provide water for land in south Chelan and to allow steamships to reach the city of Chelan.
However, this first dam washed away in June 1892. It was quickly replaced by another structure built by the Chelan Water Power Company in 1893. This new dam was bigger and stronger. It was designed to raise the lake level enough for steamships to dock at Chelan. But this dam also only lasted a year before it was destroyed by another huge flood in June 1894.
Making Electricity
In 1899, a person named M.M. Kingman bought the Chelan Water Power Company. He built another dam, this time to generate electricity. The people of Chelan celebrated when lights powered by this dam were turned on in May 1903.
The Chelan Water Power Company was later bought by the Chelan Electric Company in 1906. Then, in 1925, the Washington Water Power Company, based in Spokane, bought it. A year later, in 1926, Washington Water Power got a special 50-year license from the government. This license allowed them to build the dam and powerhouse that we see today. The first part of the power plant started working in September 1927. The second part began making electricity 11 months later.
Local Ownership
The Chelan County Public Utility District bought the Lake Chelan Hydro Project in July 1955. They used $21 million from a bond issue to buy it from Washington Water Power. Today, all the electricity made by this project is used by homes and businesses in Chelan County.
The Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Power Plant is considered a historic district. This area, which is about 20 acres (8.1 ha), includes the dam, the water system, a special tank called a surge tank, and the power plant itself. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
How the Dam Works
The Lake Chelan Dam is a strong structure made of steel-reinforced concrete. It is 40 feet (12 m) tall and 490 feet (150 m) long.
Water Flow and Power Generation
The dam has eight special sections called spillway bays. When these gates are open, water flows down the Chelan River channel, which is usually dry. The water that powers the electricity generators travels through an underground tunnel called a penstock. This tunnel connects the dam to the powerhouse.
The tunnel carries water from the dam at the end of Lake Chelan to the powerhouse at Chelan Falls. The water drops almost 400 feet (120 m) vertically as it travels. This steel and concrete tunnel is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long. The only part of the tunnel you can see is a tall, 130-foot (40 m) high surge tank. This tank is built on the hill above the plant. It helps control the water's force if the power plant suddenly stops using water.
The Powerhouse
The powerhouse is located at Chelan Falls. It is a large building, 150 feet (46 m) long, 83 feet (25 m) wide, and 130 feet (40 m) high. Inside, there are two main generating units. The powerhouse also has a Control Room, repair shops, electrical switching equipment, a crane, and communication tools.
Water that flows down the power tunnel pushes against two large machines called turbines. Each turbine can make 24 megawatts of power. These turbines spin very fast, at 300 revolutions per minute. The original turbines were replaced in 1985 and 1986. The turbines are connected to the generators by strong steel shafts. Together, they can produce a total of 58 megawatts of power during peak times. The original generators were updated in 1951 and 1952. After the water goes through the turbine blades, it flows into a channel called the tailrace. From there, it empties into the Columbia River.
