Milner Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milner Dam |
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| Location | Jerome / Twin Falls counties, Idaho, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°31′28″N 114°0′35″W / 42.52444°N 114.00972°W |
| Opening date | 1905 |
| Operator(s) | Milner Dam, Inc. |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Snake River |
| Height | 73 feet (22 m) |
| Length | 2,160 feet (658 m) |
| Spillway capacity | 116,750 cu ft/s (3,306 m3/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Milner Lake |
| Total capacity | 36,300 acre-feet (44,800,000 m3) |
| Catchment area | 17,180 sq mi (44,496 km²) |
| Surface area | 4,000 acres (16 km²) |
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Milner Dam and the Twin Falls Main Canal
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| Area | 340 acres (140 ha) |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Wiley, A.J. |
| Architectural style | Rock and earth fill dam |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001720 |
| Added to NRHP | July 10, 1986 |
The Milner Dam is a large structure built across the Snake River in south central Idaho. It's a special type of dam called a rockfill dam, which means it's made mostly of rocks and earth. The dam creates a big lake called Milner Lake, which holds back the river's water. It's so wide that it stretches across two islands in the river!
Milner Dam helps local farms by providing irrigation water. It also helps make hydroelectricity, which is power created from moving water.
Building Milner Dam
Milner Dam was one of the first big projects in the United States to be built by private companies. This happened under a law called the Carey Act in 1894. This law allowed private groups to build irrigation systems.
A local rancher named Ira Burton Perrine picked the perfect spot for the dam. He found people to help pay for it, like Stanley B. Milner, a banker from Salt Lake City. Other investors, Frank H. Buhl and Peter L. Kimberly, also helped.
The Buhl-Kimberly Corporation built the dam and the Twin Falls Canal between 1903 and 1905. Today, Milner Dam, Inc. owns and runs the dam.
How Big Is It?
Milner Dam is quite large! It stands about 73 feet (22 meters) tall and stretches 2,160 feet (658 meters) long.
The lake it creates, Milner Lake, can hold a lot of water. It covers about 4,000 acres (16 square kilometers). That's like having 3,000 football fields filled with water!
Making Electricity and Staying Safe
In 1988, engineers checked the dam and found that it might be at risk if a strong earthquake happened. To make the dam safer, it needed to be rebuilt. This was a big project that cost about $11 million.
To help pay for the repairs, the dam's operators made a deal with Idaho Power. Idaho Power built a new power plant about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) downstream from the dam. This plant makes 57.5 megawatts of electricity. In return, Idaho Power loaned money for the dam's reconstruction.
The new power plant started working in 1992. It uses water from the Twin Falls Canal when farmers don't need it for irrigation. This way, the water helps make clean energy!
A Historic Landmark
Milner Dam is an important part of history. Because of its unique design and role in developing Idaho, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 10, 1986. This means it's recognized as a special place worth protecting.
