Paddock Valley Dam facts for kids
The Paddock Valley Dam is an important structure located in Washington County, Idaho. It helps manage water in the area.
What is Paddock Valley Dam?
The Paddock Valley Dam is a type of dam called an earthen dam. This means it's built mostly from earth, like soil and rock. It was built in 1949 by a local group called the Little Willow Irrigation District.
The dam is 43 feet tall. It is also 300 feet long at its top. The main job of the dam is to hold back the water from Little Willow Creek. This helps with two important things:
- Flood control: It stops the creek from overflowing and causing floods.
- Water storage: It saves water for irrigation. This water is used to help crops grow, especially during dry times.
The local district still owns and runs the dam today.
Paddock Valley Reservoir: A Place for Fun
The dam creates a large body of water called the Paddock Valley Reservoir. This reservoir is quite big! It usually covers about 1,300 acres. It can hold a lot of water, up to 36,400 acre-feet. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land one foot deep.
Many people enjoy visiting the reservoir for fun activities. Fishing is very popular here. You can catch different kinds of fish, including:
A Look at Future Plans
In 2008, there was an idea to build a nuclear power plant near the dam. A company called MidAmerican Nuclear Energy looked into it. However, they decided not to build it. They found that building the plant there would not be a good use of money. It was simply too expensive to be practical.
