Ross Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ross Dam |
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Ross Dam during the Skagit River floods of 2003.
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| Location | Ross Lake National Recreation Area, Whatcom County, Washington, USA |
| Coordinates | 48°43′54″N 121°04′02″W / 48.73167°N 121.06722°W |
| Construction began | 1937 |
| Opening date | 1949 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Skagit River |
| Height | 540 feet (160 m) |
| Length | 1,300 feet (400 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Ross Lake |
| Total capacity | 1,435,000 acre-feet (1.770 km3) |
| Surface area | 11,700 acres (4,700 ha) |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | 4 |
| Installed capacity | 460 MW |
| Annual generation | 619,120,000 KWh |
| Website http://www.seattle.gov/light/FuelMix/ |
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The Ross Dam is a large concrete dam built across the Skagit River in Washington state, USA. It stands 540-foot (160 m) tall and stretches 1,300-foot (400 m) long. This impressive structure creates a huge lake called Ross Lake. While the dam is in Washington, Ross Lake actually reaches 23 miles (37 km) north into British Columbia, Canada. Both the dam and the lake are part of the beautiful Ross Lake National Recreation Area. This area is also next to the Stephen Mather Wilderness and is part of the larger North Cascades National Park Complex.
Ross Dam is a key part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project. This project was built by Seattle City Light to make electricity from the powerful flow of the Skagit River. The river drops over 1,000 feet (300 m) from the Canada-U.S. border to Newhalem. Ross Dam is one of three dams in the Skagit Gorge that use this drop to create power. The other two dams are Diablo Dam and Gorge Dam. Ross Dam alone can produce up to 460 megawatts of electricity. In fact, about 92% of Seattle's electricity comes from these types of dams.
Contents
Building Ross Dam: A Look Back
Early Plans and Construction Steps
Before Ross Dam was built, the Skagit Gorge was a wild place. It had a very old forest with huge trees like Douglas Fir and Western Redcedar. In the 1910s, the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project began. The first two dams, Gorge Dam and Diablo Dam, were built downstream.
Construction on Ross Dam started in 1937. It was first called Ruby Dam, named after Ruby Creek nearby. The plan was to build it in four stages. By 1940, the first two stages were done. The dam was then 305 feet (93 m) tall. As Ross Lake slowly filled, a company called Decco-Walton Logging Company cut down many trees in the area. They floated the logs up the river to British Columbia. By the time the lake was full, most of the original forest was gone.
Finishing the Dam: The Third Stage
In 1939, James Delmage Ross, who was in charge of the Skagit Hydroelectric Project, passed away. The dam was then renamed Ross Dam in his honor. In 1943, a group of construction companies, including Morrison-Knudsen, started working on the dam again. They had also helped build Hoover Dam.
They worked to make the dam taller, reaching 475 feet (145 m). There was a big need for energy during World War II and in Seattle. So, the dam needed to be built quickly. The third stage was finished in 1949, making the dam 540 feet (160 m) tall. This height meant the lake would extend a bit into Canada. The lake finally reached its full size in Canada by 1954. Seattle City Light paid Canada for the land that was flooded.
Two years before the lake was full, work began on the Ross Dam power plant. In 1956, two turbines started working, making 360 megawatts of power. Later, two more generators were added, increasing the total power to 460 megawatts.
The High Ross Dam Debate
Later, there was a big discussion about building Ross Dam even taller. This argument was called the High Ross Dam Controversy. The dam was designed so it could be raised another 125 feet (38 m). This would make the dam 665 feet (203 m) tall. It would also make the lake extend about 3 miles (4.8 km) further into Canada. This would have created more electricity, up to 732 megawatts.
However, the plan to raise the dam was stopped in the 1970s. In the U.S., groups like the North Cascades Conservation Council showed that raising the dam would destroy unique old forests. In Canada, a former logger named Curley Chittenden worked hard to get people to oppose the plan.
Eventually, the City of Seattle and the Province of British Columbia signed an agreement. Seattle would get the same amount of power from other dams in British Columbia. In return, Seattle would not raise Ross Dam. The Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission was then created. This group helps both the U.S. and Canada take care of the upper Skagit River area together.
What Ross Dam Looks Like
Ross Dam is located in a narrow part of the Skagit River gorge. It is about 23 miles (37 km) south of the border with Canada. The dam is a concrete structure, 540 feet (160 m) high and 1,300 feet (400 m) long. It stretches across one of the narrowest points in the gorge.
The North Cascades mountains rise almost 5,000 feet (1,500 m) from the canyon floor around the dam. Just upstream, Ruby Creek flows into Ross Lake. Downstream, the Diablo Dam creates Diablo Lake, which is smaller. Other creeks like Little Beaver Creek and Big Beaver Creek also flow into Ross Lake. The North Cascades Highway (also known as Washington State Route 20) follows the Skagit River near the dam.
The power plant at Ross Dam is right below the dam. It has four turbines that make 460 megawatts of electricity. The dam also has two spillways, which are like large drains, on its sides. Each spillway has six openings. These can release a lot of water if needed, helping to control the lake's level.
Images for kids
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Ross Dam during its third construction phase in 1947.
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The top map shows how big Ross Lake would have been if the dam was built higher. The bottom map shows the current size of the lake.
