Two Moro's Travels

“It always feels impossible until it’s done.”

Where is it located?

The land is dry and  barren and consists of plains and coulees ( a dry ravine or gully formed by water erosion.) The Coulee Dam is located in central Washington state, 80 miles northwest of Spokane on the upper Columbia River, in a section known as the “Big Bend.”  Inadequate rainfall was the problem, and the abundance of water in the Columbia River was the solution. 

Theodore Roosevelt

The dam creates Lake Roosevelt, a large reservoir that extends upstream for about 150 miles.It is named for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who as President was a strong proponent of the project and authorized the initial construction of the dam. It was part of his efforts to ease joblessness during the Depression. A special wheelchair was designed especially for his him due to his polio

Many critics had called it a colossal dam in the near-wilderness of a remote state, and whose only customers, according to one member in Congress, would be “sagebrush and jackrabbits.” But they were wrong, Coulee Dam contributed energy to the war effort by helping to power the Army’s nuclear facility at Hanford and the region’s aircraft and aluminum industries. Eventually even the critics hailed Grand Coulee Dam as almost single-handedly winning World War II for the allies.

What role does it play?

It is the largest hydropower producer in North America producing 21 billion KW hours, enough to supply 2 million households with electricity for a whole year. Or it can power 3 cities the size of Seattle continuously.

Power generated from the Coulee Dam supplies  Washington, Oregon, Idaho,Western Montana, parts of California, and even Canada.

Hydropower accounts for 79.7 percent of Grand Coulee’s authorized purposes, the others being irrigation and flood control

The original cost was $300 million . The addition in 1980 was an additional $700 million. It started with one power plant  and today it has 4.

Construction

Divers wore gear consisting of 25 lb shoes, 40 lb suits, and  and 80 lb helmets to be summerged to the river bottom and cut steel pilings or place dynamite.  The dam took 9 years to build. The project was such an enormous undertaking according to Smithsonian magazine, Roosevelts’s wife, Eleanor, looked around and reportedly said “It was a good salesman who sold this to Franklin” 

There was a symbolic ceremony in 1951, where jugs that contained water from 48 U.S. states, 2 territories: Alaska and Hawaii , and Washington D.C. that were poured from the top of the dam wall. It was a unity act symbolizing the entire country’s contribution to the building of the dam.

Is Coulee Dam the largest dam in the U.S.?

At 550 feet tall, the Grand Coulee Dam is approximately 225 feet shorter than the more well-known Hoover Dam, but at just a few feet short of a full mile in width, Coulee Dam is significantly longer. The Grand Coulee was the largest concrete structure in the world, but today that distinction goes to the Three Gorges Dam in China.

How did it affect the inhabitants? 

It was a balancing act between the government, the tribes, and the environmentalists.

What were some negative effects? 

The completion of the Coulee Dam provided benefits , but it also changed tribal ways of life forever. Salmon runs were blocked, tribal lands were flooded, and burial grounds were submerged below water. 

“The promises made by the government were written in sand and then covered, like everything else.”   Colville tribal member

Alex Aherwoee, Spokane Tribe of Indians

“Sometimes, I find a lonely spot where the river runs wild and ask, “River,  do you remember how it used to be…do you remember us?”

What were the positive effects? 

Coulee Dam…

Uses irrigation practices that ensures national food security.

Uses hydroelectricity and sells the electricity created to repay expense of maintaining the dam 

Plays a role in flood risk management, such as, helping to regulate floods caused by the rising Columbia River when needed.  

Uses water twice. It collects the water for irrigation, then recaptures the water from drains and waterways. 

Provides home to wildlife.  

Releases water at critical times when needed for migration of fish. 

Plays an important role in drought conditions and can diminish its effects.

What were some other beneficial outcomes? 

Prior to Coulee Dam being built, there were 35 lakes in the region; now there are over 140 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs . This creates part of the National Recreation Area. Some of these lakes are home to State Parks

Coulee Dam was not as easy feat; many man hours were needed for its completion. There were many obstacles and discord among all parties involved, but it stands today as a testament that in spite of all, its existence has benefitted the life of people in that region.

Final thoughts: Should you visit Coulee Dam?

If you are in the nearby region, definitely take the time We had left North Cascades National Park and came across it traveling through heading to Bozeman, Montana. It brings history alive and creates a deeper connection than just reading about it. To see its vastness is not the same as knowing its numerical dimensions. If you live in the states that benefit from it, you should take the time.

Two Moro’s Travels by Alina Moro

*  quote by Nelson Mandela