Grand Coulee Dam

Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in Washington State. It generates hydroelectric power, supplies irrigation water, and helps control floods.

Columbia River: A major river flowing from British Columbia through Washington State to the Pacific Ocean. The dam spans this river, controlling its flow and storing water in Lake Roosevelt.
New Deal: The series of U.S. federal programs and reforms enacted under President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1930s. Federal public-works policy enabled the dam’s construction during the Great Depression.
Salmon: Anadromous fish that hatch in freshwater, migrate to the ocean, and return to freshwater to reproduce. The dam blocked salmon migration to upstream spawning grounds on the Columbia River.
Hydroelectric power in the United States: Electricity generated by U.S. facilities that use flowing or falling water. Grand Coulee is among the country’s largest hydroelectric generating facilities.
Lake Roosevelt: The reservoir formed behind Grand Coulee Dam, extending north along the Columbia River. Its stored water supplies power generation and irrigation while altering the river valley.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 to 1945. His administration supported the federal development program that included the dam.
Colville Confederated Tribes: A federally recognized tribal government representing twelve tribes in northeastern Washington. The dam’s reservoir inundated ancestral lands and fishing places of Colville communities.
Irrigation in the Columbia Basin: The delivery of Columbia River water to agricultural lands in central Washington. Pumping from Lake Roosevelt makes irrigated farming possible across dry parts of the basin.
Hydroelectricity: Electricity produced by converting the energy of moving or falling water. The dam’s turbines turn stored Columbia River water into electricity.
Bureau of Reclamation: A U.S. federal agency that builds and manages water projects in the American West. The bureau planned and oversaw Grand Coulee Dam’s construction.

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