Brownlee Dam

Brownlee Dam is a hydroelectric earth fill embankment dam in the western United States, on the Snake River along the Idaho-Oregon border (Washington County, Idaho in and Baker County in Oregon). In Hells Canyon at river mile 285, it impounds the Snake River in the 58-mile-long (93 km) Brownlee Reservoir.

Brownlee Dam
View from northeast
Brownlee Dam is located in Idaho
Brownlee Dam
Location in Idaho
Brownlee Dam is located in the United States
Brownlee Dam
Location in the United States
Official nameBrownlee Dam
CountryUnited States
LocationHells Canyon,
Baker Co., Oregon / Washington Co., Idaho
Coordinates44.836°N 116.9°W / 44.836; -116.9
Construction began1955[1][2]
Opening dateMay 9, 1958 (1958-05-09) [3][4]
Operator(s)Idaho Power Company
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsSnake River
Height420 feet (128 m)
Reservoir
CreatesBrownlee Reservoir
Total capacity1,426,700 acre-feet (1.7598 km3)
Catchment area72,590 square miles (188,000 km2)
Surface area15,000 acres (61 km2)
Normal elevation2,070 feet (630 m)
Power Station
Installed capacity585.4 MW
Annual generation2,406.8 GWh
Columbia River Basin
Columbia River Basin

Description
Namesake of the Brownlee Dam & Reservoir, July 2008

The dam is part of the Hells Canyon Project that also includes Hells Canyon Dam and Oxbow Dam, all built and operated by Idaho Power Company. The first and upper-most of the three dams,[5] its contractor was Morrison-Knudsen of Boise.[1][2][6] Filling started 65 years ago on May 9, 1958 (1958-05-09),[3] flooding the community of Robinette, Oregon.

The dam's powerhouse contains five generating units with a total nameplate capacity of 585.4 megawatts.

Lacking passage for migrating salmon, the three Hells Canyon Project dams blocked access by anadromous salmonids to a stretch of the Snake River drainage basin from Hells Canyon Dam up to Shoshone Falls, which naturally prevents any upstream fish passage to the upper Snake River basin.[7]

Heliport

There is a 100-by-60-foot (30 by 18 m) private heliport, Brownlee Heliport (FAA LID: OR75), located near the dam.

See also

References
  1. "Brownlee dam one-third done". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 2, 1956. p. 26.
  2. "Brownlee dam base readied". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 30, 1956. p. 12.
  3. "Idaho Power shuts gates of big dam". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. May 10, 1958. p. 2.
  4. "New dam goes into operation on Snake River". Florence Times. Alabama. Associated Press. May 10, 1958. p. 7.
  5. "Idaho Power Co. diverts river through tunnel at Brownlee". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 12, 1956. p. 3.
  6. "Brownlee dam excavation job more than half done". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. April 21, 1957. p. 20.
  7. "Fence of voltage herds fish near Brownlee Dam". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 29, 1957. p. 15.
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