Cowlitz Falls Dam

Cowlitz Falls Dam is a 70 megawatt hydroelectric dam in Lewis County, Washington. It was constructed in the early 1990s and completed in 1994. The dam is 140 feet (43 m) high and 700 feet (210 m) wide.^[2]

Cowlitz Falls Dam
Cowlitz Falls Hydroelectric Project
Country	United States
Location	Lewis County, Washington
Coordinates	46°28′00″N 122°06′32″W
Status	Operational
Opening date	1994
Built by	Bonneville Power Administration,
Operator(s)	Bonneville Power Administration,
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Cowlitz River
Height	140 ft (43 m)
Length	700 ft (210 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Scanewa
Surface area	700 acres (280 ha)
Normal elevation	866 ft (264 m)[1]
Installed capacity	70 megawatt

History

A village of the Cowlitz people, known as Koapk, existed at the Cowlitz Falls Dam site. The tribe, possibly Upper Cowlitz, were known as the k’wolama.^[3]

Geography

The dam's reservoir, Lake Scanewa, is located at the confluence of the Cowlitz River and Cispus River downstream of Randle, Washington with a surface area of about 700 acres (280 ha). The lake is accessible by way of the Cowlitz Falls Park, a day use area situated near the junction with the Cispus River.^[4]

Power plant

The Cowlitz Falls Project impounds the Cowlitz River and produces on average 260 gigawatt hours annually for the local public utility, the Lewis County Public Utility District, or about one-third of its annual electrical needs.^[2] The facility was developed jointly with the Bonneville Power Administration, and the BPA bears the direct cost of operating and maintaining the dam.^[5]

See also

• United States portal
• Water portal
• Renewable energy portal

• List of dams in the Columbia River watershed