My journey home from Minnesota the other weekend took me past
Chief Joseph Dam in Bridgeport, Washington. It is not often that you see water spilling over the dam so of course I had to stop!
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| A Huge Flag on the Dam Powerhouse - Happy Fourth of July! |
Chief Joseph Dam is the second largest hydropower dam in the United States (Grand Coulee Dam is the largest) and is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The single powerhouse is over a third of a mile long and can supply enough power for the entire Seattle metropolitan area. Whew!
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| Panoramic View of the Dam |
There are several viewpoints around the dam. One puts you almost at the base of the dam where you can feel the mist on your skin.
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| Spray Mist at the Base of the Dam |
Another viewpoint is higher up overlooking the dam and the Columbia River.
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| The Spillway from up high |
Yet another viewpoint is on top of the dam. You first see the calmness of Rufus Woods Lake that is created by the dam before reaching a parking area that provides another view of the spillway.
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| Rufus Woods Lake behind the Dam |
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| Another view of the Spillway |
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| Looking across the top of the dam, closed to public access like all dams are today |
As I drove to the viewpoint on top of the dam, there were several marmots scampering about. The noise of the car scared them and they went into hiding, except for this brave one...
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| Marmot sunning himself at the dam |
Just for kicks, I went back to the viewpoint at the base of the dam and made a short video. Listen to the roar of the rushing water!
Happy Fourth of July to all of my American friends!
