Detailed mapping and dam plans for a section of the Columbia River which would become the Chief Joseph Dam in 1948.
The present book includes a general map of the area, detailed map of the River at Bridgeport and further up river, topographical details, profiles, and other technical drawings.
Chief Joseph Dam
Chief Joseph Dam is the second largest hydropower producing dam in the United States. It is the largest hydropower producing dam operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The single powerhouse is over a third of a mile long and holds 27 house-sized turbines. Alone, it produces enough power to supply the whole Seattle metropolitan area.
Originally authorized by the River and Harbor Act of 1946 as Foster Creek Dam and Powerhouse for power generation and irrigation, the name was changed to Chief Joseph Dam, after the Nez Perce chief who spent his last years in exile on the Colville Indian Reservation.
Construction began in 1950, with the main dam and intake structure completed in 1955, with additions over the next two decades.