Lower Granite Lake

Lower Granite Lake
A view of Lower Granite Lake/Snake River from Lewiston Hill. The city of Lewiston, Idaho is on the left with Clarkston, Washington on the right. The Interstate Highway Bridge is in the foreground and the Southway Bridge in the center of the photograph.
Lower Granite Lake is located in the United States
Lower Granite Lake
Lower Granite Lake
Coordinates46°25′35″N 117°07′29″W / 46.426468°N 117.124779°W / 46.426468; -117.124779
The Lower Granite Lake was created in 1975. Since the Interstate Highway Bridge between Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington was high enough, the new lake did not overwhelm the bridge.[1]

Lower Granite Lake is a reservoir created by Lower Granite Dam. The dam is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam in the northwest United States. On the lower Snake River in southeastern Washington, it bridges Whitman and Garfield counties.[2] Opened 49 years ago in 1975,[1][3][4] the dam is located 22 miles (35 km) south of Colfax and 35 miles (56 km) north of Pomeroy.

Lower Granite Dam is part of the Columbia River Basin system of dams, built and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers; power generated is distributed by the Bonneville Power Administration.

Behind the dam, Lower Granite Lake extends 39 miles (63 km) east to Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington, and allowed the Lewiston–Clarkston metropolitan area to become a port.[1][5] The first barge to Portland on the 374-mile (602 km) navigation route was loaded with wheat and departed Lewiston on August 9, 1975.[6][7]'

  1. ^ a b c Harrell, Sylvia (June 20, 1975). "Dedication: Andrus brings a warning". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1.
  2. ^ "The Columbia River System Inside Story" (PDF). BPA.gov. pp. 14–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  3. ^ Bunning, Paul (June 20, 1975). "Andrus salutes dam project". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 6.
  4. ^ Dullenty, Jim (June 19, 1975). "Idaho's link to the sea is acclaimed by Andrus". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 1.
  5. ^ "Snake River link to sea nearly complete". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). UPI. March 6, 1975. p. 3.
  6. ^ "First wheat heads downriver". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). August 10, 1975. p. 10A.
  7. ^ "Grain barge nears Portland". Ellensburg Daily Record. (Washington). UPI. August 11, 1975. p. 10.