HISTORICAL RECORD OF DAM BUILDING AND THEIR IMPACTS ON FLOODS OF THE SKAGIT RIVER SKAGIT COUNTY, WASHINGTON 1924 THROUGH 1968 By Larry Kunzler May 22, 2005 UPDATED March 19, 2006 www.skagitriverhistory.com Historical Dam Building And Their Impacts on the Floods Of The Skagit River Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 2 PREFACE...................................................................................................................................... 5 First Talk About Building Dams ................................................................................................. 6 Fish Hatchery Requirement of Building Skagit Dams .............................................................. 6 Seattle City Light Projects ........................................................................................................... 7 Gorge Dam..................................................................................................................................... 7 Newhalem Gets Power................................................................................................................ 8 New Dam For Gorge................................................................................................................... 9 Delays ......................................................................................................................................... 9 First Power Plant To Be Covered With Water.......................................................................... 10 Old Gorge Dam Disappears...................................................................................................... 10 New Gorge Dam Complete....................................................................................................... 10 Diablo Dam.................................................................................................................................. 10 Diablo Project Damaged In Small Flood.................................................................................. 11 Diablo Predicted To Be Completed in October ........................................................................ 11 Diablo Dam Completed ............................................................................................................ 12 Ruby Creek (“Ross”) Dam......................................................................................................... 12 Ross Dam Financing................................................................................................................. 13 Seattle Okays Completion Of Higher Ross Dam...................................................................... 14 Ross Dam Completion .............................................................................................................. 14 First Power Generation For Ross Dam ..................................................................................... 14 Ross Lake To Flood Canada..................................................................................................... 15 Ross Lake Clearing Accomplished........................................................................................... 15 Ross Lake Increased Storage Approved ................................................................................... 16 Lower Baker Dam....................................................................................................................... 16 Work Stoppage.......................................................................................................................... 17 Work Resumes – Fisheries Dept. Files Protest......................................................................... 17 Full Speed Ahead...................................................................................................................... 18 Baker River Diverted................................................................................................................ 19 Dam Project Suffers Setback .................................................................................................... 19 Cement Ready To Be Poured.................................................................................................... 20 Another Work Stoppage ........................................................................................................... 20 Fish Expert Studies Dam Impacts on Salmon Runs ................................................................. 21 Lower Baker Dam Nearing Completion – Shannon Lake Forms............................................ 21 Skagit Lowest In 30 Years........................................................................................................ 22 Power Close To Being Generated............................................................................................. 23 First Electric Power Generated By Lower Baker ..................................................................... 24 Permit Granted To Raise Dam 33 Feet..................................................................................... 25 Lower Baker Dam Raised 33 Feet............................................................................................ 25 Fish Ladder On Lower Baker ................................................................................................... 26 Fish Hatchery Construction Proposed ...................................................................................... 27 Fishway Over Baker Proposed.................................................................................................. 28 Fish Experiments ...................................................................................................................... 28 New Fish Trap........................................................................................................................... 30 2 Historical Dam Building And Their Impacts on the Floods Of The Skagit River Power Shortage ......................................................................................................................... 30 Mudslides Begin Above Lower Baker Powerhouse ................................................................. 30 Mudslides Destroy Lower Baker Powerhouse.......................................................................... 31 Cleanup of Mudslides Begins ................................................................................................... 32 PSPL Wins Lawsuit With Insurance Company........................................................................ 33 Lower Baker Powerhouse Again Generating Power ................................................................ 33 Upper Baker Dam....................................................................................................................... 33 Preliminary Permit Requested .................................................................................................. 34 Upper Baker Dam Receives Recommendation......................................................................... 34 Credit Agreement Reached....................................................................................................... 35 Upper Baker on 4 Year Program .............................................................................................. 35 Corps Says Upper Baker “Justified”......................................................................................... 35 Application for Construction Made To Federal Power Commission ....................................... 36 Construction Begins.................................................................................................................. 37 Construction Continues............................................................................................................. 38 Construction Almost Completed............................................................................................... 38 Baker Lake Begins To Form Behind The Dam ........................................................................ 39 Baker Lake Needs Cleaning...................................................................................................... 39 Faber Dam ................................................................................................................................... 40 Opposition to Faber Dam.......................................................................................................... 40 Editorial Opposition To Any More Dams ................................................................................ 41 Faber Dam Beat Up At Public Hearing .................................................................................... 41 Sauk River Dam .......................................................................................................................... 42 State Opposition To Any More Dams ...................................................................................... 43 Sauk Dam Urged – Again!........................................................................................................ 43 Importance of Dams and Flood Control................................................................................... 43 The Dalles Flood Gage ............................................................................................................. 44 1924 Public Testimony ............................................................................................................