![](http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images//topicimages/noimage.gif)
Lake Herbert G. West
Encyclopedia
Lake Herbert G. West is a reservoir
formed by the Lower Monumental Dam
. It extends up the Snake River
for 28 miles (45 km) to the tailwater of Little Goose Dam
. It has a surface area of 6,590 acres (27 km²), a maximum storage capacity of 432000 acre.ft, normally kept at 377000 acre.ft.
As the reservoir filled in 1968, it flooded several archaeological sites, including the Marmes Rockshelter
, which contained the oldest known artifacts in Washington, dating back over 10,000 years.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
formed by the Lower Monumental Dam
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete, run-of-the-river dam on the Snake River, and bridges Franklin County and Walla Walla County, in the state of Washington. The dam is located six miles south of the town of Kahlotus, and 43 miles north of the town of Walla...
. It extends up the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
for 28 miles (45 km) to the tailwater of Little Goose Dam
Little Goose Lock and Dam
Little Goose Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete, run-of-the-river dam in Columbia and Whitman counties in the state of Washington, on the Snake River. The dam is located northeast of the town of Starbuck, and north of Dayton....
. It has a surface area of 6,590 acres (27 km²), a maximum storage capacity of 432000 acre.ft, normally kept at 377000 acre.ft.
As the reservoir filled in 1968, it flooded several archaeological sites, including the Marmes Rockshelter
Marmes Rockshelter
The Marmes Rockshelter is an archaeological site first excavated in 1962, near the confluence of the Snake and Palouse Rivers, in Franklin County, southeastern Washington. This rockshelter is remarkable in the level of preservation of organic materials, the depth of stratified deposits, and the...
, which contained the oldest known artifacts in Washington, dating back over 10,000 years.