Swan Falls Dam
Encyclopedia
Swan Falls Dam is a concrete gravity type hydroelectric
dam
on the Snake River
, in the U.S. state
of Idaho
. It is located near Murphy, Idaho
.
The dam was built in 1901 to generate electricity. It is the oldest hydroelectric dam on the Snake River. In the 1990s the original power plant was replaced with a new one. The dam was built with fish passage facilities, but they proved to be very poor in performance. For this reason, among others, the C. J. Strike Dam
, built upriver from Swan Falls Dam in the early 1950s, was not equipped with fish passage facilities. Thus the two dams combined to become the first artificial barrier to anadromous fish migration up the Snake River. Today Hells Canyon Dam
is the first total barrier to fish migration on the Snake.
The dam and its reservoir lie within the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
. The dam and power plant were listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on 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...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. It is located near Murphy, Idaho
Murphy, Idaho
Murphy is an unincorporated census-designated place in Owyhee County, Idaho, United States. The county seat of Owyhee County, it is one of the smallest county seats nationwide. As of the 2010 census, its population was 97....
.
The dam was built in 1901 to generate electricity. It is the oldest hydroelectric dam on the Snake River. In the 1990s the original power plant was replaced with a new one. The dam was built with fish passage facilities, but they proved to be very poor in performance. For this reason, among others, the C. J. Strike Dam
C. J. Strike Dam
C. J. Strike Dam is an earth-fill type hydroelectric dam on the Snake River, just below the Bruneau River confluence, in the U.S. state of Idaho. Its location is near Grand View, Idaho. Its impoundment extends up the Snake River and 12 miles up the Bruneau River.The dam's powerplant has a...
, built upriver from Swan Falls Dam in the early 1950s, was not equipped with fish passage facilities. Thus the two dams combined to become the first artificial barrier to anadromous fish migration up the Snake River. Today Hells Canyon Dam
Hells Canyon Dam
Hells Canyon Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Snake River in Hells Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border. The dam impounds the Snake River in Hells Canyon Reservoir; its spillway elevation is above sea level....
is the first total barrier to fish migration on the Snake.
The dam and its reservoir lie within the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
The Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area has one of the densest populations of nesting raptors. The National Conservation Area is located south of Boise, Idaho along of the Snake River, and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The NCA covers...
. The dam and power plant were listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.