Chief Joseph Dam is a 5,962 foot (1,817.2 meter) long hydroelectricdam spanning the USA. The dam was authorized as Foster Creek Dam and Powerhouse for power generation and irrigation by the River and Harbor Act of 1946. The River and Harbor Act of 1948 renamed the project Chief Joseph Dam in honor of the Nez Perce chief who spent his last years in exile on the ColvilleIndian Reservation.
Construction began in 1949, with the main dam and intake structure completed in 1955. Installation of the initial generating units was completed in 1958. Eleven additional turbines were installed between 1973 and 1979, and the dam and lake were raised 10 feet, making Chief Joseph Dam the second largest hydropower producer in the U.S.
The reservoir behind the dam is named Rufus Woods Lake, and runs 51 miles (82.1 kilometers) up the river channel. Bridgeport State Park, on the lake, is adjacent to the dam.
ChiefJosephDam, constructed by the Corps of Engineers, is on the Columbia River in north-central Washington and is a key structure in the comprehensive development of the Columbia River Basin.
Toats Coulee Diversion Dam is a concrete structure with an ogee overflow section, and headworks for the main supply canal.
In 1950, a reconnaissance investigation was undertaken to establish a basic plan for irrigation of lands in the Okanogan Basin and lands along the Columbia River in the vicinity of ChiefJosephDam and the mouth of the Okanogan River.
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