Boundary Dam

This article is about the dam in Washington. For the dam in Saskatchewan, see Boundary Dam Reservoir.
Boundary Dam
Boundary Dam is located in Washington (state)
Boundary Dam
Location of Boundary Dam in Washington (state)
CountryUnited States
LocationPend Oreille County, Washington
Coordinates48°59′14″N 117°20′51″W / 48.98722°N 117.34750°W / 48.98722; -117.34750
StatusOperational
Opening date1967[1]
Owner(s)City of Seattle[1]
Dam and spillways
Type of damArch-gravity
ImpoundsPend Oreille River
Height340 ft (100 m)[1]
Length740 ft (230 m)[1]
Reservoir
Total capacity95,000 acre⋅ft (117,000,000 m3)[1]
Catchment area25,200 sq mi (65,000 km2)[1]
Surface area1,668 acres (6.75 km2)[1]
Power Station
Installed capacity1,003.25 MW[2]
Annual generation3,587 GWh[3]

Boundary Dam is a concrete arch gravity-type hydroelectric dam, finished in 1967, on the Pend Oreille River, in the U.S. state of Washington. The dam is located in the northeast corner of Washington state. It is operated by Seattle City Light[4] and makes up a significant portion of the City of Seattle's energy portfolio. On average, it provides upwards of 46% of the power generated by Seattle City Light. Boundary Powerhouse, located adjacent to the dam, is completely built inside of the rock that makes up the left abutment of the dam itself. It has a nameplate capacity of just over 1 gigawatt of generation. The component of the hydroelectric project were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

The 1997 film The Postman was partially filmed at the dam. A facade of the town (Bridge City in the film) appeared on the face of the dam for a period of time that year.[5]

Climate

Climate data for Boundary Dam, Washington, 1991–2020 normals: 1837ft (560m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 32.6
(0.3) 		38.3
(3.5) 		47.5
(8.6) 		58.0
(14.4) 		67.2
(19.6) 		72.4
(22.4) 		83.6
(28.7) 		84.6
(29.2) 		72.9
(22.7) 		55.7
(13.2) 		40.3
(4.6) 		32.2
(0.1) 		57.1
(13.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 26.7
(−2.9) 		29.9
(−1.2) 		37.1
(2.8) 		45.3
(7.4) 		54.0
(12.2) 		60.1
(15.6) 		67.8
(19.9) 		67.2
(19.6) 		57.8
(14.3) 		45.2
(7.3) 		34.2
(1.2) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		46.0
(7.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 20.9
(−6.2) 		21.5
(−5.8) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		32.6
(0.3) 		40.9
(4.9) 		47.8
(8.8) 		52.0
(11.1) 		49.8
(9.9) 		42.6
(5.9) 		34.6
(1.4) 		28.1
(−2.2) 		21.4
(−5.9) 		34.9
(1.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.10
(79) 		1.98
(50) 		2.35
(60) 		2.21
(56) 		2.60
(66) 		3.18
(81) 		1.42
(36) 		0.81
(21) 		1.32
(34) 		2.40
(61) 		3.23
(82) 		3.60
(91) 		28.2
(717)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 18.50
(47.0) 		7.70
(19.6) 		3.40
(8.6) 		0.10
(0.25) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.10
(0.25) 		6.80
(17.3) 		18.20
(46.2) 		54.8
(139.2)
Source: NOAA[6]


See also


References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Boundary Dam Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, NPDP Dam Directory
  2. ^ "Seattle City Light - Boundary Hydroelectric Project | Home". Archived from the original on 2018-08-12. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  3. ^ "Carbon Monitoring for Action".
  4. ^ "Seattle City Light: Boundary Project". Archived from the original on 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  5. ^ Seattle Municipal Archives – Boundary Dam
  6. ^ "Boundary Dam, Washington 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved August 14, 2023.