Brownlee Dam is a hydroelectric earth fill embankment dam in the western United States, on the Snake River along the Idaho-Oregon border (Washington County, Idaho in and Baker County in Oregon). In Hells Canyon at river mile 285, it impounds the Snake River in the Brownlee Reservoir.
Description
The dam is part of the Hells Canyon Project that also includes Hells Canyon Dam and Oxbow Dam, all built and operated by Idaho Power Company. The first and upper-most of the three dams, its contractor was Morrison-Knudsen of Boise. Filling started on , flooding the community of Robinette, Oregon.
The dam's powerhouse contains five generating units with a total nameplate capacity of 585.4 megawatts.
Lacking passage for migrating salmon and other migratory species, the three Hells Canyon Project dams blocked access by anadromous salmonids (and Pacific lamprey) to a stretch of the Snake River drainage basin from Hells Canyon Dam up to Swan Falls Dam (constructed in 1901). Prior to the construction of Brownlee Dam, Swan Falls prevented migrating salmon, lamprey and other species from reaching Shoshone Falls, which naturally prevents any upstream fish passage to the upper Snake River basin.
Heliport There is a private heliport, Brownlee Heliport , located near the dam.
See also
Brownlee, Oregon, the dam's namesake, was located about two miles upstream. List of dams in the Columbia River watershed List of dams and reservoirs in Idaho List of lakes of Oregon
References
External links
Brownlee Dam, Columbia Basin Research Brownlee Dam, Northwest Power and Conservation Council Brownlee Dam, Idaho Power