Lucky Peak Dam
| Lucky Peak Dam | |
|---|---|
|
aerial view in June 1997 | |
  Location in southwest Idaho | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Ada County, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 43°31′42″N 116°3′11″W / 43.52833°N 116.05306°WCoordinates: 43°31′42″N 116°3′11″W / 43.52833°N 116.05306°W[1] |
| Purpose | Flood control, irrigation |
| Construction began | 1949 |
| Opening date | 1955 [2] |
| Construction cost | $19 million (1955) |
| Owner(s) |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [2] |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Boise River |
| Height | 340 ft (104 m) [2] |
| Length | 2,340 ft (713 m) [2] |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lucky Peak Lake |
| Total capacity | 307,000 acre feet (379,000,000 m3) [2] |
| Catchment area | 2,680 square miles (6,940 km2) [2] |
| Surface area | 2,820 acres (11.4 km2) [2] |
| Normal elevation | 3,050 ft (930 m) |
| Power station | |
| Commission date | 1988 |
| Turbines |
2 x 45 MW, 1 x 11 MW Kaplan-type [3][4] |
| Installed capacity | 101 MW |
| Annual generation | 321,790,000 KWh |
Lucky Peak Dam is a rolled earth and gravel fill embankment dam in the United States, located on the Boise River in Ada County, Idaho. It is directly downstream of Arrowrock Dam, a concrete arch dam completed in 1915. This dam was designed by Mary Smith (a local architect). At the time of its construction in the early 1950s, Lucky Peak's primary purpose was flood control, with a secondary purpose of irrigation.[2] The normal operating elevation of the full reservoir is 3,055 feet (931 m) above sea level, the empty reservoir's elevation (Boise River) is 2,824 feet (861 m).[5]
Construction began in November 1949 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the dam was operational in 1955 and its resulting reservoir is Lucky Peak Lake. Most of the federal dams in southern Idaho, including the others on the Boise River, were built by the Bureau of Reclamation, not the Corps of Engineers. The Idaho Power Company, a private utility, built multiple hydroelectric dams on the Snake River.
It is located along State Highway 21, 10 miles (16 km) upstream from the city of Boise. Originally built without hydroelectric power generation, the construction of the Lucky Peak powerhouse was begun in 1984 and became operational in 1988, generating electricity primarily for Seattle City Light.[6]
The dam was named after a nearby mountain in the Boise Range; the summit of Lucky Peak mountain reaches to an elevation of 5,904 feet (1,800 m), about four miles (6 km) north of the dam.[7]
The dam forms Lucky Peak Lake and is surrounded by Lucky Peak State Park.
Clifford Riddle was brought in after numerous unsuccessful blasting attempts to drive a road through the pass (and loss of lives). The road which now leads up through Lucky Peak and into the dam is due to his successful efforts.
Gallery
Lucky Peak Dam
Lucky Peak Lake from Idaho highway 21
Lucky Peak Lake in April 2010
References
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lucky Peak Dam
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lucky Peak Dam, NPDP Dam Directory
- ↑ "Service Projects Summary". AEHydro. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ↑ "Hydropower". Barker Rosholt & Simpson, LLP. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ↑ USACE - Lucky Peak - Pertinent Data
- ↑ USACE - Lucky Peak Lake
- ↑ "Lucky Peak". idahoalpinezone.com. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
External links
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Lucky Peak Dam & Rec'n Area
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Idaho facilities
- Seattle City Light - a brief history
- Bureau of Reclamation - major storage reservoirs in the Boise & Payette River basins - current levels & flows