Salmon Falls Dam
| Salmon Falls Dam | |
|---|---|
 Salmon Falls Dam shortly after completion in 1910 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Twin Falls County, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 42°12′43″N 114°44′03″W / 42.21194°N 114.73417°WCoordinates: 42°12′43″N 114°44′03″W / 42.21194°N 114.73417°W |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Opening date | 1910 |
| Owner(s) | Salmon River Canal Company |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete gravity arch |
| Impounds | Salmon Falls Creek |
| Height | 217 ft (66 m)[1] |
| Length | 450 ft (140 m)[1] |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 230,650 acre·ft (284,500 dam3)[1] |
| Catchment area | 1,610 sq mi (4,200 km2)[1] |
| Surface area | 3,400 acres (1,400 ha)[1] |
| Max. length | 14 mi (23 km) |
Salmon Falls Dam is a dam constructed across Salmon Falls Creek in Twin Falls County, Idaho in the United States. Located about 25 miles (40 km) south of Buhl, the masonry arch-gravity dam is 217 feet (66 m) high and 450 feet (140 m) long, impounding up to 230,650 acre feet (0.28450 km3) of water in Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir.[1] When full, the reservoir extends for 17 miles (27 km) upstream, encompassing 3,400 acres (1,400 ha). The dam and reservoir control runoff from a drainage basin of 1,610 sq mi (4,200 km2).[1]
The dam was built in 1910 to provide irrigation water storage, and is owned and operated by the Salmon River Canal Company.[2] A secondary purpose is flood control: the dam has never spilled floodwaters with the exception of the heavy snowmelt of 1984.[3] Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir is also a popular recreational lake, and is considered one of the best fisheries in southern Idaho.[4]
Gallery
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Salmon Falls Creek Dam viewed from the west
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Salmon Falls Creek Dam viewed from the east
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View south down the Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir from the east end of the Salmon Falls Creek Dam
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Salmon Falls Dam". National Performance of Dams Program. Stanford University. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
- ↑ "History". Salmon River Canal Company. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
- ↑ Clawson, Jenifer (March 2006). "Salmon Falls Creek Water Quality Report". State of Idaho Agriculture. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
- ↑ "Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir". Burley Recreation. U.S Bureau of Land Management. 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2012-08-18.