What is Grand Coulee Dam?
[[Image:Grand_Coulee_Dam.jpg|thumb|right]] The '''Grand Coulee Dam''' is a dam on the [[Columbia River]] in the [[United States]] state of [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. The dam forms [[Lake Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. The dam was built between 1933 and 1942, with a new power plant added between 1997 and 1974. The dam is operated by the [[U.S. Bureau of Reclamation]]. Grand Coulee Dam is {{convert|168|m|ft}} high and {{convert|1592|m|ft}} long. The lake behind it can hold more than {{convert|12|km3|acre feet}} of water. The dam provides water for agriculture in Central Washington. Water is pumped from Lake Roosevelt to [[Banks Lake]], located in the [[Grand Coulee]]. From there it runs by gravity to [[irrigation|irrigate]] about {{convert|2700|km2|acre}} of fertile farmland. Incorporated in the late 1940s and early 1950s, this scheme is known as the [[Columbia Basin Project]]. Grand Coulee also produces [[hydroelectricity]]. In fact, it is the largest electric-power producing facility in the United States. At full load the dam can produce 6,809 [[megawatt]]s or enough for 5 million typical American households. The dam was an important source of power for factories during [[World War II]]. Today, it provides much of the cheap electric power for the [[Pacific Northwest]]. Among other benefits include [[flood]] control for the lower Columbia River and recreational boating and fishing on Lake Roosevelt. As a consequence of the dam's construction, the [[reservoir]] flooded large tracts of [[Native American]] lands. [[Salmon]] can no longer migrate to the upper Columbia River system. ==Other websites== *[http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Columbia%20Basin%20Project Columbia Basin Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215125327/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Columbia%20Basin%20Project |date=2015-02-15 }} – Bureau of Reclamation *[http://www.nwcouncil.org/history/grandcouleehistory/ Grand Coulee Dam] – Northwest Power and Conservation Council [[Category:Da