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566:, a tributary of the Snake, demolishing several towns along its path. In an attempt to contain this flood, water was released from American Falls Dam as quickly as possible. If the dam were to fail, the other Snake River dams would experience a flood they were not designed to cope with, although the lower
400:
from vents. One lava dam a few miles downstream from the present
American Falls Dam formed a reservoir in which more than 80 feet (24 m) of sediments (clay, silt, and sand) were deposited. This series of basalt flows and original sediments were covered by the new lake bed sediments and are named
585:
communities opposed expansion as it would further flood the lands of the Fort Hall
Bottoms. Native Americans have inhabited this region for at least 10,000 years and the area is an important resource for them. Many scientists were opposed as well because of the loss of natural habitat and access to
538:
The existing dam is the second structure to be called the
American Falls Dam. Core samples taken in the early 1960s of the concrete of the original structure revealed deterioration resulting in impaired durability and strength caused by a chemical reaction between components of the concrete. The
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was signed into law and federal funds from the sale of public lands became available to create and maintain irrigation projects in the
Western United States. The first power plant was built in 1902 on the falls and was acquired by the
539:
solution was to replace the original dam with a second dam built downstream in 1978. Replacement of the original dam was authorized by a congressional act of
December 28, 1973 (87 Stat. 904, Public Law 93-206). In 1976, the
494:
Damming the rivers became the preferred method for harnessing the abundant water of the western rivers. The reservoirs could then provide year-round downstream irrigation via canals, even during traditional low water times.
522:
The first dam at
American Falls was begun in 1925 by the Bureau of Reclamation and was completed in 1927. The river was temporarily impounded while the new concrete structure was put in place. The
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441:. The topography near the river is gently rolling, with differences in elevation of less than two hundred feet (60 m). The original falls occur where the river
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482:(1894) paved the way for private investment in irrigation projects. By 1895, the American Falls irrigation project came before the Idaho State Land Board. In 1902 the
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about fifty feet (15 m) in several 6-to-10-foot (2 to 3 m) drops over highly jointed basalt. The final drop is a plunge of about fifteen feet (4.6 m).
474:
in the early 1880s. It was named for the waterfall on the Snake River near the settlement. During the last part of the 19th century, privately financed irrigation
923:"An act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities of the Minidoka project to the Burley Irrigation District, and for other purposes"
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allowed that the property valuation should include the value of the streets and improvements which would need to be replaced in the substitute site.
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392:(called the Raft Formation) lie beneath most of the present-day American Falls Reservoir. At other times the Snake River was dammed completely by
388:, over one million years ago. Much of the basin filled with fine sand, silt, and gravel; then the dam was breached and the lake drained. These
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and are used primarily for flood control, irrigation, and recreation. When the original dam was built in the 1920s by the
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353:, the residents of American Falls were forced to relocate three-quarters of their town to make room for the reservoir.
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A second dam was completed in 1978 and the original structure was demolished. Although the dam itself is located in
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by the government to appropriate the original townsite in 1923 resulted in several lawsuits. One in particular,
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were created to sustain the emerging agriculture industry in southern Idaho and other parts of the west. The
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dams would most likely survive. The
American Falls reservoir filled, but its level did not even rise to its
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bridge over the river had to be raised to allow for crossing the new reservoir. This dam was designed by
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American Falls Water, Power & Light
Company, Island Power Plant, American Falls, Power County, ID
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the Snake River Group and the
American Falls Lake Beds. These events occurred up until the late
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1051:", 55 photos, 3 measured drawings, 4 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
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Nelson, Bryce (1968). "Expansion of Idaho reservoir: Indians, scientist on the warpath".
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Water resources of the
Aberdeen – Springfield area, Bingham & Power Counties, Idaho
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716:. Water Information Bulletin. Boise: Idaho Department of Water Administration.
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failed during filling, causing spring snowmelt to race downstream into the
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in the basalt and modify the lake bed sediments until the present time.
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The United Press. Builder of Grand Coulee To Retire and Live Near It.
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1035:
Data from American Falls Dam (downstream) from the Teton Dam Failure
405:, less than one million years ago. The Snake River has continued to
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with a capacity to produce 112,420 kilowatts (112 MW) of
360:, its reservoir also stretches northeastward into both
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dam created a broad shallow lake in the area of the
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808:"Irrigated Agriculture Idaho's Economic Lifeblood"
764:. Cambridge, Idaho: Backeddy Books. p. 261.
835:. Supreme Court of the United States. 1923-11-12
577:When the second dam was planned, members of the
1224:Buildings and structures in Power County, Idaho
810:. Idaho Water Users Association. Archived from
1025:American Falls Dam at US Bureau of Reclamation
466:Plans for Power House on American Falls (1902)
1209:Historic American Engineering Record in Idaho
1070:
191:United States Bureau of Reclamation
8:
783:
781:
630:List of dams in the Columbia River watershed
445:narrows to about 600 feet (180 m) and
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1063:
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341:. The dam and reservoir are a part of the
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52:
18:
1249:United States Bureau of Reclamation dams
1014:
854:"Construction of the American Falls Dam"
1259:Energy infrastructure completed in 1978
640:
252:1,671,300 acre⋅ft (2.0615 km)
1040:Construction of The American Falls Dam
1030:American Falls Dam at Idaho Public TV
649:"United States Bureau of Reclamation"
470:The city of American Falls was first
7:
1045:Historic American Engineering Record
429:The dam at American Falls is on the
1214:Hydroelectric power plants in Idaho
437:of 4,357 feet (1,328 m) above
833:"BROWN v. U S, 263 U.S. 78 (1923)"
14:
928:. 105th Congress. 1997. p. 6
679:Building Big (Television Program)
504:BROWN v. U S, 263 U.S. 78 (1923)
612:
598:
82:
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51:
44:
27:
586:fossil records of the Bottoms.
707:Castelin, Paul M. (May 1974).
1:
947:"Idadho PTV – American Falls"
260:4,354 ft (1,327 m)
66:Show map of the United States
1234:Lakes of Power County, Idaho
985:10.1126/science.159.3811.173
788:Idaho Power – American Falls
223:5,277 ft (1,608 m)
425:American Falls (circa 1902)
1275:
524:Oregon Short Line Railroad
351:U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
231:42.5 ft (13.0 m)
1093:
518:American Falls Dam (1947)
38:
26:
673:Macaulay, David (2000).
547:which consists of three
543:built the dam's current
484:National Reclamation Act
244:American Falls Reservoir
1229:Dams on the Snake River
1047:(HAER) No. ID-2, "
620:Renewable energy portal
294:Installed capacity
171:Construction began
1254:Dams completed in 1978
1020:
900:. 1998. Archived from
858:Digital Atlas of Idaho
558:In 1976, the upstream
519:
467:
426:
215:94 ft (29 m)
155:42.78083°N 112.87556°W
33:Aerial view of the dam
1018:
898:Bureau of Reclamation
883:, September 12, 1950.
762:Idaho for the Curious
760:Conley, Cort (1982).
517:
465:
424:
313:concrete gravity-type
257:Normal elevation
675:"American Falls Dam"
160:42.78083; -112.87556
1219:Reservoirs in Idaho
894:"Minidoka project'"
541:Idaho Power Company
489:Idaho Power Company
277:Idaho Power Company
249:Total capacity
151: /
1133:Lower Salmon Falls
1128:Upper Salmon Falls
1021:
1019:American Falls Dam
880:The New York Times
806:Chapman, Sherl L.
793:2009-12-19 at the
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468:
427:
309:American Falls Dam
110:American Falls Dam
22:American Falls Dam
16:Dam in Idaho, U.S.
1191:
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979:(3811): 173–176.
431:Snake River Plain
347:Snake River Plain
305:
304:
228:Width (base)
197:Dam and spillways
179:Opening date
97:Show map of Idaho
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1244:Idaho Power dams
1239:Minidoka Project
1178:Lower Monumental
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384:during the late
343:Minidoka Project
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362:Bingham County
327:American Falls
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62:United States
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1173:Little Goose
1163:Hells Canyon
1143:C. J. Strike
1112:
1098:Jackson Lake
976:
972:
966:
955:. Retrieved
951:the original
941:
930:. Retrieved
917:
906:. Retrieved
902:the original
888:
878:
873:
862:. Retrieved
857:
848:
837:. Retrieved
827:
816:. Retrieved
812:the original
801:
761:
755:
744:
733:. Retrieved
726:the original
709:
702:
691:. Retrieved
687:the original
678:
668:
657:. Retrieved
653:the original
643:
606:Water portal
576:
557:
537:
521:
503:
497:
493:
469:
428:
375:
358:Power County
355:
308:
306:
119:Power County
91:Location in
1086:Snake River
683:WGBH Boston
564:Teton River
545:power plant
498:The use of
403:Pleistocene
339:Snake River
273:Operator(s)
206:Snake River
187:Operator(s)
158: /
146:112°52′32″W
134:Coordinates
1198:Categories
1183:Ice Harbor
1148:Swan Falls
957:2009-12-23
932:2007-03-31
908:2007-04-01
864:2007-03-31
839:2007-03-31
818:2007-04-01
735:2007-04-01
693:2007-03-30
659:2005-11-20
636:References
549:generators
382:Raft River
335:river mile
182:1978, 1927
174:1976, 1925
143:42°46′51″N
1108:Gem State
1103:Palisades
993:0036-8075
560:Teton Dam
534:1960–1978
510:1925–1960
491:in 1916.
480:Carey act
458:1880–1925
439:sea level
435:elevation
417:Geography
390:sediments
236:Reservoir
1153:Brownlee
1118:Minidoka
791:Archived
590:See also
579:Shoshone
572:spillway
447:cascades
398:extruded
386:Pliocene
284:Turbines
202:Impounds
115:Location
1001:5634906
973:Science
722:3186303
583:Bannock
574:crest.
472:platted
453:History
443:channel
411:channel
372:Geology
345:on the
320:western
318:in the
241:Creates
1123:Milner
999:
991:
860:. 2002
768:
720:
476:canals
433:at an
396:flows
394:basalt
220:Length
212:Height
1158:Oxbow
1138:Bliss
926:(PDF)
729:(PDF)
714:(PDF)
407:erode
333:, on
331:Idaho
311:is a
124:Idaho
93:Idaho
1088:Dams
997:PMID
989:ISSN
766:ISBN
718:OCLC
581:and
409:its
378:lava
364:and
307:The
298:112
262:AMSL
128:U.S.
981:doi
977:159
316:dam
1200::
995:.
987:.
896:.
856:.
780:^
681:.
677:.
555:.
530:.
376:A
368:.
329:,
300:MW
126:,
1078:e
1071:t
1064:v
1003:.
983::
960:.
935:.
911:.
867:.
842:.
821:.
774:.
738:.
696:.
662:.
288:3
121:,
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