372:
29:
810:
347:. Because of increasing water needs of large paper mills and factories, the city switched its water supply to the Sultan River basin via the tributary Chaplain Creek. The Chaplain Reservoir was created in 1929 with the completion of an earthfill dam, and later raised in 1942. This supply proved insufficient as well, so engineers looked to tap the main stem of the Sultan River, where an excellent dam site had been identified.
838:
824:
314:
and other migratory fish in the Sultan River by depleting gravel and sediment needed to line the riverbed. The dam's operator counters that
Culmback Dam dramatically reduces flooding events, benefiting fish populations and the surrounding communities. The dam was named in honor of George Culmback, a
406:
The Sultan River, formed by the convergence of the North Fork of the Sultan River and Elk Creek, enters the lake from the east. Additional major contributors are the South Fork, which forms an arm of the lake close to
Stickney Ridge, and Williamson Creek, which enters from the north at the base of
427:. This water supply consists of two lakes, the other being the much smaller, 17,000-acre-foot (21,000,000 m) Lake Chaplain on Chaplain Creek, a tributary of the Sultan River. Most of the flow of the Sultan River is diverted at the dam into a 8-mile (13 km) penstock that flows to the 112
355:
6.5 miles (10.5 km) downstream on the Sultan River. Phase 2, completed in 1984, involved raising the dam 62 feet (19 m) to its present height, quadrupling the reservoir capacity. The second phase also included the pipeline connecting Spada Lake to a new hydroelectric powerhouse and
350:
The
Culmback Dam was built in two stages, or phases. Phase 1, which began in 1960 and ended in 1965, involved building the dam to a height of 200 feet (61 m), impounding a 40,000-acre-foot (49,000,000 m) reservoir. The construction done during this phase served to replace the smaller,
442:
From Lake
Chaplain, the water flows in four 4-foot (1.2 m) diameter pipes towards Everett. During flood events, water is also discharged back into the Sultan River through Chaplain Creek and the Sultan River Fresh-water Return Line. The Culmback Dam is able to discharge water through an
391:. Although the broad valley in which the reservoir now lies predates the last Ice Age, the canyon in which the dam was built was formed only about 1 million years ago, when the Sultan River was interrupted by the 1-mile (1.6 km) thick
459:
The area around the dam and Spada Lake is visited by 5,000 people annually for a variety of recreational activities, including boating, hiking, fishing, and kayaking. The lake has two boat launches and prohibits combustion engines.
777:
330:
to a powerhouse further downstream on the Sultan River. From the powerhouse, some water is returned to the river, and some is diverted to Lake
Chaplain, where the water enters the Everett water supply system.
876:
431:(MW) Jackson powerhouse further downstream, with an elevation drop of 1,165 feet (355 m). At the powerhouse, the water feeds four turbine/generator units, consisting of two 47.5 MW
866:
784:
891:
298:. Built in 1965, the dam is 640 feet (200 m) long at the crest and 262 feet (80 m) high. Its reservoir, Spada Lake, provides water for 70 to 75 percent of
886:
546:
479:
507:
861:
537:
439:. The water from the Pelton turbines is released directly into the Sultan River, while the rest of the water is piped to Lake Chaplain.
752:
723:
571:
647:
58:
881:
542:
698:
303:
424:
599:
672:
871:
371:
843:
295:
46:
310:
of clean energy to
Snohomish county. Some critics charge that the dam has strongly impacted the runs of
447:
that has a capacity of 62,000 cubic feet (1,800 m) per second, which is sufficient to handle the
815:
392:
319:
109:
483:
420:
323:
113:
28:
376:
327:
239:
360:
511:
451:
flow of the Sultan River, which is calculated at 47,000 cubic feet (1,300 m) per second.
408:
299:
42:
727:
436:
400:
344:
291:
232:
575:
448:
396:
384:
252:
211:
180:
651:
33:
The reservoir, Spada Lake, seen from the air, with the dam on the left end of the lake
855:
388:
352:
279:
258:
221:
829:
432:
287:
227:
128:
837:
340:
603:
532:
805:
676:
73:
60:
823:
444:
428:
307:
245:
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and is operated by the PUD. Water from Spada Lake is diverted through a
753:"Spada Lake is a tranquil spot for a leisurely picnic, paddle or hike"
311:
370:
339:
Prior to 1917 the City of
Everett received its water supply from
283:
699:"After 90 years, salmon are returning to upper Sultan River"
624:
395:, which rerouted the river from its original watershed, the
387:
of 84 square miles (220 km) on the west slope of the
363:
to re-open the upper Sultan River basin to spawning fish.
877:
Buildings and structures in
Snohomish County, Washington
419:
Spada Lake is part of the water supply of the City of
600:"Foundation for Water and Energy-Testing the waters"
399:. The river eroded a narrow gorge to empty into the
359:
In June 2016, the PUD began demolition of the dam's
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38:
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383:Culmback Dam and Spada Lake received water from a
867:Hydroelectric power plants in Washington (state)
572:"Everett, Washington Water Supply- Culmback Dam"
625:"Snohomish County PUD- Jackson Hydro Project"
8:
474:
472:
27:
18:
892:1965 establishments in Washington (state)
746:
744:
642:
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175:165,774 acre⋅ft (204,479,000 m)
547:United States Department of the Interior
887:Energy infrastructure completed in 1965
468:
594:
592:
356:from there to the Chaplain Reservoir.
724:"EverettWashington.org- Sultan River"
7:
697:Winters, Chris (February 13, 2017).
566:
564:
562:
502:
500:
435:-type turbines, and two 8.4 MW
423:, Washington, serving 80 percent of
538:Geographic Names Information System
480:"Everett Water System-Culmback Dam"
16:Dam in Snohomish County, Washington
14:
751:Loerch, Jessi (August 15, 2014).
836:
822:
808:
335:Construction and other additions
185:84 sq mi (220 km)
543:United States Geological Survey
508:"Jackson Hydro Project-History"
648:"City of Everett Water Supply"
276:Snoqualmie National Forest Dam
1:
403:, forming an ideal dam site.
151:Elevation at crest
673:"History Lesson in Everett"
318:The Dam is co-owned by the
908:
862:Dams in Washington (state)
778:"Sultan River Flood Flows"
216:1,165 ft (355 m)
154:1,450 ft (440 m)
315:former mayor of Everett.
193:1,870 acres (760 ha)
26:
146:640 ft (200 m)
844:Renewable energy portal
240:Installed capacity
138:262 ft (80 m)
90:Construction began
882:Dams completed in 1965
445:inverted-bell spillway
415:Water supply and power
380:
278:) is a large rockfill
253:Annual generation
374:
351:22-foot (6.7 m)
343:, a tributary of the
306:, providing 112
304:Jackson Hydro Project
290:, a tributary of the
816:United States portal
514:on November 21, 2007
486:on September 5, 2008
393:Laurentide Ice Sheet
375:The Sultan River at
320:Snohomish County PUD
203:Commission date
110:Snohomish County PUD
74:47.9753°N 121.6865°W
272:George Culmback Dam
270:(also known as the
181:Catchment area
172:Total capacity
70: /
757:The Everett Herald
703:The Everett Herald
381:
377:Sultan, Washington
79:47.9753; -121.6865
409:Big Four Mountain
282:and water supply
264:
263:
190:Surface area
120:Dam and spillways
98:Opening date
899:
872:Rock-filled dams
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799:
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795:
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783:. Archived from
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748:
739:
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736:
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726:. Archived from
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675:. Archived from
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631:
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602:. Archived from
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510:. Archived from
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482:. Archived from
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437:Francis turbines
425:Snohomish County
300:Snohomish County
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43:Snohomish County
31:
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401:Skykomish River
369:
345:Snohomish River
337:
324:City of Everett
292:Skykomish River
230:
114:City of Everett
112:
78:
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34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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819:
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769:
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664:
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533:"Culmback Dam"
524:
496:
467:
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456:
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449:100-year flood
416:
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397:Pilchuck River
385:drainage basin
368:
365:
336:
333:
302:and feeds the
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212:Hydraulic head
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54:
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40:
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24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
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6:
4:
3:
2:
904:
893:
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868:
865:
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860:
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845:
839:
834:
831:
825:
820:
817:
806:
790:on 2011-10-06
786:
779:
773:
770:
758:
754:
747:
745:
741:
730:on 2007-10-31
729:
725:
719:
716:
704:
700:
693:
690:
679:on 2010-06-13
678:
674:
668:
665:
654:on 2011-10-06
653:
649:
643:
641:
637:
626:
620:
617:
606:on 2008-06-03
605:
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578:on 2007-10-31
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389:Cascade Range
386:
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366:
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357:
354:
353:diversion dam
348:
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280:hydroelectric
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198:Power Station
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96:
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83:
55:
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48:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
830:Water portal
792:. Retrieved
785:the original
772:
760:. Retrieved
756:
732:. Retrieved
728:the original
718:
706:. Retrieved
702:
692:
681:. Retrieved
677:the original
667:
656:. Retrieved
652:the original
628:. Retrieved
619:
608:. Retrieved
604:the original
580:. Retrieved
576:the original
550:. Retrieved
536:
527:
516:. Retrieved
512:the original
488:. Retrieved
484:the original
458:
441:
418:
405:
382:
358:
349:
338:
317:
288:Sultan River
275:
271:
268:Culmback Dam
267:
265:
257:418 million
129:Sultan River
22:Culmback Dam
341:Woods Creek
226:2x 47.5 MW
106:Operator(s)
77: /
65:121°41′11″W
53:Coordinates
856:Categories
794:2009-02-21
734:2009-02-21
683:2009-02-21
658:2009-02-20
630:2009-02-12
610:2009-02-20
582:2009-02-20
552:2009-02-22
518:2009-02-21
490:2009-02-20
464:References
455:Recreation
296:Washington
231:2x 8.4 MW
167:Spada Lake
62:47°58′31″N
47:Washington
361:sluiceway
308:megawatts
159:Reservoir
762:March 2,
708:March 2,
429:megawatt
328:pipeline
322:and the
222:Turbines
125:Impounds
39:Location
421:Everett
286:on the
274:or the
233:Francis
164:Creates
433:Pelton
312:salmon
228:Pelton
143:Length
135:Height
788:(PDF)
781:(PDF)
294:, in
764:2019
710:2019
367:Site
266:The
244:112
206:1983
101:1965
93:1960
284:dam
259:KWh
858::
755:.
743:^
701:.
639:^
591:^
561:^
545:,
541:.
535:.
499:^
471:^
411:.
246:MW
45:,
797:.
766:.
737:.
712:.
686:.
661:.
633:.
613:.
585:.
555:.
521:.
493:.
379:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
