Grand Coulee Dam Photo Gallery

(Exteriors Page)


Various shots of the exterior of the dam including day, night and aerial shots. All photos are stored in JPEG format to provide good color and image quality in a minimum amount of space. Photos are 1024 pixels in length measured on the long axis and take up approximately 100kB of storage.

All photos were taken by the author unless otherwise noted.



138kB JPEG (1024 x 705)
Dam Overview
This is an overview of the front of the dam taken from the Crown Point lookout in September of '95. Lake Roosevelt can be seen behind the dam. At right center you can see part of the town of Coulee Dam.

63kB JPEG (1024 x 712)
Dam Overview (night):
Same vantage point as above only at night.

136kB JPEG (1024 x 675)
Third Powerhouse and Forebay Dam:
This photo was taken from below the Visitor Arrival Center in September of '95. Unlike the other two powerhouses, which have their penstocks burried in the main dam structure, the six penstocks of the third powerhouse are external and can clearly be seen. The ramp for the inclined tour elevator can be seen running above the fifth penstock from the top of the forebay dam to the powerhouse. The power lines visible above the river were installed in 1983 after a fire in the dam's cable gallery damaged the conduits which normally carry electricity from the powerhouse to the switchyard. The power lines are not presently used but were left in place to serve as a backup.

74kB JPEG (1024 x 704)
Third- and Right Powerhouses:
This night shot of the third- and right powerhouses was taken from below the Visitor Arrival Center in September of '95.

65kB JPEG (1024 x 712)
Close-up of Third Powerhouse:
Night shot of the third powerhouse taken from the East bank of the river in September of '95

67kB JPEG (1024 x 714)
Third Powerhouse and Forebay Dam:
This is a telephoto shot of the third powerhouse and forebay dam taken at night from Crown Point in September of '95.

125kB JPEG (1024 x 712)
Back Side of the Dam:
This is a shot from the hill west of the dam near the head of the feeder canal. The front face of the forebay dam and third powerhouse can be seen in the center of the picture. Part of the town of Coulee Dam can be seen to the left. Photo was taken in September of '95.

150kB JPEG (1024 x 825)
Project Overview:
This is an aerial shot taken of the dam and the surrounding region. The picture features Grand Coulee Dam in the center with a good view of Lake Roosevelt behind. Cresent Bay can be seen at top center surrounded by the city of Grand Coulee. To the right of the dam (west) are the 12 steel outlet tubes which carry water from Lake Roosevelt into the irrigation project. The feeder canal, which supplys water to Banks Lake, the equalizing reservoir for the upper irrigation project, is clearly visible in the upper right. The Visitor Arival Center is at right center and the southern tip of the city of Coulee Dam is at lower right. The photo was taken in August of '86 and is provided courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

78kB JPEG (1024 x 825)
Spillway Close-Up:
This is a close up of the spillway taken from the east side of the river. There is no associated date but it obviously predates the construction of the third powerhouse. Photo provided courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

This page is maintained by Charles Hubbard as a private effort. Mr. Hubbard is in no way associated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or the Columbia Basin Project.

Created: September 19, 1995
Modified: April 20, 1996