Lower Baker Dam

Dam in Skagit County, Washington

48°32′51″N 121°44′28″W / 48.54750°N 121.74111°W / 48.54750; -121.74111StatusIn useOpening date1925Owner(s)Puget Sound EnergyDam and spillwaysType of damConcrete thick-archImpoundsBaker RiverHeight285 feet (87 m)Length550 feet (170 m)Spillway typeUncontrolled overflowReservoirCreatesLake ShannonTotal capacity161,470 acre-feet (199,170,000 m³)^[1]Catchment area250 square miles (650 km²)Surface area2,190 acres (890 ha)Power StationHydraulic head280 feet (85 m)Installed capacity79 MWAnnual generation344,850,000 KWh^[2]

Lower Baker Dam (or simply Baker Dam) is a dam across the Baker River one mile north of Concrete, Washington. It forms a reservoir called Lake Shannon which stretches 7.5 miles (12.1 km) upstream. The dam is operated by Puget Sound Energy as part of the Baker River Hydroelectric Project.^[3]

The dam has a thick arch design, and is 285 feet (87 m) high and 550 feet (170 m) long. It spans the Baker River in a narrow reach known as Eden Canyon, just above the river's confluence with the Skagit River. It is able to hold 161,470 acre-feet (199,170,000 m³) of water, of which 29,426 acre-feet (36,296,000 m³) is reserved for flood control. At full capacity the dam's hydroelectric plant can generate 79 megawatts of power.^[4] The other dam on this river, Upper Baker Dam, lies about 8 miles (13 km) upstream, and serves a similar purpose to Lower Baker.

References

^ "SKAGIT RIVER BASIN 112193000 LAKE SHANNON AT CONCRETE, WA" (PDF). wa.water.usgs.gov. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
^ "LOWER BAKER". carma.org. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
^ "3.3 Water Quantity" (PDF). Baker River Project, FERC No. 2150. Puget Sound Energy. March 2002. Retrieved 2011-01-17.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2013-07-28."Baker River Hydroelectric Project Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-06.