There are more than 60 dams in the Columbia River watershed in the United States and Canada. Tributaries of the Columbia River and their dammed tributaries, as well as the main stem itself, each have their own list below. The dams are listed in the order as they are found from source to terminus. Many of the dams in the Columbia River watershed were not created for the specific purposes of water storage or flood protection. Instead, the primary purpose of many of these dams is to produce hydroelectricity. As can be seen in the lists, these dams provide many tens of gigawatts of power.
Major dam construction began in the early 20th century and picked up the pace after the Columbia River Treaty in the 1960s, by the mid-1980s all the big dams were finished. Including just the dams listed below, there are 169 dams in the watershed, with 14 on the Columbia, 20 on the Snake, seven on the Kootenay, seven on the Pend Oreille / Clark, two on the Flathead, eight on the Yakima, and two on the Owyhee. Averaging a major dam every , the rivers in the Columbia watershed combine to generate over 36,000 megawatts of power, with the majority coming on the main stem. Grand Coulee Dam is the largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, generating 6,809 megawatts, over one-sixth of all power in the basin.
In addition to providing ample power for the people of the Pacific Northwest, the reservoirs created by the dams have created numerous recreational opportunities, including fishing, boating, and windsurfing. Furthermore, by creating a constant flow and consistent depth along the river channel, the series of locks and dams have allowed for Lewiston, Idaho, to become the furthest inland seaport on the west coast of the United States. Despite the numerous benefits to humans that the dams have provided, a number of environmental consequences have manifested as a result of the dams, including a negative impact on salmonid populations of the basin.
The organization of the following lists begins with the Columbia River dams and is followed by dams on its tributaries (in order of length) and their respective watersheds. Additionally, the table of contents below is indented to indicate tributary status of each river.
Main stem Columbia River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Columbia Lake, BC) to mouth (Pacific Ocean, OR/WA).
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageMica Dam2,8051973BC HydroKinbasket LakeRevelstoke Dam2,4801984BC HydroRevelstoke LakeKeenleyside Dam1851968BC HydroRaised Arrow LakesGrand Coulee Dam6,8091941 / 1974 USBRFranklin D. Roosevelt LakeChief Joseph Dam2,6201955USACERufus Woods LakeWells Dam8401967Douglas PUDLake PaterosRocky Reach Dam1,2871961Chelan PUDLake EntiatRock Island Dam6601933Chelan PUDRock Island PoolWanapum Dam1,0921963Grant PUDLake WanapumPriest Rapids Dam955.61961Grant PUDPriest Rapids LakeMcNary Dam1,133 / border1954USACELake WallulaJohn Day Dam2,485 / border1971USACELake UmatillaThe Dalles Dam2,038 / border1957USACELake CeliloBonneville Dam1,190 / border1937 / 1981 USACELake Bonneville
Snake River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Two Oceans Plateau, WY) to mouth Columbia River, WA. NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageJackson Lake Dam01911 / 1916 / 1989USBRJackson LakePalisades Dam176.61957USBRPalisades ReservoirGem State Dam22.61982City of Idaho FallsAmerican Falls Dam112.41927 / 1978USBRAmerican Falls ReservoirMinidoka Dam28.51909-1942USBRLake WalcottMilner Dam59.51905Milner Dam, Inc.Milner LakeTwin Falls Dam52.91935 / 1995Idaho Power CompanyTwin Falls ReservoirShoshone Falls Dam641907Idaho Power CompanyShoshone Falls ReservoirUpper Salmon Falls Dam34.51937 / 1947Idaho Power Company Upper Salmon Falls ReservoirLower Salmon Falls Dam601910 / 1949Idaho Power CompanyLower Salmon Falls ReservoirBliss Dam751950Idaho Power CompanyBliss ReservoirC. J. Strike Dam82.81952Idaho Power CompanyC. J. Strike ReservoirSwan Falls Dam25 1901Idaho Power CompanySwan Falls ReservoirBrownlee Dam585 / border1959 / 1980Idaho Power CompanyBrownlee ReservoirOxbow Dam220 / border1961Idaho Power CompanyOxbow ReservoirHells Canyon Dam450 / border1967Idaho Power CompanyHells Canyon ReservoirLower Granite Dam9321975 / 1987 USACELower Granite LakeLittle Goose Dam9321970USACELake BryanLower Monumental Dam9301969USACELake Herbert G. WestIce Harbor Dam6931961 / 1976 USACELake Sacajawea
Salmon River dams
Little Salmon River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (north West Mountain, ID) to mouth (Salmon River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageGoose Lake Dam (Goose Creek)01924Ca Campbell CompanyGoose LakeBrundage Dam (Brundage Creek(Goose Creek))01989Brundage Reservoir CompanyBrundage Reservoir
Owyhee River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (near Double Mountain, NV) to mouth (Snake River, OR/ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageWild Horse Dam01937 / 1969BIAWild Horse ReservoirAntelope Reservoir Dam (Antelope Creek (Jordan Creek))01923Jordan Valley Irrigation DistrictAntelope ReservoirOwyhee Dam5,8,21932USBRLake Owyhee
South Fork Owyhee River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (north Tuscarora Mountains, NV) to mouth (Owyhee River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageWilson Reservoir Dam (Wilson Creek)0Petan CompanyWilson ReservoirBull Run Dam (Bull Run Creek)0Petan CompanyBull Run ReservoirDry Creek Dam (Indian Creek)0Petan CompanyDry Creek ReservoirRawhide Reservoir Dam (Indian Creek)0Petan CompanyRawhide ReservoirSheep Creek Dam (Sheep Creek)01966United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, Shoshone and Paiute TribesSheep Creek ReservoirChimney Creek Dam (Fourmile Creek)0Roaring Springs AssociatesDesert Ranch Reservoir
Malheur River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Logan Valley, OR) to mouth (Snake River, OR/ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageWarm Springs Damproposed 2.71919United States Bureau of ReclamationWarm Springs ReservoirAgency Valley Dam (North Fork Malheur River)proposed 2.01935United States Bureau of ReclamationBeulah ReservoirHarper Diversion Dam01930United States Bureau of ReclamationHarper Diversion PoolBully Creek Dam (Bully Creek)01963United States Bureau of ReclamationBully Creek ReservoirBully Creek Diversion Dam (Bully Creek)01964United States Bureau of ReclamationBully Creek Diversion PoolWillow Creek Reservoir #3 Dam (Willow Creek)01944Orchard Water CompanyMalheur Reservoir
Grande Ronde River dams
Wallowa River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (near Pete's Point, Eagle Cap Wilderness, OR) to mouth (Grande Ronde River, OR)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageWallowa Lake Dam01931Associated Ditch CompaniesRaised Wallowa Lake
Powder River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (confluence of McCully Fork and Cracker Creek, OR) to mouth (Snake River, OR/ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageMason Damproposed 3.41968United States Bureau of ReclamationPhilips LakeThief Valley Dam01932United States Bureau of ReclamationThief Valley Reservoir
Blackfoot River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (confluence of Diamond and Lanes Creeks, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageBlackfoot Dam01911United States Bureau of Indian AffairsBlackfoot Reservoir
Henrys Fork dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Henrys Lake, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageHenrys Lake Dam01923North Fork Reservoir CompanyRaised Henrys LakeIsland Park Dam4.81938United States Bureau of ReclamationIsland Park ReservoirBuffalo River Dam (Buffalo River)0.251980Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.Buffalo Dam PoolAshton Dam6.851913PacifiCorpAshton Dam LakeChester Dam (Crosscut Diversion Dam)3.31938Fremont-Madison Irrigation DistrictChester Dam Pool
Fall River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Pitchstone Plateau, WY) to mouth (Henrys Fork, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageGrassy Lake Dam (Grassy Creek)01939United States Bureau of ReclamationGrassy Lake
Portneuf River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (southeast of Higham Peak, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImagePortneuf Dam01912Portneuf-Marsh Valley Canal CompanyChesterfield Reservoir
Salmon Falls Creek dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Jarbidge Mountains, NV) to mouth (Snake River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageSalmon Falls Dam01911Salmon River Canal Company, Ltd.Salmon Falls Creek ReservoirCedar Creek Dam (Cedar Creek)01920Cedar Mesa Reservoir And Canal CompanyCedar Creek Reservoir
Boise River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (confluence of North and Middle Forks Boise River, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID/OR)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageArrowrock Dam151915United States Bureau of ReclamationArrowrock ReservoirLucky Peak Dam101.251955United States Army Corps of EngineersLucky Peak LakeBoise River Diversion Dam3.31908United States Bureau of ReclamationBoise River Diversion Dam PoolBarber Dam4.141904Ada County and Fulcrum Inc.Barber Dam Pool
South Fork Boise River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (confluence of Ross Fork and Johnson Creek, ID) to mouth (Boise River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageAnderson Ranch Dam401947United States Bureau of ReclamationAnderson Ranch ReservoirLittle Camas Dam (Little Camas Creek)01912Mountain Home Irrigation DistrictLittle Camas Reservoir
Goose Creek dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (near Monument Peak, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageOakley Dam01916Oakley Canal CompanyLower Goose Creek Reservoir
Weiser River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (near Brush Mountain, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID/OR)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageLost Valley Dam (Lost Creek(West Fork Weiser River))01929Lost Valley Reservoir CompanyLost Valley ReservoirC Ben Ross Dam (Little Weiser River)01937Little Weiser River Irrigation DistrictBen Ross ReservoirCrane Creek Dam (Crane Creek)01912Crane Creek Reservoir Administration BoardCrane Creek ReservoirMann Creek Dam (Mann Creek)01967United States Bureau of ReclamationMann Creek Reservoir
Burnt River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (confluence of North and South Fork Burnt Rivers, OR) to mouth (Snake River, OR/ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageUnity Damproposed 0.81938United States Bureau of ReclamationUnity Reservoir
Willow Creek dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (Blackfoot Mountains, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID)
NameHeightCapacity (MW)Province/State(s)CoordinatesYear of completionOwnerReservoir formedImageRirie Dam01977United States Bureau of ReclamationRirie Reservoir
Payette River dams Dams are listed in order from headwater (confluence of South and Middle Forks Payette River, ID) to mouth (Snake River, ID/OR)