Opening date 1930 Impounds Skagit River Height 119 m Catchment area 2,857 km² Impound Skagit River | Type of dam Concrete arch-gravity Length 1,180 ft (360 m) Opened 1930 Surface area 4.006 km² | |
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Location Washington, United States Total capacity 88,500 acre·ft (109,200,000 m) Similar Diablo Lake, Cascade Range, Skagit River Hydroele, Ross Dam, Ross Lake | ||
Diablo Dam is one of three dams along the upper Skagit River in Whatcom County, Washington and part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project that supplies Seattle with a large proportion of its power needs. Work was begun in 1917 on a six-mile tunnel through Diablo Canyon and subsequent construction of a powerhouse. Work crews had to overcome extreme weather and mountain conditions, while Seattle City Light officials had to deal with politics and diplomacy. The dam was completed in 1930, and began generating electricity in 1936.
Map of Diablo Dam, Rockport, WA 98283, USA
The result was a power-generating dam that holds a reservoir known as Diablo Lake. At the time it was completed, Diablo Dam, at 389 feet, was the tallest dam in the world. Water from the dam operates two main generators, each with a capacity of 64.5 MW.
The dam was one of the places to help inspire a location in the video game Alan Wake.