Salmon Falls Dam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salmon Falls Dam
Salmon Falls Dam shortly after completion in 1910
Show map of Idaho Show map of the United States Location in Idaho##Location in United States
Country	United States
Location	Twin Falls County, Idaho
Coordinates	42°12′43″N 114°44′04″W / 42.21194°N 114.73444°W / 42.21194; -114.73444
Purpose	Irrigation
Opening date	1910
Owner(s)	Salmon River Canal Company
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete gravity arch
Impounds	Salmon Falls Creek
Height	217 ft (66 m)
Length	450 ft (140 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir
Total capacity	230,650 acre⋅ft (284,500 dam3)
Catchment area	1,610 sq mi (4,200 km2)
Surface area	3,400 acres (1,400 ha)
Maximum length	14 mi (23 km)

Salmon Falls Dam is a dam constructed across Salmon Falls Creek in Twin Falls County, Idaho, in the United States. Located about 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Twin Falls, the masonry arch-gravity dam is 217 feet (66 m) high and 450 feet (140 m) long, impounding up to 230,650 acre-feet (0.28450 km³) of water in Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir. When full, the reservoir extends for 17 miles (27 km) upstream, encompassing 3,400 acres (1,400 ha). The dam and reservoir control runoff from a drainage basin of 1,610 sq mi (4,200 km²).

The dam was built in 1910 to provide irrigation water storage, and is owned and operated by the Salmon River Canal Company. A secondary purpose is flood control: the dam has spilled floodwaters twice, in 1984 and 2017. Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir is also a popular recreational lake, and is considered one of the best fisheries in southern Idaho.

The dam was the third-largest dam in the world at the time of its construction. It was part of a major reclamation effort which partly failed due less water being available than planned, partly due to unexpected leakage of water through the lava rock used in the dam's construction.

The Milner Dam (1904) was more successful.

The Salmon Falls Tract, the associated reclamation project, was originally termed the Salmon River Tract, and the dam was named the Salmon Dam. That naming "was chosen over Salmon Falls because the project promoters believed it had more appeal, although the dam’s name was changed back to Salmon Falls".

Historic site

The Salmon Falls Dam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The listing included a contributing building and six contributing structures in addition to the dam itself, on 10 acres (4.0 ha). The dam's engineer was Andrew J. Wiley. The historic listing includes the dam, one building, and seven other structures.

Gallery

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  Salmon Falls Creek Dam viewed from the west

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  Salmon Falls Creek Dam viewed from the east

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  View south up the Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir from the east end of the Salmon Falls Creek Dam