During the twentieth century, the United States viewed large hydroelectric dams as signs of progress, and as symbols of American technological superiority and modernity. In 1932, the Army Corps of Engineers submitted a 2,000-page report which called for the construction of 10 large dams on the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. The report described the benefits of these dams, including improved navigation routes, electric power, irrigation water, and flood control. Boosters of the project promised that the electricity generated by the dams would change the culture of the area and bring in new, innovative industries. There was no concern for any possible impact on the Indian nations which have lived along the river for thousands of years.
In 1934, Congress authorized the construction of Grand Coulee Dam which would flood Spokan and Colville tribal lands in Washington.
For many unemployed workers, including many who were living in shanty towns known as Hoovervilles, the construction of Grand Coulee Dam meant an opportunity to work. An army of workers travelled to the site, many of them riding freight trains and then hitchhiking to get there. Many had only a bedroll and a change of clothes. Some came in broken down cars with all of their belongings stacked in the back.
In 1940, the dam was completed, and the reservoir began to fill. Today, Grand Coulee Dam is the largest hydropower producer in the United States. It is approximately 1 mile long, 550 feet high, and 500 feet thick.
The Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center tells the story of the dam.
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