Merwin Dam (also known as Ariel Dam
) is a concrete arch gravity-type
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
on the
Lewis River, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. It is located on the border between
Cowlitz County and
Clark County. Its reservoir is called
Lake Merwin.
On November 24, 1971, the dam was fully lit allegedly giving the skyjacker
D. B. Cooper
D. B. Cooper is a media epithet for an unidentified man who hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727 aircraft operated by Northwest Orient Airlines, in United States airspace on November 24, 1971. During the flight from Portl ...
an identifiable landmark when he jumped from a
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...
passenger liner. Cooper had ransomed 200,000 dollars from Federal Authorities after holding hostage the 727 and its passengers in Seattle.
[In Search Of..."D. B. Cooper" hosted by Leonard Nimoy, produced by Alan Landsburg c. 1979]
References
Dams in Washington (state)
PacifiCorp dams
Hydroelectric power plants in Washington (state)
Buildings and structures in Cowlitz County, Washington
Buildings and structures in Clark County, Washington
Dams completed in 1931
Energy infrastructure completed in 1931
Energy infrastructure completed in 1949
Energy infrastructure completed in 1958
Dams on the Lewis River (Washington)
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