Oxbow Dam is a hydroelectric

run-of-the-river Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...

rockfill

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 ...

in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

United States, on the Snake River in Hells Canyon (

river mile A river mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the river kilometer. They are analogous to vehicle roa ...

273) along the

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

border. Completed in 1961, it is part of the Hells Canyon Project that also includes Hells Canyon Dam and

Brownlee Dam Brownlee Dam is a hydroelectric earth fill embankment dam in the western United States, on the Snake River along the Idaho-Oregon border. In Hells Canyon at river mile 285, it impounds the Snake River in the Brownlee Reservoir. It is part of ...

, all built and operated by

Idaho Power Company Idaho Power Company (IPC) is a regulated electrical power utility. Its business involves the purchase, sale, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in eastern Oregon and southern Idaho. It is a subsidiary of IDACORP, Inc. The c ...

. The dam's powerhouse contains four generating units with a total nameplate capacity of . Lacking passage for migrating

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...

, the three Hells Canyon Project dams blocked access by anadromous salmonids to a stretch of the Snake River

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

from Hells Canyon Dam up to Shoshone Falls, which naturally prevents any upstream fish passage to the upper Snake River basin.

Heliport

Oxbow Heliport is a private , turf

heliport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...

owned by Idaho Power.FAA 5010 for OR83
/ref>

Notes

References

Oxbow Dam
Columbia Basin Research
Oxbow Dam
Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Oxbow Dam
Idaho Power

External links

{{Snake River Dams Dams completed in 1961 Buildings and structures in Adams County, Idaho Buildings and structures in Baker County, Oregon Dams in Idaho Dams in Oregon Idaho Power dams Dams on the Snake River Rock-filled dams 1961 establishments in Idaho 1961 establishments in Oregon

Heliport

See also

Notes

References

External links