O'Sullivan Dam (National ID # WA00268), one of the largest earthfill
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, aqua ...
s in the United States (200 ft/61 m high; 19,000 ft/5,791 m long; completed 1949), is on
Crab Creek 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 so ...
of
Washington, about 45 km south of
Ephrata and 25 km south of
Moses Lake.
The
Potholes Reservoir formed by this dam collects return flows from all
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
in the upper portion of the project for reuse in the southern portion. A system of wasteways has been built on both the West and East Low Canals to provide operational safety for the
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
s and a means of delivering water into Potholes Reservoir to supplement the natural and return flow
The dam was built as part of the
Columbia Basin Project
The Columbia Basin Project (or CBP) in Central Washington (state), Washington, United States, is the irrigation network that the Grand Coulee Dam makes possible. It is the largest water reclamation project in the United States, supplying irrigat ...
.
Statistics
*Active storage capacity:
*Structural height of dam: 200.0 ft (60 m)
*Construction date: 1947-1949
*Normal water surface elevation: 1052.0 ft (320.6 m)
*
Drainage area
A drainage basin is an area of land in which 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, th ...
: 3,920.0 sq mi (10,153 km²)
*Storm duration: 72 hr
See also
*
Columbia Basin Project
The Columbia Basin Project (or CBP) in Central Washington (state), Washington, United States, is the irrigation network that the Grand Coulee Dam makes possible. It is the largest water reclamation project in the United States, supplying irrigat ...
External links
O'Sullivan Dam*
{{coord, 46, 58, 57, N, 119, 17, 28, W, display=title
Dams in Washington (state)
Buildings and structures in Grant County, Washington
Dams completed in 1949
United States Bureau of Reclamation dams