Wanapum Dam
 Wanapum Dam is located on the Columbia River, six miles downstream of Vantage, 18 miles upstream of Priest Rapids Dam and 415 miles above the mouth of the river.
The dam was named Wanapum in honor of the band of Native Americans who lived and continue to live along a stretch of the Columbia River from Vantage south toward Pasco, Washington.
Wanapum Dam was financed by long-term revenue bonds that were retired through the sale of power. No tax money or government appropriations were used for construction of Priest Rapids or Wanapum dams.
| Construction Start |
July 1959 |
| Power Generation Began |
July 1963 |
| General Construction Contract Cost |
$93,277,690 |
| Length |
8,320 feet |
| Maximum Height from Deepest Excavation Point |
185 feet |
| Spillway Length |
820 feet |
| Amount of Tainter Gates |
12 (each gate is 50 feet X 68 feet) |
| Amount of Turbines |
10 |
| Horsepower of Each Turbine |
150,000 |
Wanapum Dam Images
Tours and Event Guidelines (pdf)
History of the Priest Rapids Project Video
Turbine Passage
Wanapum Fish Bypass
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