Wynoochee: Wynoochee River, WA
Owner: City of Aberdeen, Tacoma Power
Type: Municipal
Year Started: 1994
Location: Wynoochee River
State: Washington
Capacity: 12.8 MW
FWEE Member Website
The dam, owned by the City of Aberdeen, is located in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains in Grays Harbor County. In 1972, it was built by the Corps of Engineers to provide flood control, industrial water storage for the City of Aberdeen, and water irrigation. It also supports the river’s fishery.
Tacoma Power built a powerhouse one-quarter mile downstream from the dam. The powerhouse began generating electricity in 1994 and produces about 30 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to serve 2,100 Northwest homes. It has a Russian built turbine and generator, the first dam on U.S. soil to do so.