Cushman 2: Skokomish River North Fork, WA
Owner: Tacoma Power
Type: Municipal
Year Started: 1930
Location: Skokomish River North Fork
State: Washington
Capacity: 81 MW
FWEE Member Website
Just downstream of Cushman Dam No. 1 is Cushman Dam No. 2. Completed in 1930, and forming the small 150-acre Kokanee Lake, this dam measures 235 feet above bedrock and is 575 feet in length.
The powerhouse for Cushman No.2 sits several miles below the dam, overlooking scenic Hood Canal along U.S. Highway 101; the powerhouse attracts hundreds of visitors every year. Electricity moves from the Cushman Hydro Project to Tacoma on a 40-mile-long transmission line. Construction of the Tacoma Narrows transmission line crossing was a notable engineering achievement of the time. Stretching more than a mile and a quarter between towers in Tacoma and Gig Harbor, the power lines were the longest single span in the world.
On Jan. 12, 2009, Tacoma Power, the Skokomish Tribe and state and federal agencies signed a settlement agreement that resolves a $5.8 billion damages claim and long-standing disputes over the terms of a long-term license for Cushman Hydroelectric Project.