North Dam


North Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam near the town of Grand Coulee in Grant County, Washington, United States. Construction of the dam began in 1946 and it was completed in 1951. Along with Dry Falls Dam about to the southeast, North Dam creates the reservoir Banks Lake within the ancient Grand Coulee riverbed. The lake serves as the equalizer reservoir of the Columbia Basin Project. Near the North Dam's left abutment is the entrance to the feeder canal of the project. The canal serves to either deliver water to the Pump-generating plant at Grand Coulee Dam or return water to Banks Lake from the same pumped-storage plant.
The North Dam, near the town of Grand Coulee, has a maximum height of and a crest length of. Crest elevation of both dams is, and the maximum water level in Banks Lake is elevation. Both North and Dry Falls dams have of freeboard for protection against wave action due to high winds.