Fish Barrier Dam

Fish Barrier Dam is a concrete dam located in Skagit County, Washington, built in 1959. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Fish Barrier Dam

The primary purpose of Fish Barrier Dam is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Puget Sound Energy (private). It impounds the Baker River near Concrete.

The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 150 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 84 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 215 square miles. Completed in 1959, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/12/2022.

At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% of dams nationwide.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateWashington
CountySkagit
Nearest CityConcrete
River/StreamBaker River
Coordinates48.53940, -121.74370

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeConcrete
NID Height36 ft
Dam Height19 ft
Dam Length150 ft
Year Completed1959 (67 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage84 acre-ft
Max Storage84 acre-ft
Normal Storage84 acre-ft
Surface Area7 acres
Drainage Area215 sq mi
Max Discharge35,000 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeHydroelectric
OwnerPuget Sound Energy
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection07/12/2022
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDWA00769
Federal IDWA00769
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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