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Wells

Description

Wells Dam is located in Douglas County, WA, approximately 8 miles from the town of Pateros in the Mid-Columbia River. It is operated by the Douglas County PUD and was completed in 1969. The design of the project is unique because the generating units, spillways, switchyard, and fish passage facilities are combined in one structure called the hydrocombine. Most of the energy generated by Wells Dam is sold to other utilities including Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric, PacificCorp, and Avista. The project enters relicensing this year.

 

Water Quality Issues: ?

 

Fishery Values: Salmon and steelhead.

 

Threatened/Endangered: ?

 

Recreational Values: Boating, fishing.

 

Other Values: Located in a scenic area of the Columbia River.

Issues

In February 2006 Congressman Doc Hastings of Washington’s 4th Congressional district introduced HR 4789, the Douglas County, Washington PUD Conveyance Act, which would cede all federal lands within the Wells Project boundary to the Douglas County PUD. In doing so, this act would cancel all rights that the federal government currently has to impose mandatory environmental conditions on the project. It currently sits with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The dam will enter relicensing this year. Wells was the first hydropower project with a Habitat Conservation Plan, an agreement between various state and federal fisheries agencies, American Rivers, and the Douglas County PUD that commits the PUD to ensure the project had no net impact on mid-Columbia salmon and steelhead runs.

Map

Milestones

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