National Register of Historic Places

Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant

Newhalem, Whatcom County, Washington
Listed
June 29, 1989
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
89000498

About this property

Diablo Dam is one of three dams along the upper Skagit River in Whatcom County, Washington and part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project that supplies Seattle with some of its power needs. The dam was built in Diablo Canyon, a gorge of solid granite with vertical walls rising 160 feet (49 m) from the river bed, yet were less than 100 feet (30 m) apart. Construction began in 1927, and was completed in 1930. The dam began generating electricity in 1936. The town of Diablo was established to house the workers building the dam. The result was a power-generating dam that holds a reservoir known as Diablo Lake. At the time it was completed, Diablo Dam, at 389 feet (119 m), was the tallest dam in the world. As of 1951, water from the dam operated two main generators, each with a capacity of 64.5 MW. The dam and its original associated power generation infrastructure were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Location

Newhalem, Whatcom County, Washington
48.71468, -121.13628

Categories

INDUSTRYENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Skagit River and Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Projects (Boundary Increase)
Listed
1.2 mi
Sourdough Mountain Lookout
Industrial
2.3 mi
Skagit River and Newhalem Creek Hydroelectric Projects
Listed
3.4 mi
Gorge Hydroelectric Power Plants
Listed
4.1 mi
Devil's Corner Cliff Walk
Listed
4.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant listed on the National Register?

Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant?

Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant?

The period of significance for Diablo Hydroelectric Power Plant is recorded as the listed era.

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