National Register of Historic Places

Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Power Plant

Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington
Listed
December 15, 1988
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
88002742

About this property

Glines Canyon Dam, also known as Upper Elwha Dam, was a 210-foot (64 m) tall concrete arch dam that impounded Lake Mills reservoir on the Elwha River in Clallam County, Washington. As of 2025, it is the tallest dam ever to be intentionally breached. Built in 1927, Glines Canyon Dam was located 13 miles (21 km) upriver from the mouth of the Elwha River at the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and about 8 miles (13 km) upriver from Elwha Dam. Both dams lay within Olympic National Park, established in 1938. The National Park Service demolished Glines Canyon Dam in 2014 as part of the restoration of the Elwha River (Elwha Dam was demolished in 2011–2012). The project was the largest dam removal in history until the restoration of the lower Klamath River in the 2020s.

Location

Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington
48.00294, -123.59969

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

Altair Campground Community Kitchen
Industrial
0.7 mi
Elwha Ranger Station
Industrial
1 mi
Elwah Campground Community Kitchen
Industrial
1.8 mi
Michael's Cabin
Industrial
4 mi
Humes Ranch Cabin (Boundary Increase)
Industrial
4.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Power Plant listed on the National Register?

Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Power Plant was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 15, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Power Plant?

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

What is the period of significance for Glines Canyon Hydroelectric Power Plant?

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

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