1908-06-03-sr-p7-little-falls-construction-started
June 03, 1908 Spokesman-Review Page 7:
RIVER, HARNESSED, PULLS GIANT LOAD
I. E. S. & AND W. W. P. PROJECT MEANS 80,000 ELECTRIC HORSEPOWER.
BIG PLANT AT LITTLE FALLS
Enterprise Now Under Way With Large Capacity Will Cost $1,000,000.
Within the next two years, with their present projects for increasing their production of power completed, the Inland Empire system and the Washington Water Power company will be developing more than 80,000 electric horsepower by the utilization of the water power of the Spokane river.
This means the doubling of the total power now developed by the Washington Water Power company's Spokane and Post Falls plants, which produce 31,000 horsepower, and the Inland Empire system's plant at Nine Mile, the present capacity of which is 10,000 horsepower.
The Washington Water Power company has started the preliminary work on the construction of a monster plant at Little Falls, 13 miles north of Reardan, which will develop 30,000 electric horsepower.
The plant completed will represent an outlay of nearly $1,000,000 and will be ready for operation in about two years, Its capacity will be almost equal to that of the Post Falls and Spokane plants combined. The plans contemplate the construction of a main and wing dam, the total length of which will be 800 feet, and the height sufficient to give a head of 68 feet, This will double the natural fall of the river at Little Falls.
The volume of water in the river at Little Falls is much greater than at Spokane, the flow being increased by the water of Deep creek, the Little Spokane river, Chamokane creek, Little Chamokane creek and other smaller streams.
The company has completed five houses at Little Falls which will be occupied by the employees permanently connected with the plant, and construction of buildings for housing the men employed on the construction will be started at once. To furnish good water for the employees the company is laying pipe lines to springs located from a half to two miles from the site of the plant.
With the Little Falls plant in operation the Washington Water Power company will be developing 61,000 horsepower by water and 20,000 horse- power by steam. It now is developing 11,000 horsepower by water and steam.
The Inland Empire system within the next year will increase the capacity of its power plant at Nine Mile by two units, or 10,000 horsepower, With the projected increases of electrical power realized, the total amount of power, electric and steam, produced by the companies will be more than 100,000 horsepower.
