1908-06-02-sc-p1-work-started-on-little-falls-dam
June 02, 1908 Spokane Daily Chronicle Page 1:
Work Has Begun Already on a Huge Electric Plant.
Washington Water Power Company to Double Its Present Capacity.
A hydro-electric power station, larger than any ever yet constructed in the northwest, having a capacity of 30,000 horsepower, will be added to the power equipment of the Washington Water Power company early in the summer of 1910. The gigantic plant is now under construction and work is to be rushed forward rapidly. It will require nearly two years to build the plant and it will cost nearly a million dollars.
The new station will be located at the point known as Little Falls, on the Spokane river, about 13 miles north of Reardan. Here the company has been quietly acquiring property for many months. Their plans have been so carefully guarded that the actual construction of the colossal plant was fairly under way before any intimation was given to any one outside of the officials of the corporation that a big plant was to be constructed at this point.
Equal to Two Big Plants.
Some idea of the capacity of the station is conveyed by the announcement that it will have almost the capacity of the Post Falls and Spokane plants combined.
The plant will consist of four units of 5000 kilowatts each, which is equivalent to approximately 30,000 horse power.
The main dam and the wing to the same will be about 800 feet long. The construction of the dam will give a head of 68 feet, which accounts for the enormous power of the plant. The natural fall of the river at Little Falls is 34 feet.
Will Have Enormous Power.
The flow of the river at Little Falls is greatly in excess of the flow at Spokane. Between this city and the site of the new station, Deep creek, the Little Spokane river, Chamokane creek, Little Chamokane creek and several smaller streams flow into the Spokane river and add greatly to the volume of water.
When the new station is completed, in the summer of 1910, the Washington Water Power company will have developed in all its plants 61,000 horse power of hydraulic power, and 20,000 horse power of steam power, a total of 81,000 horse power. It now has a total of 61,000 hydraulic and steam power.
Five modern houses for the use of the men who will be permanently employed at the new plant have already been built at Little Falls. These buildings will be used to house the men employed in building the new plant.
