Washington's water, through the ages

Schemes to irrigate central Washington have stalled and unraveled for more than a century. New efforts are underway to divert water from the Columbia or other sources, but uncertainty remains.

Section:Gallery

Sun., May 27, 2018

The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in the 1930s created jobs, electricity and irrigation for the Inland Northwest.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
Construction of the dam showing the upstream face in 1937.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam created jobs, electricity and irrigation for the Inland Northwest region.
Workers drill holes in the rock for some of the million and a quarter pouds of dynamite that were used to clear off a firm foundation for the Grand Coulee Dam.
From his official car, President Franklin D. Roosevelt inspected the Grand Coulee Dam in October of 1937. At the time it was the largest structure ever built by man. FDR is sitting on the far side in the back seat. With him were U. S. Reclamation Engineer Frank Banks (center) and Sen. Louis Schuellenbach.
Grand Coulee Dam, August 1936.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam created jobs, electricity and irrigation for the Inland Northwest region.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam from 1935 to 1940 created jobs, electricity and irrigation for the Inland Northwest region. Photo taken in 1939. Courtesy of Cosolidated Builders, Inc.

Courtesy Of Cosolidated Builders;Inc. Courtesy Of Cosolidated Builders, Inc.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam created jobs, electricity and irrigation for the Inland Northwest region.
Upstream face of the west bank concreted area.
The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
Michele Kiesz shows her family's original 1954 well that has since run dry. Jake Wollman of the Warden Hutterian Brethren stands in the background.

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A weir guides irrigation water through the East Low Canal of the Columbia Basin Irrigation District.

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Jed Crowther, left, and Craig Simpson, with the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District pose for a photo in a giant concrete pipe.

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A water pumping station will be built at the 47.5-mile point on the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District East Low Canal.

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