Idaho isn't all about potatoes...

You know Idaho just isn’t about growing potatoes?

Did you know Idaho has the largest dam built in Western Hemisphere?

We recently took a trip to Orofino, ID to visit the Dworshak Dam and Reservoir.  It was truly massive and amazing to understand the reason it was built.

Apparently the river would flood every spring and Nez Perce Indians learned to live with the flood cycle. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition visited the Indians on their way to the Pacific Ocean. They were looking for lumber to build canoes. Other settlers came to the area, but as the years past and the flooding continued, they were unable to build a homestead.

In 1973, Congress agreed to build the dam to help with flood control, hydropower production, and natural resource management. It took 7 years and $327 million dollars to complete. The dam is a helpful resource to the Columbia-Snake River. The dam controls a drainage area of 2,500 square miles in the Clearwater Basin.

The hydropower market can yield more than $50 million in revenues annually. Some of that income is used to repay the U.S. Treasury for the construction costs.

There are three hydroelectric generators in the powerhouse, one rated 220, 000 kilowatt capacity and two with 90,000 kilowatt capacities.   

The area is a wonderful recreational source for fishing, boating, camping, swimming, and hiking.  We were not able to participate in these activities, but we will certainly return.

Along with the Dam, Orofino has the oldest Ponderosa in existence. It has been serving customers for 57 years and still going.

I hope you enjoy our adventures in Idaho.