Finishing the Job: 1938 - 1950

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  • March 18, 1938. With the foundation complete, work begins on the dam structure.
  • Beginnings of Kaiser Permanente
  • 1939: Seventy-seven people died in accidents during the construction of Grand Coulee Dam.
  • Construction of underground pipes.
  • Camp Ferry was a floating camp for WPA workers. It accommodated 140 men, and was used to clear shore lands which were inaccessible except by water.
  • Concrete is poured in blocks which are five feet deep and 50 feet square.
  • By 1941, the dam is essentially completed, the Left Powerplant is constructed, and the foundations are in place for the Right Powerplant and pumping plant.
  • By 1950 work is almost complete on the irrigation pump system. In May 1951, the dam's pumps start to feed water into Banks Lake.

Contact
Grand Coulee Visitor Center
(509) 633-9265
pninfo@usbr.gov


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Last Updated: 10/2/23