| Cowlitz Falls Dam | |
| Coordinates: | 46.4668°N -122.1088°W |
| Country: | United States |
| Location: | Lewis County, Washington |
| Status: | Operational |
| Opening: | 1994 |
Cowlitz Falls Dam is a 70 megawatt hydroelectric dam in Lewis County, Washington. It was constructed in the early 1990s and completed in 1994. The dam is 140feet high and 700feet wide.[1]
Its reservoir, Lake Scanewa, is located at the confluence of the Cowlitz River and Cispus River downstream of Randle, Washington with a surface area of about 700 acres. The lake is accessible by way of the Cowlitz Falls Park, a day use area situated near the junction with the Cispus River.[2]
The Cowlitz Falls Project impounds the Cowlitz River and produces on average 260 gigawatt hours annually for the local public utility, the Lewis County Public Utility District, or about one-third of its annual electrical needs.[1] The facility was developed jointly with the Bonneville Power Administration, and the BPA bears the direct cost of operating and maintaining the dam.[3]