Little Goose Dam, Hydroelectric dam on Snake River in Whitman County and Columbia County, United States.
Little Goose Dam is a concrete dam on the Snake River that combines a hydroelectric power station with a navigation lock, straddling the boundary between Whitman County and Columbia County in Washington State. The dam backs up the river to form Lake Bryan, a long reservoir that stretches upstream and is visible from the roads running along the bank.
Construction started in 1963 under the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the dam went into operation in 1970 with three generating units. It was one of several dams built along the Snake River as part of a federal program to open the river to barge traffic and generate power.
The dam sits in a region where Indigenous tribes fished for salmon for generations, and the river here still draws people who come to fish from the shoreline. The area around Lake Bryan is used today for boating and recreational fishing, giving the site a quiet working-river feel.
Several viewpoints along the shore of Lake Bryan give a clear view of the dam and are accessible for most of the year, though winter conditions can make the roads slippery. Visiting in spring or fall tends to give the best experience and a good chance of seeing barges moving through the lock.
The dam is regularly discussed as a candidate for removal to help restore salmon migration along the Snake River, making it one of the few active dams in the country where dismantling is a live debate. The question has drawn attention from tribes, fishing communities, and environmental groups for decades.
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