IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1374 

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Grand Coulee Dam and recognizing its critical role in the national and economic security of the 

United States and the contributions of hydroelectric power to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 24, 2008 

Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS (for herself, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. 

SMITH of Washington, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. 

REICHERT, Mr. DICKS, Mr. MCDERMOTT, and Mr. BAIRD) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Grand Coulee 

Dam and recognizing its critical role in the national 

and economic security of the United States and the 

contributions of hydroelectric power to the reduction of 

greenhouse gas emissions. 

Whereas the Grand Coulee Dam was one of the largest public 

construction projects of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘‘New Deal’’, in response to the Great Depression; 

Whereas construction of the Grand Coulee Dam began in the 

summer of 1933 and was completed in 1942; 


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•HRES 1374 IH 

Whereas 107 individuals lost their lives during the construction process; 

Whereas the Grand Coulee Dam became the largest concrete 

structure in the world, with 12 million cubic yards of 

concrete—enough to build a sidewalk around the Earth 

twice; 

Whereas during World War II electricity from the Grand 

Coulee Dam was needed to run the aluminum plants that 

supported the production of ships and planes; 

Whereas forecasts of energy shortages in the 1960s led to the 

construction of a 3rd power plant at the Grand Coulee 

Dam, more than doubling its generating capacity; 

Whereas the 3 primary purposes of the Grand Coulee Dam 

are generating 6.5 million kilowatts of electricity, supplying water for irrigation as part of the Columbia Basin 

Project, and providing much-needed flood control to the 

Columbia River Basin; 

Whereas the Columbia Basin Project includes 300 miles of 

canals and more than 3,000 miles of irrigation ditches, 

which supply water to 500,000 acres of farmland, an 

area twice the size of the State of Delaware; 

Whereas the crops grown on this farmland are worth more 

than $500 million per year; and 

Whereas the Grand Coulee Dam is the cornerstone of the 

electric power system in the State of Washington and the 

largest hydroelectric power facility in North America: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the 

3 Grand Coulee Dam; 


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•HRES 1374 IH 

1 (2) honors the sacrifice of the 107 individuals 

2 who lost their lives during the construction of the 

3 Grand Coulee Dam; and 

4 (3) recognizes that— 

5 (A) the Grand Coulee Dam continues to 

6 play a critical role in the national and economic 

7 security of the United States by providing vital 

8 electric power and crop irrigation; 

9 (B) hydroelectric power is a clean, renew10 able resource that is emissions-free and plays a 

11 major role in controlling emissions of green12 house gases; and 

13 (C) having clean, affordable hydroelectric 

14 power helps reduce the reliance of the United 

15 States on foreign oil imports and supports the 

16 successful wind power industry in the North17 western United States by ensuring the avail18 ability of electricity in the absence of sufficient 

19 wind power. 

Æ 


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