The people's voice., 1957-12-06
Expanding Horizons for the Columbia River

1SSf is 04 times the n1nIH TOW
of the winter of 1897. The average
six summer months flow sees 1870
of the water going to the ocean and
leaves only 27@o for the winter
months when power needs are
greatest.
So we must level the extremes in
flow. Hungry Horse Dam is perfect
dam and we use it as yardstick of
the job that must be done. We need
16 Hungry Horse dams to control
the Columbia River to the point
where the maximum flood is cut in
half.
In summer Hungry Horse catches
and holds the flood water, and then
in winter when generators are stand
ing idle in powerhouses along the
length of the river for lack of water
and when power needs are greatest,
then the valuable water is released
to work for the good of man. Hungry
Horse is dual purpose dam. 1t con-
verts the flood water into useful
power. 1t makes good water out of
bad water.
"KEY TO FULL DEVELOPMENT"
The key to the full development of
the Columbia River is upstream stor-
age. Ben Torpen, who knows more
about the Columbia River than any
other man, is our authority for the
statement that half the power po-
tential of the Columbia River de-
pends on upstream storage. In fact
our ability to build high dams and
create large upstream reservoirs is
one of the chief chronological devel-
opments which enables US to visualize
the greater power potential in the
Columbia River.
In 1921 the United States Geo
logical Survey estimated that the
power potential of the Columbia Riv-
er was only 10.4 million kilowatts.
By 1858 the Federal Power Commits
sion could list "a million kilowatts
or more than three times as much
Today l am suggesting that the Co.
lumbia River strictly as a matter of
physical or engineering capability
could produce so million kilowatts
or five times as much as the engi-
neers could visualize 36 years ago.
There are a great many factors
which are helping us to expand our
horizons of Columbia River power
potential. Let me quickly list them
for you.
First, we expect that so years from
now the Columbia River will produce
chiefly peaking power which is worth
about four times as much as dump
power. Thus the same kilowatt hour
will have a greater value or quality.
Fifty years from now we expect
that most of our energy will come
from atomic plants and our hydro
projects will carry the peak loads
Such peaking requires that we have
storage capacity and extra genera
;ors. This new thinking is already il
ustrated at the Ice Harbor Dam on
he Snake River which was author
zed in 1915 with four $4,000 XIV
generators but is now being built
or an ultimate six 10000 XIV gen.
,rators. Thus the generating capacity
las been more than doubled from
100000 to $4,000 XIV. This same
aising of the sights is going on at
practically every new dam that is
'eing built in the Columbia River
Basin.
Secondly, by putting in more gen
rators we receive more energy par
icuIarly during high water periods.
Thirdly, by leveling the flow of t
he river by means of upstream stor- {
ge we are able to pass more of the n
-ater through the turbines and less il
nd less wastefully over the spillway. t
A fourth factor which I believe d
ill be of increasing Importance in t.
aising our sights on the Columbia g
liver is presently only in the form
E legislative proposals and that is p
shift from an economic service life o
{ so years to $50 years. We would q
ill repay the dams over 50-year a
eriod but by taking into account the q
enefits after the so years we would r.
ore than double the benefit-cost m
tito and thus many dams which are
'esently considered to be uneconomic a