Wells Dam

The Wells Hydroelectric Project operated by the Douglas County PUD has a unique hydrocombine design that incorporates the powerhouse, spillway, switchyard and fish facilities into one unit instead of many separate structures. The hydrocombine structure is 1,165 feet in length and the dam is 4,460 feet long overall. The dam has ten generating units rated at a combined 840 megawatts. Eleven gated spillway openings have the ability to pass over 8,800,000 gallons of water per second.

The Wells Hydroelectric Project was built with fish ladders on both ends of the dam to facilitate the upstream migration of adult salmon and steelhead. One of the ladders is equipped with a trapping mechanism to aid biologists in the study of fish and to help enhance propagation of the fish.

The Wells Dam Hatchery is one of two hatcheries in the Columbia Basin dedicated to the enhancement of the important summer Chinook salmon stocks. Adult summer Chinook are collected for broodstock in July and August. They may be seen in the holding ponds at the Wells Hatchery during those months. Juvenile summer Chinook are released from the hatchery in April and June. Approximately 3 million juvenile salmon and steelhead are released annually into the Columbia River and tributaries above Wells Dam.

Wells Dam is located in North Central Washington between Seattle and Spokane at river mile 515.8 on the Columbia River. It can be reached by driving north from Wenatchee along Highway 97 up the Columbia River.

Contact the WVCVB at 800-572-7753 or marcia@wenatcheevalley.org for information.