Columbia River Basin Project: Dam Construction in the Pacific Northwest

Historical photographs of Columbia Basin Project and other dams constructed in the Pacific Northwest, 1933-1965

Contents: CRBP Collection Photos in PBS Documentary | PBS Documentary | Tech

CRBP Collection Photos in PBS Documentary

Several photos from this collection were used in the production of the PBS Documentary Grand Coulee Dam, which premiered as part of the American Experience series on April 3, 2012. The featured photos and the time they appear in the film are as follows:

Excavation (Site preparation)
'Excavation (site preparation)' Featured at 18:34
Breaking Rock [02] (Site preparation)
'Breaking Rock [02] (site preparation)' Featured at 45:16
Cleaning East Powerhouse Area (Spillway and drum gate construction)
'Cleaning East Powerhouse Area (Spillway and drum gate consctruction' Featured at 54:22

PBS Documentary

The PBS Documentary Grand Coulee Dam features the history of the Grand Coulee Dam in northeast Washington State. Constructed during the Great Depression, the dam and irrigation project was expected to “make the desert bloom” and bring a boost of hydropower to the entire region. While it did succeed in bringing clean power to the area, while also becoming one of the largest agricultural irrigation projects in the country, the dam leaves behind a complex and contentious legacy.

A copy of the DVD is available at the University of Idaho Library. Watch the first chapter of the documentary below to learn more.

For additional resources and information about the movie, visit the PBS website.

Technical Credits - CollectionBuilder

This digital collection is built with CollectionBuilder, an open source tool for creating digital collection and exhibit websites that is developed by faculty librarians at the University of Idaho Library following the Lib-Static methodology.

This site is built using CollectionBuilder-CDM which utilizes CONTENTdm APIs to create an engaging “skin” on top of an existing digital collection repository.

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Technical Specifications
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