Cushman Hydro Project

The Cushman Hydro Project provides clean, renewable energy with two dams and three powerhouses on the North Fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County.

As part of Tacoma Power’s federal license to operate the dams, we manage fisheries programs and facilities to help migrating fish move safely around the dams. This includes using nets to guide smolts toward a floating collector to prevent them from getting into the turbines. Once collected, we transport them 3 miles by truck and release them into the river. Learn more about our Cushman Fisheries Program and our wildlife program for the area.

The hydropower project also provides the following outdoor recreation opportunities:

• Skokomish Park at Lake Cushman (operated by the Skokomish Tribe)
• Big Creek Campground in the Olympic National Forest
• Staircase Campground in Olympic National Park
• Other U.S. Forest Service recreational facilities within the Olympic National Forest

For more information about the Cushman Hydro Project, see the following resources:

• Presentation (Dec. 6, 2018)
• Project Timeline
• Shoreline Q and A
• Recreation Q and A
• Fisheries Q and A
• Cultural Resources Handout

Videos

• Tacoma Report – first returns of spring Chinook
• First returns of spring Chinook
• Monitoring wood duck boxes (Please note this was filmed at Nisqually, but we also have wood duck boxes at Cushman.)
• First release of sockeye into Lake Cushman
• Cushman habitat improvements/wildlife cameras
• Curious cougar at Cushman

Photos

• First release of sockeye into Lake Cushman

News articles

• Kitsap Sun: Spring Chinook return to the Skokomish River to start a new salmon run
• The News Tribune: Dams powered Tacoma but killed off salmon runs. 92 years later the fish are back

For more information about the project, contact us at cushman@cityoftacoma.org.

Free group tours of Tacoma Power’s hydroelectric facilities are available by appointment to school, civic, business and recreational groups during regular working hours. To learn more about our tour program and to request a tour, please visit our main tour page.