LaGrande Dam, one of two dams on the Nisqually River, generates enough electricity to power nearly 25,000 Northwest homes each year. In 1945, Tacoma Power built LaGrande Dam two miles down river from Alder Dam, which was also constructed that year. LaGrande Dam feeds water to a unique powerhouse built in 1912. Tacoma Power updated the powerhouse in 1945 by adding a 40,000-kilowatt generator to the original four 6,000-kilowatt units.

LaGrande Dam is 217 feet high and 710 feet long. The reservoir behind the dam covers 45 acres and 3.5 miles of shoreline. It’s not publicly accessible because of the steep, rugged terrain that surrounds it.

In the 1.7-mile-long stretch of river between LaGrande Dam and its powerhouse, Tacoma Power maintains a continuous flow of water to enhance chinook and coho salmon spawning habitat.