LaGrande Dam
LaGrande Dam is the downstream dam in Tacoma Power’s Nisqually River Project. Water released from Alder Lake flows downstream to LaGrande, where it is used to generate additional renewable electricity at the LaGrande Powerhouse.
The current dam has been part of Tacoma Power’s generating system since 1945 and generates enough renewable electricity to serve approximately 27,600 Northwest homes each year.
Tacoma Power maintains a continuous flow of water along the 1.7-mile stretch of the Nisqually River between LaGrande Dam and the powerhouse to support Chinook and coho salmon spawning habitat.
Questions? Reach out to Nisqually@tacoma.gov.
At a Glance
- Dam type: Concrete gravity and embankment
- Completed: 1945
- Height: 217 feet above bedrock
- Length: 710 feet
- Reservoir: LaGrande Reservoir
- River: Nisqually River
- Powerhouse: LaGrande Powerhouse
- Generators: Six
- Installed capacity: 65,000 kilowatts
