Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. In the United States, it is the largest electric power producing facility and the largest concrete structure. It is the fifth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world. The dam is flanked by a popular Grand Coulee resort.

The dam was built under the auspices of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Columbia Basin Project for irrigation of desert areas of the Pacific Northwest and for the production of electricity. Central Washington’s Columbia Basin was a slightly over-ambitious candidate for a dam. The Columbia was by far the largest river anyone had ever considered damming. A Spokane group wanted a safer 134-mile gravity flow canal from the Pend Oreille River at Albeni Falls. And the original low dam design would have have been useful for regulating navigation flows, and for hydroelectic power, but it would have been too far below the top of the canyon to make it useful for irrigation of the fertile loess soil of the basin. The controversy over which project should go forward was a central issue of Washington state politics in the 1920s.

By the 1930s, after thirteen years of debate and several studies, and with the Depression in full swing, Roosevelt was eager for large public works. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the dam as a Public Works Administration project, and Congress appropriated funding for the low dam. Two years later, the authorization was changed from the low dam to the far more expensive, and technically challenging, high dam of today.

Washington is truly one of the most beautiful places to live in the United States. After all, there aren’t many states that can boast such an electric collection of physical landmarks. To that end, Washington offers mountains to climb, rainforests to hike through, lakes to kayak, and urban centers to stroll. The kayaking in particular is absolutely gorgeous. If you’re interested in Washington kayaking, one of the best places to go is Portage Bay.

Whether you launch from Agua Verde or some other launch point, you’ll have direct access to Lake Union as well as Lake Washington. This paddle will give you unparalleled view of the downtown skyline, which includes the iconic Space Needle. You can also head to the arboretum, which will potentially offer views of eagles, herons, grebes, and more. You’ll even have the thrill of kayaking under the freeway.