The Barber Dam is a timber-crib dam in the western United States, on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho. Located in Ada County, about three miles (5 km) east of Boise, the dam was constructed by the Barber Lumber Company between 1904 and 1906 to serve as a mill pond for timber. A power plant was also constructed in conjunction with the dam which powered the mill and the town of Barberton (Barber), which was established in 1910.[5]
| Barber Dam | |
|---|---|
 The dam in 1979 | |
  Location in the United States  Location in Idaho | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Ada County, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 43°33′37″N 116°07′18″W / 43.56028°N 116.12167°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1904 |
| Opening date | 1906 |
| Owner(s) | Ada County |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 30 feet (9 m) |
| Length | 400 feet (122 m)[1] |
| Reservoir | |
| Active capacity | 180 acre-feet (222,027 m3)[2] |
| Normal elevation | 2,765 feet (843 m) |
| Power Station | |
| Type | Run-of-the-river |
| Hydraulic head | 25 feet (7.6 m) |
| Turbines | 2 x Kaplan-type |
| Installed capacity | 4.14 MW[3] |
Barber Dam and Lumber Mill | |
| Nearest city | Boise, Idaho |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architectural style | A.J. Wiley |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001037[4] |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1978 |
In 1934, the Great Depression effected the closure of the mill and the facilities were purchased by Boise Cascade. The Harris Ranch purchased the dam and mill after the depression and developed the area for residential property.[6] The dam was purchased by Ada County in 1977 and is currently regulated by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.[7][8]
The run-of-the-river dam's power house contains two Kaplan turbine generators with a combined capacity of 4.14 MW and is operated by Enel Green Power.[3] The dam and lumber mill were added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 21, 1978.[4]
References
edit- ^ Ellam, Joseph J. (1976). Responsibility and liability of public and private interests on dams. American Society of Civil Engineers. p. 93.
- ^ "Ada County Hazard Vulnerability Analysis" (PDF). Ada-City County Emergency Management. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Barber Dam Hydroelectric Project". Enel. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Barber Dam and Lumber Mill". National Register of Historic Places. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ Vincent, R.H. (11 September 2009). "Barber Dam-Past & present-Part 2 of 4". Idaho History Examiner.
- ^ Gupta, K.R.; Jankowska, Maria Anna; Maiti, Prasenjit, eds. (2007). Global environment : problems and policies. New Delhi: Atlantic. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-81-269-0846-2.
- ^ "Barber Pool Conservation Area Master Plan". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. September 2002. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ Logan, Scott (19 February 2007). "Barber Dam, Built In 1904, Springs Small Leak On Boise River". KBOI2. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
