Spokane Falls

File:FMIB 34208 Upper Spokane Falls, Spokane, Washington.jpeg

The Native American name for the Spokane Falls was "Stluputqu", meaning "swift water". The falls was once the site of a large Spokane people village.{{Cite book| last = Majors | first = Harry M. | title = Exploring Washington | publisher = Van Winkle Publishing Co | year = 1975 | page = 110 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ| isbn = 978-0-918664-00-6}}

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| caption2 = The Monroe Street Dam and the Lower Falls

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The falls consists of the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. The area around the falls was formerly a rail yard, that was converted to a city park for use as the fairgrounds for the 1974 World's Fair. The park is located predominantly on Havermale Island, the east-most boundary is established by the first fork in the river. This is the site of the Upper Falls Dam, a diversion dam constructed in 1920 that directs the water into the Upper Falls intake on the south channel of the Spokane River. The Upper Falls Power Plant incorporates a Francis turbine capable of generating 10 MW.

The water not diverted to the south fork by the dam flows over the Upper Falls. The north fork of the river splits again at Salmon People Island, snxw meneɂ in Salish,{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Kip |title=Canada Island renamed in Salish for the Spokane Tribe |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/mar/09/canada-island-renamed-in-salish-for-the-spokane-tr/ |access-date=6 June 2024 |work=The Spokesman-Review |date=9 March 2017}} and flows over the two Upper Falls on either side of the island. The north fork converges again after the Upper Falls, and is also rejoined by the diverted south fork (through the outlet on the Upper Falls Intake).

The Lower Falls is the site of a second diversion dam, the Monroe Street Dam. Completed in 1890, it was the first dam built on the Spokane River and is currently the longest-running hydroelectric generation facility in Washington state. Its Kaplan turbine has a generating capacity of 14.82 MW.

Both Upper Falls and Lower Falls dams are operated by the power company Avista.

• List of waterfalls

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• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, filed under Spokane, Spokane County, WA:
• {{HAER |survey=WA-162 |id=wa0694 |title=Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development |data=8 |link=no}}
• {{HAER |survey=WA-162-A |id=wa0695 |title=Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development, Gate House |photos=4 |data=9 |cap=1 |link=no}}
• {{HAER |survey=WA-162-B |id=wa0696 |title=Washington Water Power Spokane River Upper Falls Hydroelectric Development, Gates and Gate-Lifting Mechanisms |photos=5 |data=15 |cap=1 |link=no}}

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Category:Waterfalls of Washington (state)

Category:Geography of Spokane, Washington

Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)

Category:Tourist attractions in Spokane, Washington

Category:Landforms of Spokane County, Washington

Category:Dams in Washington (state)

Category:United States power company dams

Category:Dams on the Spokane River

Category:Cascade waterfalls

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