Kachess dam
Kachess
Kachess is a federal-owned dam located in Easton, Washington, along the Kachess River. Built in 1912 by the Bureau of Reclamation, the primary purpose of this earth dam is flood risk reduction, with additional benefits for irrigation and recreation. With a height of 63 feet and a hydraulic height of 59 feet, Kachess has a storage capacity of 245,000 acre-feet and a surface area of 4,535 acres. The dam plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the region, with a maximum discharge capacity of 5,516 cubic feet per second.
Despite its age, Kachess remains a vital infrastructure for water management in Kittitas County, Washington. With a hazard potential classified as high, regular inspections by the Bureau of Reclamation ensure the dam's structural integrity and safety. While the exact condition assessment is not currently available, the dam has an emergency action plan in place, last revised in June 2020, to mitigate any potential risks or hazards. Kachess serves as a key component in the region's water resource management, highlighting the importance of maintaining and monitoring aging infrastructure in the face of changing climate conditions.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Kachess -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar River Below Bear Creek Near Cedar Falls | 104 cfs | → |
| American River Near Nile | 388 cfs | → |
| Sf Snoqualmie River Ab Alice Creek Near Garcia | 296 cfs | → |
| Cedar River Near Cedar Falls | 404 cfs | → |
| Greenwater River At Greenwater | 233 cfs | → |
| Rex River Near Cedar Falls | 49 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Kachess.
Boat launches
- Salmon La Sac Road, Ronald
- Bakers Lane, Easton
- Lake Cabins Road Kittitas County
- Cooper Lake Boat Launch
- Keechelus Lake Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Lake Easton State Park
- East Kachess Group Campground
- East Kachess Group Site
- Wish Poosh
- Wish Poosh Campground
- Ensign Ranch
Paddle runs
- Private Land Boundary To Head Of Lake Cle Elum Reservoir
- Headwaters In Se1/4 Of Sec 29, T24n, R13e To Confluence With Cle Elum River
- Alpine Lakes Wilderness Boundary To Private Land Boundary At North Section Line Of Sec 3, T23n, R14e
- Headwaters In Nw1/4 Of Sec 12, T24n, R13e To Alpine Lakes Wilderness Boundary
- Confluence With Ranier Fork To Confluence With Bumping River
- Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Nf/Mt. Ranier Np Boundary At North Section Line Of Sec 3, T17 N, R10e To Confluence With Huckleberry Creek
Track Kachess in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Kachess
Where does the data for Kachess come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Kachess.