Seventy-seven years ago

At the close of 1939, Consolidated Builders had completed 68.5% of the contract work for Grand Coulee Dam. With more than 9,000,000 cubic yards of concrete in the structure, the right and left abutment sections were within 100 feet of the top and ultimate height, elevation 1311.08 feet. The spillway section was still below the construction deck level, elevation 1180, but progressing on schedule. With the exception of the station service and control bays, the left powerhouse building was nearing completion. Upstream from the dam, the Columbia River Reservoir was beginning to take shape, and although ony a fraction of the ultimate storage of 10,000,000 acre feet of water was contained there, backwater effect were being observed 38.5 miles away.