Bill would rename Third Power Plant at Grand Coulee Dam after power pioneers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced a bill in Congress last week that would rename the Third Power Plant at Grand Coulee Dam as the “Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Washington Power Plant.”

“The designation recognizes the work of Nathaniel “Nat” Washington, Sr., and his son, Nat Washington, Jr., who were instrumental in the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam and in harnessing hydropower as a renewable energy source for the Pacific Northwest,” a press release from Newhouse’s office states.

Introduced on July 23, H.R. 3937 recognizes lifetimes of advocacy that transformed the landscape of Eastern Washington and ushered in an era of regional hydropower production, including that by the largest hydropower plant in North America, Grand Coulee Dam.

“Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Washington and his son, Nat Washington, Jr., changed Central Washington forever, but their story has largely been untold,” Newhouse said. “Their public service transformed the Columbia Basin, Washington state, and the entire Pacific Northwest by securing hydropower as the foundation of our region’s power system. I am proud to introduce this legislation to honor them at the Grand Coulee Dam and finally give the pioneers of Northwest hydropower the recognition they deserve.”

The Washingtons owned land north of Coulee Dam that is today called Washington Flats.

Nathaniel “Nat” Washington, Sr., a descendant of President George Washington’s family, left his home in Virginia and established that homestead along the Columbia River in 1908. Shortly after arriving in Washington, Nat Sr. was elected as Grant County prosecutor and later as the first president of the Columbia River Dam, Irrigation, and Power District.

In that position, Nat Sr. played a key role in the conception of, and securing approval for, the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam. He fell victim to the power of the Columbia River when he was swept away in the current, losing his life while attempting to save his brother James from drowning.

The bill’s introduction was also supported by state and tribal leaders.

“As an earlier pioneer and settler in the area now known as Washington Flats, Nat Washington, Sr. clearly envisioned the potential of harnessing the Columbia River as a source of power and irrigation for the Columbia Basin. Nat Washington’s family went on to become stewards and champions of the native peoples and resources of the Columbia Basin,” said Colville Confederated Tribes chair Rodney Cawston. “It is fitting that the Third Powerhouse be named after a visionary such as him.”

“In the Columbia Basin, we are proud of the renewable energy produced at the Grand Coulee Dam and the irrigated agriculture we share across the nation and the world – neither of which would have been possible without the work of Nat Washington and his son,” commented Rep. Alex Ybarra, Washington State House of Representatives, 13th Legislative District. “Thank you, Representative Newhouse, for recognizing these two men for their efforts to improve and develop the region we have grown to know and love,”said Rep. Alex Ybarra, one of three Washington 13th District legislators who wrote to support the bill.