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American Experience

The Impact of Grand Coulee Dam

Grand Coulee Dam was dedicated in front of a crowd of 8,000 on March 22, 1941.

04/03/2012 | Rating NR

American Experience

The Impact of Grand Coulee Dam

Clip: Season 24 Episode 6 | 1m 13s

Grand Coulee Dam was dedicated in front of a crowd of 8,000 on March 22, 1941.

Eight years after beginning construction, the Grand Coulee Dam was dedicated in front of a crowd of 8,000 on March 22, 1941. The dam's success created an insatiable demand for electricity, and the dam, along with others that were erected on the Columbia in the years following, served as the fuel for the growth of the metropolitan areas of the American West.

04/03/2012 | Rating NR

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Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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Grand Coulee Dam - Preview

Preview: S24 Ep6 | 30s | Airs Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 8/7c. Check your local listings. (30s)

The Columbia Basin Project

Clip: S24 Ep6 | 1m 5s | In the spring of 1952, work was finally underway on the Columbia Basin Project. (1m 5s)

Diverting the Columbia River

Clip: S24 Ep6 | 2m 40s | The biggest challenge in building Grand Coulee Dam was diverting the flow of the Columbia. (2m 40s)

Grand Coulee Dam: Engineering Challenges

Clip: S24 Ep6 | 2m 46s | The engineering challenges became apparent as soon as construction got underway. (2m 46s)

Grand Coulee Dam: Pouring the Concrete

Clip: S24 Ep6 | 1m 56s | It took millions of cubic yards of concrete to build Grand Coulee Dam. (1m 56s)

Grand Coulee Dam Chapter 1

Clip: S24 Ep6 | 13m 16s | Premiering April 3, 2012 at 8/7c. Check your local listings. (13m 16s)

Grand Coulee Dam's Open Spillways

Clip: S24 Ep6 | 15s | This 15-second time-lapse video shows the Grand Coulee Dam's spillway closing. (15s)

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Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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