Object description

The Eklutna Power Plant, also referred to as Old Eklutna Power Plant, is a historic hydroelectric power plant on the Eklutna River in Anchorage, Alaska. Located about 5 miles downstream of the more modern new Eklutna Power Plant, it was built in 1928-29 to provide electrical power to the growing city, and served as its primary power source until 1956. The facilities include two dams, a tunnel and penstock, and a powerhouse. The main dam, Eklutna Dam, located at the northwestern end of Eklutna Lake, was built in 1941 to replace a series of temporary structures built after an earthen dam failed before the plant began operation. The diversion dam, a concrete arch dam, is located 7 miles downstream from the lake, and provides facilities for diverting water into the tunnel. The tunnel is 1,900 feet long, and is terminated in a penstock, a structure designed to raise the water pressure. The powerhouse is a concrete-and-steel structure completed in 1929. The diversion dam removal was completed in 2018 to allow for the passage of salmon.