Grand Coulee Dam the plateau. MWAK eventually sold Mason City to Reclamation in 1937 before its contract was completed. In 1956, Reclamation combined both Mason City and Engineer's Town to form the city of Coulee Dam. It was incorporated as a city in . With the onset of World War II, power generation was given priority over irrigation. In 1943, Congress authorized the Columbia Basin Project and the Bureau of Reclamation began construction of irrigation facilities in 1948. Directly to the west and above the Grand Coulee Dam, the North Dam was constructed. This dam, along with the Dry Falls Dam to the
Laser light show (Grand Coulee Dam) in 2014. It will replace the current laser show "Water and Life" which has been running for the past 24 seasons. The new show is being prepared by LumaLaser of Eugene, Oregon. Laser light show (Grand Coulee Dam) "The laser light show" at Grand Coulee Dam, which began in 1989, is one of the largest light shows in the U.S.. The 37 minute show runs daily from Memorial Day through September 30. An addition of fireworks lights up the sky above the dam each Memorial Weekend Sunday and July 4. The Grand Coulee Dam premiered its first non-laser light show