Construction began on 1952. Closure of the dam (still under construction) occurred July 4, 1959 with diversion of the river though the completed intake tower ("The Tubes"). In 1960, dam contained a record snow melt; even though not yet finished, the dam was credited at that time with preventing $15,243,000 in damages. During this event, the tubes discharged , a record amount for the intake tower that was not matched or exceeded until the tower's estimated release on May 31, 2019.