Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Seattle City Light Flood Control Records, 1917-1978
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle City Light
- Title
- Seattle City Light Flood Control Records
- Dates
- 1917-1978 (inclusive)19171978
- Quantity
- .8 cubic foot, (2 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 1206-15
- Summary
- Records concerning floods and flood control near Seattle City Light hydroelectric projects.
- Repository
-
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Records are open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
City Light provides electricity and electrical and conservation services to its public and private customers. It is the largest public utility in the Pacific Northwest. Public responsibility for electrical energy dates to 1890 with creation of the Department of Lighting and Water Works. In 1902, Seattle voters passed a bond issue to develop hydroelectric power on the Cedar River under the administration of the Water Department. Electricity from this development began to serve Seattle in 1905. A City Charter amendment in 1910 created the Lighting Department. Under the leadership of Superintendent James D. Ross, the department developed the Skagit River hydroelectric project which began supplying power in 1924. Both public and private power was supplied to Seattle until 1951 when the City purchased the private electrical power supply operations, making the Lighting Department the sole supplier. The Boundary Project in northeastern Washington began operations in 1967 and supplied over half of City Light's power generation. By the early 21st century, approximately ten percent of City Light's income came from the sale of surplus energy to customers in the Northwest and Southwest with the remainder of City Light's financial support coming from customer revenue. The current name of the agency was adopted in 1978 when the Department was reorganized.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records of the Power Management Branch concerning floods and flood control on the Skagit and Cedar Rivers, including correspondence, reports, hydrographic data, manuals and photographs. Also included are court papers, exhibits and correspondence regarding damage suits over flood losses on the Skagit, Cedar and Lewis Rivers.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date],Seattle City Light Flood Control Records , Record Series 1206-15. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
1206-15: Flood Control Data, 1917-1978Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Cedar River Damage Suits,
Drowning (Includes Photographs) |
1949-1951 |
1/2 | Cedar River Flood Control
Correspondence, Etc. |
1925-1978 |
1/3 | Flood Control (Incl Puget
Sound Flood Control Council) |
1938-1956 |
1/4 | Flood Control (Includes Cedar
Falls) |
1949-1959 |
1/5 | Lewis River Damage
Suits |
1934 |
1/6 | Ross Dam Reservoir Regulation
Manuals |
1953 |
1/7 | Ross Dam Reservoir Regulation
Manuals |
1955 |
1/8 | Ross Reservoir Operation
Data |
1953-1965 |
1/10 | Skagit River Flood Report
(USGS) |
1918 |
1/11 | Skagit River Flood, February
1932 (Includes Photographs) |
1932-1933 |
1/12 | Skagit River Flood, October,
1946 |
1946-1947 |
2/1 | Skagit River Flood, June,
1948 |
1948 |
2/2 | Skagit River Flood, November
1949 |
1949 |
2/3 | Skagit River Flood, February
1951 (Includes Photographs) |
1951 |
2/4 | Skagit River Flood
Control |
1933-1948 |
2/5 | Skagit River Flood
Control |
1948-1952 |
2/6 | Skagit River Flood Control
Correspondence |
1949-1978 |
2/7 | Skagit River Flood
Data |
1917-1957 |
2/8 | Skagit River Flood Warning
Service |
1944-1954 |
2/9 | Skagit River Flood Damage
Suit |
1946-1951 |
2/10 | Skagit River Flood Damage
Suit Exhibits |
1945-1951 |
2/11 | Snoqualmie River Flood
Control Correspondence |
1967-1971 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Cedar River (King County, Wash.)
- Flood control--Washington (State)
- Floods--Washington (State)
- Skagit River (B.C. and Wash.)
Corporate Names
- Seattle City Light
- Seattle (Wash.). Lighting Dept.
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Negatives
- Photographic prints