While we were staying in Nine Mile Falls which is in the eastern part of Washington, we took a drive through the area. There’s a lake nearby called “Long Lake” that is very pretty.

The lake has a dam at the western end to create the lake and provide electricity for the area. The dam was interesting to me as it isn’t shaped like the usual dam, rounded like an arch to provide the best defense against the massive weight of the water behind it. This one is shaped with a 90-degree corner facing outward instead of inward.

While we were at the dam we met a group of guys all in red shirts that were a maintenance group – during the summer they fight fires when needed and the rest of the year they provide maintenance at several state locations, the dam being one. We spoke to the foreman who told us about the fires they had fought that summer (Washington had several fires along with Oregon, Montana, Idaho and B.C.). He also said they had recently cleaned and upgraded the dam.

Here’s a picture we took of the dam: