VISITORS’ GUIDE • GRAND COULEE DAM AREA • 2020-2021
Steamboat Rock at sunrise as viewed from above. You’re looking south down Banks Lake. The irrigation reservoir exists because the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation pumps all its water up 280 feet to a feeder canal. The lake waters 670,000 acres of farmland in the Columbia Basin.
Is Banks Lake a natural lake?
Coulee Facts
Banks Lake is a 31-mile long reservoir, which was filled by the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1950s to provide irrigation water to the Columbia Basin. The reservoir starts just east of the city of Grand Coulee and extends south to Coulee City.
What is a coulee?
As a geological term, coulee means a ravine or deep gully, usually dry, which has been cut by water. The Grand Coulee of Eastern Washington was formed over millions of years by eruptions of lava which solidified and was later swept away by massive and tumultuous Ice Age floods. Forty to 60 million years ago, a large inland sea covered the Columbia Basin. The basin was formed as a result of uplift in the surrounding territory. Ten to 15 million years ago, volcanic eruptions began to occur and many layers of lava flowed over the basin, forming the Columbia Plateau. Today, these layers can be seen as they erode, exposing the different lava flows. Approximately two million years ago,the Ice Age began. Several times, the ice pushed south and then retreated. Glaciers covered some of this area. It was during the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago, that an ice dam holding the waters of Lake Missoula (Montana) broke and massive floods swept through the area. Evidence suggests that one of the last floods had waters that were over 800 feet high. It is these successive floods that carved and shaped the coulees and other landforms that are so prominent throughout the area.
What will I find in the Grand Coulee?
Besides the geological wonder of the Grand Coulee and the Banks Lake reservoir, there are some surprises hidden here, too. It is a wonderful wildlife habitat for dozens of species of birds, as well as for deer and coyote. The only natural forest in Grant County is located in a canyon of the coulee. Called Northrup Canyon, it is located across the highway from Steamboat Rock State Park and is open to hikers.
Can I camp in the Grand Coulee?
Yes, campgrounds can be found at each end of the Grand Coulee and in the very heart of the coulee. • Coulee Playland Resort — In Electric City, it's two miles from Grand Coulee and two miles from the golf course. It features 40 sites with full hookups, 25 primitive and 10 tent sites, showers, restrooms, laundry, mini-store, dump station, playground equipment, boat launch, marine fuel, boat rental and overnight docking. Campers also will find a swimming area (no lifeguard). Open year round. • Steamboat Rock State Park — One of the most popular attractions along Banks Lake, this park is a 900-acre camp for swimming, hiking and boating. It has a sandy beach and sheltered swim area (no lifeguards),plus a bath house, a concession stand, a grassy picnic area with playground equipment, and a truly unique view of Banks Lake and Steamboat Rock.
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