Malad Project
Idaho Power owns and operates 17 hydropower projects on the Snake River and its tributaries. One of these tributaries, the Malad River, is home to our Upper and Lower Malad Project, often called the Malad Project, or the Malads.
Location
The Malad Project consists of two dams located within a two-mile reach of the river near Hagerman, Idaho. Its first full year of operation was in 1949.
The two dams and associated structures are for diversion only. Water diverted by the dams is supplied almost entirely by springs. These springs lie within the walls of the canyon through which the Malad River flows. The water is carried to each of the power plants through concrete flumes. Because these dams have no active storage, they are called run-of-river facilities.
This discharge from the Malad Springs provides a dependable flow of about 700 cubic feet per second (cfs) throughout the year at the upper diversion. A second diversion on Cove Creek, located just downstream of the Malad River diversion, adds about 50 cfs additional water from Cove Spring to the upper flume.
The lower diversion, located immediately downstream of the upper powerhouse, normally diverts about 1,200 cfs into the lower flume. Water leaving the upper powerhouse, as well as about 500 cfs that enter from springs located between the two diversions, flows into the lower flume.
Generating Capacity
The upper development generates 7,200 kW, while the lower development generates 13,500 kW. The annual average combined generation for the Malad Project is 168,733 megawatt hours, enough to power more than 13,750 residential customers.
© 1995-2010 Idaho Power Company.
