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In 1949, Seattle lawyer and state legislator, Colonel Howard A. Hanson, headed a special committee created by various agencies interested in building a flood control dam at Eagle Gorge, WA. Hanson estimated in 02/1949 that the total cost of the dam would be $16 million, with the State of Washington kicking in $1.5 million and King County $500,000. He made a pitch to Congress to first authorize the dam and second to pass the appropriations bill that would fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build it. As per Hanson's wishes, the U.S. Congress authorized the dam as an official project in 1950, and had the Corps fine-tune its design for most of the 1950s. Planning was required to move obstacles in the dam's path, including Northern Pacific railroad tracks which were rerouted in 1956. The Corps of Engineers finally began construction of this dam on 02/03/1959 and finished before 12/25/1961. It was dedicated formally on 05/12/1962. Named for a the dam was intended to control the flow of rainwater that would periodically flood the Green River Valley cities of Kent, WA, Renton, WA, Tukwila, WA, and Auburn, WA. On 05/05/2010, a delegation of more than a dozen WA lawmakers, led by Governor Christine Gregoire, lobbied Senator Patty Murray and the Obama Administration to direct $44 million to assist in the repair of the crumbling earthen dam. A large contingent of high state officials was meant to underscore to federal authorities the severity of the threat to the Green River Valley and the lack of public works money available at the state and local level.

Seepage caused damage to the dam's right abutment necessitating alterations in 1965, 2002 and 2009; in 11/2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was to install a "grout curtain" that could reduce seepage through the abutment and planned to drill more vertical and horizontal drains to remove pressure. This corrective measure was to cost $20 million.

PCAD id: 14149