Grand Coulee delays new laser light show

GRAND COULEE - The premiere of Grand Coulee Dam's new laser light show is postponed until next summer.

The debut of the new show, "One River, Many Voices," was initially slated for this summer, according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Lynne Brougher, a bureau spokesperson, said the 14 stakeholders working on the program decided the show needed more work.

"We decided to take the time and make sure the show was balanced, entertaining, accurate and inspiring," she said.

Work on the new light show began in 2012, after stakeholders decided the show needed to be updated, Brougher explained.

"The old show is about 25 years old, and things have changed," she said. "There's information in the old show that is out of date and we also wanted to tell a more complete, balanced story about Grand Coulee Dam and its affect on the area."

She said the current "Water and Life" show debuted in 1989. The show, which runs for about 36 minutes, tells the story of the dam and the Columbia Basin Project. The new show is expected to run for about 30 minutes, Brougher said.

"We're not done with it, but it will be much different than the old show," she said.

In 2012, Reclamation awarded LumaLaser, based in Eugene, Ore., a $1.6 million contract to update the content and the equipment of the show, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article. Brougher said the new equipment has already been installed.

The new equipment has been tested with the current light show, she said.

"The colors are more intense and most are brighter, we also put in a new sound system so the sound is clearer," Brougher said. "This helped to bring the show almost to the way it was in 1989 when we showed it for the first time."

Brougher said the dam will still showcase the current laser light show nightly until Sept. 30.

Times for the show change throughout the summer, she said. Currently, the show begins at 10 p.m.

"As it gets darker earlier, we back up the show," said Brougher.

Beginning Aug. 1, the show will start at about 9:30 p.m. and in September, the show will start at 8:30 p.m., she said.

Residents can watch the show from bleachers set up near the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor's Center. For more information, call 509-633-9265.