 The reservoir that filled the valley behind was known as Lake Aldwell.The Elwha River Hydroelectric Power Plant historic district, a area comprising the dam, the powerhouse, five penstocks and the surge tank, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.Initially, along with the Glines Canyon Dam, which was completed in 1926, it helped to fuel economic growth and development for the Olympic Peninsula and the community of Port Angeles, Washington.