white salmon dam removal

lance_k · Since 04 May 2005 565 Posts Hood River Photographer

what's the status of this- anybody know?

forrest · Fri Oct 23, 09 11:43 am

I hear Pacific Power on their last appeal, so it would have to happen in 2010. I know MonkeyBoy knows what's going on.

Sella · Fri Oct 23, 09 2:41 pm

This was the last post on the details to get people up to speed on the potential significance of Lance's post/request. A sandbar by the WS bridge would be...well...almost Heaven like but people doubt it would last. Should be quite the show when she blows. That's what she said.

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-10424.html&highlight=salmon+dam+removal
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strapless101 · Since 17 Aug 2009 82 Posts gorge

having met the demolitions (explosives) technician for the project several times I can tell you that the "Go and Blow" description is about as accurate as "Shock and Awe." His goal is to blow a hole in the dam and not take the dam out in one impressive blast. There is more water behind the dam then would fit under the highway or railroad bridge. So it is going to be an aggressive draining from the bottom of the dam. Probably no resulting sandbar, but still should be fun.

pdxmonkeyboy · Sat Oct 24, 09 7:20 pm

Certain contractors got invited to bid on the removal (and all the other tasks associated with the removal).

Looking like fall of 2010 or fall of 2011.

Really hope we win the work. Going to be super cool for sure!!!

NateDogg · Sat Oct 24, 09 7:31 pm

That's sick. Regardless of what it does for kiting, it's amazing for the White Salmon and definitely a great precedent for future dam removal. I remember reading over the White Salmon case in an environmental policy class a few years ago. Pretty interesting stuff actually.

pdxmonkeyboy · Sat Oct 24, 09 10:54 pm

It is going to be super sick for sure but to be honest, there are still those in the office that are like "yeah, sure, that's going to happen".

That thing is going to head cut like a mutha-fucka though!!! We are talking some serious sediment movement.

I did mention "oh, you mean the new kite beach" at a meeting the other day and everyone got a good chuckle. You can bet on launching near there for at least one summer though.

Should know in a couple weeks whether we have been picked for some of the tasks, then I can get paid to watch all that stuff..

Sella · Sun Oct 25, 09 6:53 am

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Lots of things to hypothesize:

(1) Any chance of converting the flume into a water slide? Cut some port holes every so many feet to give the "tuber" a romantic, twilight, down-the-drain, mind-bending experience.

(2) Kayaking or rafting from BZ to the Columbia...new sand beaches, in all the old eddys.

(3) How many new windmills will it take to make up for the lost electrical generation of the dam?

(4) Will a gradual deposition of the silt actually build up a better sand bar than a huge flush?

(5) Any super-duper new surfing holes or drops that will be exposed in that section of river?

bwd · Since 04 Aug 2007 385 Posts Obsessed

F windmills.
Nuke it up, son.

da lox · Since 24 May 2007 22 Posts hood river, or

Y'all have the Hood River Powerdale Dam Removal on your radar? This project is moving forward very quietly - Columbia Land Trust will control most of it and the County might receive both ends for parks (dam site and powerhouse site). More to come in the next couple months!

http://www.americanrivers.org/our-work/restoring-rivers/dams/projects/powerdale-dam-hood-river-or.html

Gorgegezzer · Since 14 Jan 2007 67 Posts

I talked to a couple of Fish Biologists who a little about the project;
Over 1,000,000 cubic yards of sediment, so there should be a sandbar.
At least for a while. Bascially, Pacific Corp will dredge out the channel, with maybe the Corps doing some. Maybe a little beach left?
The sandbar will be on the outside of a river corner. Not where sandbars naturally form, so it should be washed away over time (how long a time?)
It is hoped the 20' hole will generate enough venturi effect to get the sediment going, suspended and all the way into the river.
After that, the rest of the dam will be removed, so there should be drifting / kayaking all the way down the river.

Gorgegezzer · Since 14 Jan 2007 67 Posts

Also, all the permits have not been completed and there may be some kind of an appeal, so while the target date is next year, it could happen other year.

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Oct 26, 09 2:55 pm

That is it in a nutshell. They are going to munch a hole in the dam and then blow out the last 12' to release the water and sediment. I'm thinking this will likely get most of the sediment in solution.

After they blow the damn the water is going to lower pretty damn fast and a headcut will form and continue up the valley. After the river erodes down to the original level of the channel, you are going to have these big steep slopes of unstable sediment. Those will have to be graded to a safe slope and then the whole thing gets revegetated.

Dooglaz · Since 17 Oct 2009 5 Posts Los Barriles, Baja Sur New Member

Anybody remember when the "flood gates" on Condit Dam were "broken" It was for a year or two back in like 1998..
NW lake was drawn down about ten feet, exposing the filled in sediment. Normally a lake-front cabin, my buddies place now had ACRES of flat, deep sand in front. So we made volleyball, a firepit, sweatlodge, horseshoes.. pretty nice
but whats going to happen now?
I kinda doubt much of the sediment will actually move down the river..
So who gets to "reclaim" this new land? PP&L or the cabin owners? hmm
interesting

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Oct 26, 09 9:26 pm

If your buddy owns the land now he still will. Just cause there is no more water there doesn't mean all of a sudden there is new land to be claimed.
The city of Stevenson still owns a bunch of land that is now under the river.

Instead of lake front property your going to have forest front property.