White Salmon River sand bar

moondog · Mon May 23, 11 8:17 am **White Salmon River sand bar**

I did a 6 hour tour of the Condit Dam demolition on Saturday. Friends of the Gorge and PacifiCorp sponsored the lecture and hike. 2 reps from PacifiCorp explained how they will dynamite an 18 foot hole at the base to start the process. There is 100 years of sediment behind the dam that will work its way down the river to the Columbia. One rep said there would be a sandbar the other said no way because of the depth and current at the bridge. If there is a sandbar it will be short lived. Bummer!
The date of demo will be this October 2011, no spectators allowed, but will be on live video for all you thrill seekers! There is a one mile long wood stave pipe, 10 feet in diameter that carried the water to the powerhouse. It is supported by massive amounts of old growth treated timber that they dumping at the Roosevelt land fill. Todd Olson of PacifiCorp said it is available to anyone who wants to haul it away.
The powerhouse will be sold[ it would make a great brewpub ] and the area will be restored to its natural beauty. NW lake will be gone and the river will favor the deep section of the lake. It turns out that there will only be a 6 foot water fall at the dam site because they used the narrowest and deepest part to start the dam. So the salmon will have no problem returning to Husum where all the Indian fishing camps were in centuries past.

forrest · Mon May 23, 11 11:23 am

Damn, wish I had known about this, sounds very interesting. For anyone who hasn't done the Condit Dam hike, go do it soon! Details in Curious Gorge book.

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

I have no idea of the difficulty either from an engineering or political standpoint but could a rock jetty be built creating an eddy that would hold the sandbar. There is existing access under the railroad bridge and parking available and it is a prime wind spot.

The current high water is certainly demonstrating the need for additional wind sport access points. Seems a shame to miss a once in a 100 year opportunity.

What is lacking? Budget, political will, what....??

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

Something like this...

forrest · Mon May 23, 11 12:45 pm

I think it would be amazing, but Dude, we can't even build a pedestrian bridge across railroad tracks in the Gorge without fighting 20 years of bureaucracy.

4Stringer/KipWinger · Since 27 Apr 2005 541 Posts Hood River Addicted

moondog · Mon May 23, 11 1:21 pm

The fisherman at the white salmon bench do not like kitesurfers. After a confrontation with one, he stated that our kite shadows scare the salmon because they think it is a bird of prey. If a sandbar did show up, it would be another access battle.
Todd Olson of Pacificorp is an educated open-minded professional. He told me to call or write with input anytime. 503-813-6657 or todd.olson@pacificorp.com

pappas · Since 10 Jun 2007 58 Posts

Are you guys high? It is so deep with such a strong current right there... No amount of matrial coming out of the White Salmon will create anything related to a sandbar. If anything it will just fill in the inside of the river mouth on the other side of the tracks.

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

bpaul · Since 13 May 2009 42 Posts

How deep is the back-eddy at underwood? That is probably where we are going to see most of the White Salmon debris deposited...

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

My understanding is there used to be a ferry dock there; you can still see the road down and old pilings. There is seaweed out front so suspect the water is not that deep or swift but thats just a guess. Seen plenty of kiters swim ashore there.

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon May 23, 11 3:51 pm

Within a couple months you can expect all of that sediment (which estimates peg at an amount equivalent to that that came down the hood river in the landslide three years ago) will all be in sitting in one place.....

At the base of the Bonneville dam. Some in the office think a sand bar will temporarily form and some do not. The thalwag of the columbia does run pretty close to the white salmon bridge you can expect LOTS of sediment to get whisked away.

rock jetty.... that's funny.

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon May 23, 11 5:36 pm

Funny in its staggering naiveté.

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

wakeup · Since 11 Sep 2005 328 Posts always Obsessed

Underwood eddy is what's up it is shallower there than the channel
My buddy works for the USGS and gave me this pic years ago. The shot was taken in 1935 before the dams went in on the Columbia. The redline represents the shoreline as it was in 2002-3.
While your checkin out the massive sandbar at the mouth of the WS, look at what the sandbar may look like in another 500-10000 years. Mother nature is doing her thing.