 Despite talk of dam removals throughout the Pacific Northwest, few dams have actually been slated for demolition. That looks like it will change in 2001, when tension between endangered fish advoctes and Northwest hydropower will claim its largest victims yet—a pair of dams called Marmot and Little Sandy on the outskirts of Portland, Ore. Last May, Portland General Electric Co. (PGE) announced an agreement between it, the state, the city and the National Marine Fisheries Service to pull down the dams, hopefully within two years.
The dams are on the Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers, which drop from the Cascade Mountains into Portland's eastern suburbs. They aren't large, but since 1912 they've altered the river by diverting water into flumes feeding a 22-megawatt power plant. The proposal is greeted as a win/win for both the economy and endangered salmon and trout. PGE spokesman Mark Fryburg hails it as the first time a utility has voluntarily agreed to remove multiple dams before their licenses expire. "Each dam has to be viewed separately," he says, adding that PGE was facing expensive upgrades on the dams. "These two would not be economically feasible to operate five or six years down the road, so this decision was good for the environment, our customers and the city, all at once."
The state and city will pick up the $22 million price tag. The city hopes that doing so will help it meet its own ESA obligations. "It's certain the city will have to spend millions on ESA compliance," says Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten. "Our strategy will do more—more quickly and cheaply—than a piecemeal, protracted process."
Although salmon are the project's primary beneficiaries, paddlers are thrilled to see the dams go. Marmot Dam diverts water from 11 miles of the Sandy River, substantially shortening the kayaking season on two popular stretches of river: a Class III-IV upper section, and a Class II-III lower portion. "It's exciting to have more water and a longer season," says Keith Jensen, co-owner of Portland's Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe. "The Class IV is forested and roadless and is a unique canyon for being so close to Portland." Jensen admits there's another silver lining to the dam's demise. "I bet there's at least one good rapid behind that dam—the best on the river, that's my prediction," he says. "Engineers don't build dams at boring spots—they pick places with a lot of drop."
The paddling future of the Little Sandy is less certain. Ending the diversions will open up several miles of channel year round, but the lower end of the run will cross a corner of Portland's municipal watershed, off limits to the public. "What do you do with a river with public access at one end and a no-trespassing zone in the middle?" Jensen asks. He notes, however, that the intake for the city's drinking water is upstream, on a tributary that would be inaccessible to boaters on the Little Sandy. This raises hope that paddlers might be allowed to pass through on the Little Sandy.
Restoration of the two rivers won't be without a price to paddlers. Water currently diverted is dumped into a third stream, the Bull Run River, 2.5 miles above its confluence with the Sandy. Combined with the Bull Run's normal flow, this creates a Class III run frequented by Portland-area paddlers. Although the restored Little Sandy will continue to add its flow to this run, ending the diversions from the Sandy will reduce flows on that section, shortening its season. Jensen calls it a fair trade-off. "There's nothing better than the natural river," he says.
Due to their small size, the dam removals haven't drawn objections from industries that have opposed similar proposals elsewhere. But opposition does come from fishermen and flatwater boaters enjoying the status quo. Boaters regret losing a 600-acre holding pond above the powerhouse, and fishermen accustomed to large hatchery fish are concerned efforts to restore wild fish will leave them facing catch-and-release rules or bans on fishing. River runners, meanwhile, are already celebrating. On June 16, Jensen's business partner Steve Scherrer and a group of seven other paddlers saluted the proposal by putting in 13 miles above Marmot Dam. They portaged the dam and descended to gentler waters, picking up 14 other paddlers along the way. Nearly 12 hours later they pulled out on the Columbia River—1,440 feet below and 50 miles away. By 2001, they anticipate being able to do the same run without the portage.
—Richard Lovett |
