PacifiCorp, along with federal and state natural resource agencies, will host a public tour of the fish enhancement projects at the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. The annual tour will highlight state-of-the-art fish passage facilities and recent spawning habitat improvements at Soda Springs Dam and upstream locations on the North Umpqua River within the Umpqua National Forest approximately 60 miles east of Roseburg.
These enhancements are part of PacifiCorp’s 194-megawatt hydroelectric project that produces enough renewable, emission-free electricity to supply approximately 80,000 average homes each year. The project was built in the 1940s and 1950s, but has undergone many substantial improvements since 2001 to balance efficient energy production with fish, wildlife, recreation, and other values.
"The river is dynamic and so are we - constantly operating, maintaining, and improving the facilities for fish passage and protection and the habitat for fish spawning and rearing," said Rich Grost, principal aquatic scientist with PacifiCorp. “It’s especially satisfying to see hundreds of wild Chinook salmon spawning both upstream and downstream of the dam and to share that experience on tours like this.”
The tour begins at noon. and is expected to conclude by 4 p.m. It begins with a presentation at the North Umpqua Implementation Center, which is about an hour east of Roseburg on Highway 138. Turn left at Milepost 57 (at the green "Control Center" sign) onto Toketee School Road and proceed down the paved road one-quarter-mile to the parking lot in front of the gray and blue buildings. After the presentation, guests will be transported on buses to the project sites.
Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking space. Please wear sturdy boots or shoes and bring a sack lunch and hard hat if you have one. Hard hats are required to access the dam and will be provided to those who don’t have their own.
Space is limited and must be reserved by contacting Rich Grost at 541-498-2617 or Rich.Grost@PacifiCorp.com by Sept. 30 and providing the names of everyone in your party. Last-minute requests will be accommodated on a space-available basis. Interested media should call the media hotline, 503-813-6018 to arrange attendance.
The tour is sponsored by the Resource Coordination Committee for the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project. Members include PacifiCorp, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Department of Water Resources. Representatives of several of these agencies will be participating in the tour.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up