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| Economy |
| Two Dams Being Removed in Washington |
| 2011-10-18 |
| Washington State, not DC, and they used to provide hydro power. I'm sure there is a great reason for this, but I just don't know what it is. Contractors have started chipping away on the Glines Canyon Dam in Port Angeles, Wash., one of two dams on the Elwha River that are scheduled for removal as part of the largest project of its kind in the U.S. The 210-ft-high Glines Canyon dam and the 108-ft-high Elwha dam are the two highest dams ever removed in the U.S. The project includes the removal of 24 million cubic yards of sediment and debris and will restore 70 sq miles of natural habitat. Work began on the project Sept. 15. Oh, THERE's the benefit - habitat! The folks who used the electricity the dams made can get by without. Everyone knows that... No amount of modeling by the Bureau of Land Reclamation can predict what hides in the sediment, though the agency has predicted what will likely happen as the sediment flows downriver. If the water is removed too quickly, sediment can clog the channel and cause flooding. If crews let the water down too slowly, there could be insufficient force to carry the sediment downriver. What used to be upstream is going to be downstream. Cost to remove the dams is estimated at $27 million, but $327 million is allotted to the project total. The sum includes purchase of the two dams and hydroelectric plants from their previous owner, construction of two water treatment plants and other facilities to protect water users, construction of flood protection facilities, a fish hatchery and a greenhouse to propagate native plants for revegetation. Privately funded projects required to accommodate additional water flow in the river are not included in that total. 'Additional water flow' - is that like, flooding? The correct term is 'rapidly enhanced natural wetland'... The National Park Service started a lengthy planning process for the project in the early 1990s, when a federal court ordered the dam removal, as a result of a lawsuit over the dams' relicensing. The National Park Service keeps no records on the economic effects of its projects, says Lindy Allen, spokesperson at the agency's Denver contracting office, but the ancillary projects necessary for dam removal boosted the local construction economy for several years. |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #6 in other washington-a-stan energy news: the last remaining coal fired electrical generating plant is being shut down. no replacement is in place. we be all in the dark an' sh!t |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2011-10-18 22:31 |
| #5 You are correct, AP. I was there in 1990. Beautiful park. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2011-10-18 19:11 |
| #4 From what I can figure, Glines Canyon Dam is inside Olympic National Park. The original stream supported over 400K salmon in spawning activities, now only 4000. So it is basically a response to a lawsuit. Congress enacted a law for funding the restoration project. So there you go. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2011-10-18 13:16 |
| #3 after a dam exits... |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2011-10-18 12:35 |
| #2 From Arizona nuclear, same as right now. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-10-18 11:50 |
| #1 If they do that then where are we Kaliphornians going to get our power? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-10-18 11:43 |