It's been a long and winding road with plenty of bumps, but Portland, Ore. utility company PacifiCorp finally announced late last week that the lower White Salmon River is now open to the public once again.
Close to five miles of the lower river had been closed to boaters and other members of the public since August 2011 as PacifiCorp contractors began preparations for the demolition of the aging Condit Dam after years of legal wrangling. Even after the dam was finally breached with 700 pounds of dynamite in October 2011, the river remained closed as Condit Dam was slowly dismantled.
The dam was originally supposed to be completely removed by Aug. 31 of this year, but construction delays pushed the date back to Sept. 15. A logjam that had formed downstream of the former dam site further complicated matters and PacifiCorp said the White Salmon River would likely remain closed for another month. A salmon run, the members of which began naturally migrating this fall through the waters of what used to be Northwestern Lake for the first time in 100 years, also slowed the project down.
Last week, contractors finally removed the last of the logjam and lifted restrictions on the White Salmon River for the first time in over a year, much to the joy of boaters and other recreation enthusiasts.
"The restoration of a free-flowing river is an exciting event for the whitewater community," said American Whitewater Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director Thomas O'Keefe in a PacifiCorp press release announcing the opening of the river. "Paddling the restored reach will be a treasured, yet challenging, experience for many."
"Challenging" is the operative word here. While boating restrictions have been lifted on the White Salmon River, it doesn't mean just anyone should go take a crack at paddling through the restored lower section. Class IV rapids exist near the entrance to a section of river called "The Narrows," and both PacifiCorp and professional whitewater rafting guides have warned that intrepid paddlers should exercise caution when navigating the reach.
PacifiCorp noted that while the river is now open, some access restrictions will remain along certain river banks that have been recently planted with native vegetation. Signs will be used to mark these areas. Tom Gauntt, a spokesperson for PacifiCorp, said the planting of some 14,000 trees along the former dam and reservoir sites will commence in late winter and should be completed by March 2013. Powerhouse Road, which has been closed to non-local traffic for over a year, is expected to be open again by the end of next week as equipment is removed and the roadway is restored.
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