Work on the underwater tower and fish collection facility was substantially completed Dec. 3, after PGE made the final connections between major tower components, and fish have begun entering the system.

The first major migration of fish is not expected until February, but dozens of juvenile fish have already followed currents created by the tower and have been transported downstream by PGE biologists.The tower is now undergoing testing, which is expected to continue until mid-January. Read the rest of this entry.

The underwater tower near Round Butte dam is now expected to be completed and operating by the end of 2009, ready for the 2010 fish migration period.

The massive tower, originally scheduled for completion in May 2009, was delayed when a portion of the 40-foot diameter steel conduit connecting the top and bottom structures broke off April 11 during assembly in Lake Billy Chinook.

All segments have been retrieved from the lake floor. Design modifications have been made, and construction crews have begun work on repairs and replacements. An analysis of the incident by PGE staff and independent structural experts is continuing to determine the exact cause.

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The completion of the underwater tower near the Round Butte dam has been delayed by at least four months. When crews were assembling the three components of the tower on April 11, segments of the central conduit separated. The lower portion of the conduit fell to the bottom of Lake Billy Chinook.
 
 
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Anticipation is growing as PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs enter the final phases of constructing the underwater tower that will restore fish passage on the Deschutes River.

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A fishing guide asked whether the river water downstream of the underwater tower (officially known as the Selective Water Withdrawal tower) would become warmer or cooler when the fish passage system is operational. Here’s my answer:

 
 
 

Construction update photos from 7-31-08 showing the installation of fish exclusion plates and the bottom control gate frames from the inside.
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Photographs of underwater tower construction from July 25, 2008. These include an aerial view of the lowering of the bottom section and shots of the installation of the frames for the bottom control gates that control the water flow at the bottom of the tower.
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The bottom section of the underwater tower is nearing completion and is getting closer to being lowered to its final resting place 270 feet below the surface. Because of the size of the bottom section and the challenges of building on the water, the contractor will lower the structure approximately 20 feet in June to allow them to finish erecting its top. Read the rest of this entry.

We are making good progress on the construction of the underwater tower. Similar to most construction projects, we have encountered some surprises but the contractor has worked through these challenges and is still on schedule.
We are building the major components on floating barges in Lake Billy Chinook, and will set them into place once they are completed. continue reading…