Tower completion delayed
April 15th, 2009
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. The conduit is a 40-foot diameter steel pipe that connects the top and bottom structures of the Selective Water Withdrawal tower. Fully assembled, the conduit is 140 feet long and weighs 573,000 pounds.
Crews are now working on a plan to retrieve the conduit. Once it is brought to the surface, PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs will bring in independent structural experts and conduct a complete inspection.
Initial estimates indicate that the completion of the tower could be delayed by a minimum of four months, depending on what repairs and modifications are needed.
Meanwhile, PGE biologists are making alternate arrangements for transporting fish downstream. PGE crews will trap Chinook smolts currently migrating toward the Round Butte Dam and truck them below the three dams of the Pelton Round Butte project. Steelhead, which are due to migrate later this spring, may also be transported around the dams.
Projects aimed at habitat restoration will continue in cooperation with state and local agencies and stakeholders. Future fish releases will continue as planned.
