June 28, 2007

Marmot Dam access road closing July 15 for demolition safety
Fishing access, pedestrians and vehicles will be prohibited

Sandy, Ore. —  The Marmot Dam access road near Sandy, Ore., will close temporarily on July 15, as Portland General Electric begins removing its Marmot Dam on the Sandy River. The closure will be enforced until further notice due to hazardous demolition activity.

A “No Trespassing” sign will be posted at the upper gate of the access road, located off of Marmot Road, and only authorized vehicles and personnel will be permitted entry.

The action is required to avoid injury to the area’s visitors. Heavy construction equipment will be working onsite and on the access road. PGE plans reopen the road this winter.

Marmot Dam removal will enhance the Sandy’s reputation as one of the top destinations for steelhead and Chinook anglers. The action will give salmon and steelhead unimpeded access to about 100 miles of stream habitat above the dam.

The 47-foot-high Marmot Dam will be the largest dam ever removed in Oregon and the largest removed in the Northwest in 40 years. During summer 2008, PGE will take out the Little Sandy Dam on its namesake river, allowing fish migration above that dam for the first time in more than 95 years.  PGE will then drain Roslyn Lake, restoring the 160-acre lakebed to its natural contours. The removal of the facilities, known collectively as the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project, will help restore wild salmon and steelhead runs that were once among the strongest on the Pacific Coast.

 “Dam removal will benefit fish, wildlife and natural areas around the Sandy River,” said John Esler, PGE’s acting director of hydro relicensing and water rights. “We thank anglers and other access road users for their patience, and for their understanding that the closure is needed for safety reasons.”

In addition, whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Sandy will be enhanced as demolition of Marmot Dam eliminates a barrier to navigation for rafts and kayaks. 

A PGE land donation of 1,500 acres will form the centerpiece of a new, 9,000-acre conservation and recreation area in the Sandy River Basin that will further enhance outdoor recreation.

The actions are part of the Bull Run project “decommissioning” plan, a unique collaboration of 23 diverse organizations, including environmental groups, state and federal natural resource agencies, local governments and businesses.

For more information visit the Sandy River section under the Hydropower and Fish area of the PGE Web site. Questions on the dam removal project, and the need to close the road, may be directed to 503-228-6322 in the Portland calling area and 800-542-8818 elsewhere.

# # #