Originating high on Mt. Hood, the Sandy River flows west down the mountain, then turns north to enter the Columbia River east of Portland. It is designated as a “Wild & Scenic River.”

Bull Run hydroelectric project
In the early 1900s, PGE developed the Bull Run hydroelectric project in the Sandy Basin. The project included the 47-foot-high Marmot Dam; a concrete-lined canal that takes water from Marmot Dam through three tunnels to the Little Sandy River; the 16-foot-high Little Sandy Dam; a 15,000-foot-long wooden-box flume; Roslyn Lake; and a 22-megawatt powerhouse.

Marmot Dam removed
To benefit native fish and manage costs, PGE has begun a multi-year project to remove its Bull Run hydro facilities. The process began in summer/fall 2007 with the removal of Marmot Dam. See our Dam Removal Project section for more details. Visit MarmotDam.com to watch videos and see photos of the removal process.

Fisheries management
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for all fisheries management in the Sandy River basin. We work cooperatively with the agency to design and operate its facilities in support of fisheries. We also provide financial support for the Clackamas River hatchery near Estacada that produces spring chinook salmon for Sandy River fishery programs.

Like the Clackamas River, hatchery fish were removed at Marmot Dam through a partnership between PGE and the ODFW. Wild fish are allowed upstream, while the fin-clipped fish are taken downstream to Lewis and Clark State Park near the mouth of the Sandy River and returned to the fishery.