Northwest lake above Condit Dam, and Dog Creek

Today we went with the Dyers up to Condit Dam, on the White salmon river, to observe the aftermath of the breaching of the dam. This dam was finished in 1913, and generated enough energy to supply 7000 homes with electricity. The cost of building a fish ladder to allow salmon to go around the dam was too expensive, so PGE decided to decommission the dam and remove it. They bored a hole through the bottom of the dam and then dynamited it the rest of the way to release the water from the lake. It was expected to take 6 hrs. for the lake to drain, it only took one hour and 10 minutes.It was an awesome sight. I watched it as it happened, last week. From these pictures you can see how much silt had built up the last 100 years behind the dam The engineers hope that the fall and spring rains will wash most of it out to the Columbia by next summer.There are many dead Thule salmon on the high river banks. They did not make it.

This is Dog Creek, a very small creek that ends with a beautiful waterfall. It is maybe 3 blocks from the Columbia with no access to the river. Some how these fish have found a tunnel under highway 14 from the Columbia and spawn in this little stream. Rick and his Dad stopped here years ago and said the stream was chuck full of salmon. I have seen it and it is true. There were 3 big salmon in the small waterfall pond. it is only a couple of feet deep. You can wade out and pick them up. Here are some fish that have spawned and died. Next year I am going up and try netting some at the beginning of the run, when they will be good to eat. it was a great, fun day in the most beautiful place on earth, the Northwest.