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Public invited to look at unique Chelan hydro work

Chelan County PUD
News Release
10/2/2009

Chelan County PUD will take a little different approach this year in celebrating Public Power Week, Oct. 4-10. The celebration will actually take place on Saturday, Oct. 17, with free tours of the recently completed Chelan River Project. The celebration is a few days after Public Power Week because water will start flowing permanently through the Chelan River Gorge on Oct. 15.

The Saturday event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers families and community members an introduction to a just- completed $16 million project. The improvements provide year-round water flow from the Chelan Dam to restore the natural character of the Chelan River and add nearly four acres of fish habitat in the lower portion of the river after it emerges from the steep Chelan Gorge. An innovative new channel was created to attract adult fish for spawning, and a pumping system will provide cold water from the powerhouse tailrace to supplement the new permanent river flow of 80 cubic feet per second (cfs).

The self-guided tour with four stops includes:

• A look from below  the  Chelan Dam at the new low-level outlet, an addition to the dam that sends the 80 cfs into the Chelan River year–round without opening dam spillgates
• The opportunity to stroll the new mile-plus trail just below the dam
• Seeing the new fish habitat from the viewpoint off Highway 150 just above the Chelan Falls turnoff
• Visiting Powerhouse Park for a chance to see spawning salmon in new habitat in the tailrace

Interpretive signs at each of the four stops will provide information, and PUD staff will be available to answer questions.

Relicensing the Lake Chelan Hydro Project for 50 more years brought the PUD, fishery agencies, tribes and the public together to review priorities for managing and operating the hydroelectric project. Among the goals were restoring the natural function of the Chelan River and adding habitat in the lower reaches of the river for Chinook salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing.

Chelan County PUD is a member of the American Public Power Association, which coordinates Public Power Week celebrations across the country The PUD  is one of 28 public utility districts in Washington state and provides clean, renewable hydropower from its three dams for its customer-owners in Chelan County and to utilities serving homes and businesses across the Northwest.

More information about the self-guided tour is on the PUD Web site at http://www.chelanpud.org/.

***

Christy Shearer
Deputy Public Information Officer
Chelan County PUD
509.661.4258 office
509.421.4258 cell
509.661.8117 fax
christy.shearer@chelanpud.org