Rogue River dam removal moves forward

4/2/09 The Oregonian, Matthew Preusch Article on the removal of Savage Rapids Dam. Includes a link to the WaterWatch campaign video.

The removal of Savage Rapids Dam on the Rogue River will take another step forward next week.

The 39-foot high dam east of Grants Pass is one of several scheduled for decommissioning on the southern Oregon river, which before long could run unimpeded for 157 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade foothills.

On Tuesday, construction will begin on a cofferdam around the six northern bays of the dam, the next step in the $40 million project.

Once the coffer dam is in place, demolition of the 88-year old dam will begin. The north side of the dam is expected to be removed by October, and salmon, whose path was blocked by the dam, will be able to migrate freely for the first time in decades.

The federal government estimates the number of salmon reaching spawning grounds will increase by nearly a quarter once the dam comes out.

The dam was used by the Grants Pass Irrigation District to draw water from the river for its customers, but now that purpose will be served by new pumps, which are scheduled for final testing this month.

The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board pledged $3 million towards the project in 2002, and the next year federal legislation passed authorizing the federal government to install the pumps and pull the dam.

WaterWatch, which has long advocated for dam removal, recently released a video on the subject. If you don't mind sitting through a brief sales pitch from the conservation group, the video provides a summary of the different dam removal projects underway on the Rogue: