© Discovery News
This week, PacifiCorp Energy opted out of complying with new fish passage rules for one of its hydroelectric facilities in Washington State. Instead, the utility company figured it would be cheaper to demolish the 125-foot tall, 98-year old Condit Dam, allowing the White Salmon River to flow freely again into the Columbia River, three miles downstream.
Videos of the explosion, shown below in slow motion, and below that with background information, are fascinating to watch. The massive release of water illustrates just how much a dam can alter a landscape.
It took a little over an hour for an upstream reservoir to drain through the blasted hole. Further demolition of the structure will continue over the next year.
Steelhead and salmon can now resume unimpeded swims up and down the river. Rafters and kayakers have a new stretch of whitewater to get psyched about. And scientists will surely stay tuned to see how environment restores itself with a huge pile of concrete blocking its way.
© Discovery News
Anything that helps the Pacific wild salmon fishery is a blessing. Here in Europe, the only fresh salmon available are the frankenfish from the Norwegian, Irish and Scottish fish farms. Frozen wild Pacific fillets are available, though. Now if they could just restore some of the north Atlantic wild fishery... but with the huge profits from the European fish farming cartel at stake, I don't see this as anything that is going to grow political legs.