Historic Hood River
Powerdale Dam Maintenance
1-14-2015
Notes
These men apparently drew the short straw and had to tend to the ice at the Powerdale Dam in February, 1930. Where was OSHA?
The History Museum of Hood River County
Bringing the Rich History of Hood River County to Life
Charlott
Doesn’t look like a job I would wish to have.
l.e.
Dumb question here, but, what was their main concern with the ice?
I assume we are looking downstream toward free flowing water.
Buzz
The guy closest to the water is obviously sitting on a suspended plank. He seems to be holding onto the rope with one hand and has some kind of a pike pole in the other hand. The other guy appears to be be hanging onto the other rope to probably help stabilize the plank. The lower guy appears to be helping guide the ice chunks through the gap into the open water so a bigger ice jam doesn’t build up. Doubt if it is all that dangerous.
Kenn
I can understand the reasoning to breach the dam, I cannot fathom the much larger expense to remove all trace. Partial dams remain on the Rogue River making good before and after photos, not so at this historical site.
Buzz
Kenn, maybe the eternal quest to return to our virginal past. Good luck with that.
L.E.
This "Yesteryears" was in the Feb. 23, 2016 Hood River News:
1936 "” 80 years ago
One effect of the long-sustained cold spell has been the gradual filling of the Columbia River with slush ice, and, on Tuesday, the last remaining channel of open water near town and slightly west of the mouth of the White Salmon River had been closed. A slight fall of snow on Tuesday night revealed that the river was completely ice bound west of town, as it has been for several days at Mitchell Point and Bonneville.
For the first time in years, groups of men are employed day and night breaking up ice jams at the intake of the Pacific Power & Light Company’s hydro-electric plant. In near zero and sub-zero weather of the past week, and with many of the tributaries of Hood River now frozen over, the current on the main river has been so markedly slowed that ice has formed on many of the pools above the power intake and above the dam. One week ago, the line did freeze just above the power plant and fires had to be built under it to thaw it out and release water to the turbines.