Condit Dam Goes Down!

 It was a historic day in the Columbia River Gorge and law enforcement was ready for it.  A large hole was going to be blown in the base of Condit Dam in Washington at approximately 12 noon. The dam is located on the White Salmon River 3.3 miles upstream from the Columbia River and is North (and slightly West) of Hood River, Oregon.  See dam info on link below:
http://www.pacificorp.com/es/hydro/hl/condit.html#

Mt. Hood watches over the event

 A crowd gathered near the mouth of the White Salmon.  The road next to the river going up to the dam was closed.  The dam was finished in 1913 and blocks salmon and steelhead from traveling upstream (there is no fish ladder).  After scheduling the dam removal this fall, some salmon were transported above the dam this month. 

 A few people perched on rocks overlooking the canyon.

 Helicopters were monitoring the no-fly zone which had been established over the dam and lower river.

 The bridge over the White Salmon on SR14 was closed just before noon.  The hole was blown several minutes later (we did not hear the blast).

No barrier can stop a unicorn

This is the view we had of the mouth of the White Salmon River

 We had heard by radio that the water was rushing down the canyon but by the time it reached us

It was a small surge that spilled up over part of a dock

 And up into a bay that was bare moments earlier - the water took about 15 minutes to get here.

 Then sediment and debris began to arrive.  Large logs were carried downstream.

 As we walked back to the car, we saw some of the logs floating downstream in the Columbia.







For exciting video of the dam breaching - click on the arrow below!