The energy news digest is a collection of daily news items of interest to electrical utilities, particularly the public power community. This extension was constructed and added to the fish ladder to reduce the drop to the water surface from 26 to approximately feet. Wanapum lake is a reservoir on the columbia river in the u. Cracked dam causes water emergency in washington state the cracked wanapum dam on the columbia river is causing many problems. A fire broke out in the wanapum dam powerhouse in 2007. A crack discovered in one of spillway monoliths at wanapum dam led. Grant county works with power engineers to improve performance of wanapum generation ew control, protection, and communication systems at wanapum dam are giving operators better visibility of the performance of the power generation system, improving safety, dependability, and efficiency. Mattawa a miscalculation in the wanapum dam s design led to a 65foot long crack in a support pillar. Engineers have lowered the water upstream to relieve pressure on the dam.
On february 24, 2014 a worker at wanapum dam noticed the spillway deck had shifted downstream. Wanapum dam is 8,637 feet long and 187 feet high and is capable of generating over 4 million megawatthours per year. The roof was temporarily patched and is being permanently repaired this year. Officials said there is no threat to the public from the crack in the wanapum dam, which is just down stream from where interstate 90 crosses.
The wanapum dam facility along the columbia river, tuesday, march 4, 2014. It burned through the roof, damaged concrete walls and caused extensive smoke damage. This undated photo shows the wanapum dam on the columbia river. However, early reports of the dam crack were vague and were believed to have involved the hydropower turbines. Dam is located at rm 415 in kittitas county, while priest rapids dam is downstream. Wanapum dam grant county public utility district grant. Whether youre spinning, baitcasting or fly fishing your chances of getting a bite here are good. Divers from associated underwater services have completed the installation of 585 concrete stop logs weighing 60 tons each at wanapum dam one month ahead of schedule. For more than 60 years, the wanapum and grant pud have worked together to protect, preserve and perpetuate the natural and cultural resources of the area. The discovery of a crack in a concrete pier at wanapum dam has led the grant county pud to lower the dam reservoir by 6 feet to relieve. Potential failure situation developing at wanapum dam news.
After extensive investigation, it was determined that the crack was caused by mathematical errors in the initial design calculations and late changes to the final spillway design. Priest rapids reservoir from priest rapids dam to wanapum dam and wanapum reservoir from wanapum dam to rock island dam reason for action. It is large enough to cause any issues if the problems were to arise. Wanapum dam the dam was named wanapum in honor of the band of native americans who live along a stretch of the columbia river from vantage south toward pasco, wash. Wanapum dam stabilization associated underwater services. Sizable political sign in small town becoming a fixation for locals and looky loos duration. Wanapum dam stabilized, but fish passage and power problems. The crack was found last week in the fourth of 12 spillway piers at wanapum dam on the columbia river, as shown in this photo delivered as part of.
These web pages provide information about the location, construction date, pool elevation, and powerhouse capacity of the major federal and nonfederal hydroelectric projects in the columbia basin. There is no immediate threat to public safety from the crack in the wanapum dam, according to grant county public utility district spokesman. Grant county works with power engineers to improve. Ephrata work on wanapum dam is nearly finished roughly a year after a crack was discovered in the dam. The dam is located on the columbia river, 6 miles downstream of vantage. As construction on the dams began, the wanapum stood in support of the utility. The wanapum dam was originally licensed in 1955 for a period of 50 years. Oxbow dam hydroelectric project information columbia.
A grant pud hydroelectric mechanic is recovering after a slip and fall tuesday morning at the wanapum dam. Wanapum dam reservoir on the columbia river is returning to normal levels after being. A massive crack in a major columbia river dam poses enough of a risk of dam failure that grant county authorities have activated an emergencyresponse plan. The reservoir impounds 693,600 acrefeet of water during normal. Cracked wanapum dam can handle migrating fish, grant pud. Asce pittsburgh section geoinstitute hosts fixing the. The wanapum dam fish ladder exit, normally under water, was exposed during the reservoir drawdown to repair the crack. A crack discovered in one of spillway monoliths at wanapum dam led to a need to stabilize the structure and prevent further damage. Features include a designbuild concrete foundation poured underwater via tremie and precast boxes. Divers discovered a 65foot crack across part of wanapum dam s concrete spillway in february, and workers have lowered the reservoir level by 26 feet to reduce pressure on the dam. Federal regulators and consultants rushed to wanapum dam on the columbia river near the central washington town of vantage after the discovery of the 2inchwide crack last week in a spillway.
Crack in wanapum dam a symptom of several big problems. Stoplog guides, stoplogs and hoist, vertical and inclined gate guides and gates, and associated hydraulic and electrical controls were included in this project. An extensive investigation by the grant county utility district revealed tuesday that a host of problems caused the massive crack in wanapum. Columbia river drawdown continues to take pressure off wanapum dam. A spokesman for the grant county pud indicated that the level of the water was to be lowered by 26 feet 8 m over a period of days to reduce the pressure on the spillway while inspectors investigate. Wanapum dam crack symptom of several big problems knkx. Hatcheryorigin white sturgeon residing in wanapum and priest rapids reservoirs since the early 2000s are abundant and have grown to a harvestable size. The primary focus is on energy issues affecting the pacific northwest, including fish and wildlife, renewable energy, climate change and telecommunications.
The dam has a rated capacity of 1,040 megawatts and annually generates over 4 million megawatthours. It was created in 1963 with the construction of wanapum dam. Wanapum dam was financed by longterm revenue bonds that were retired through the sale of power. The large crack in part of the wanapum dam spillway may have been there long before it was discovered late last month. Grant county public utility district worked to investigate the problem, install anchors to stabilize the dam, and return the powerhouse to full operations. Wanapum dam is situated northwest of wanapum village.
Rick deschamps, vice president of engineering for pittsburghbased nicholson construction company, presented the fascinating case. Aerial wanapum dam to vantage, wa, columbia river 01 9793457283. Grant pud began refilling the wanapum reservoir on monday, and expects the water level to be back to normal sometime in the next seven to 14 days. Oh little princesscommunication breakdown whats happening today. Fish ladders at the wanapum dam are inoperable, and lowering the reservoir. A spokesman for the grant county pud indicated that the level of the.
Risk ownership and mitigation are key to safety culture. The curved walls and flared floor of the chute were built in a 25 ft deep sheetpile coffercell. As of tuesday engineers say the wanapum dams major crack is stabilizing with the drawdown of the pool behind it. Engineers have started emergency procedures to stabilize a washington dam after they found a 65foot crack in the structure. Wanapum dam is a hydroelectric project located on the columbia river downstream south from vantage. Wanapum dam was built in 1959 and is more than a mile long. Brought together in the 1950s with the federal licensing of priest rapids and wanapum dams, grant pud and the wanapum band of native americans committed to a longlasting relationship built on mutual trust and respect. The cause of the crack remains unknown, but the utility said it had ruled. The dam, and its lake, are named after the wanapum indians. Wanapum dam, located in washington, has a 65foot crack in its structure. April 7, 2011 dai qing, chinese investigative journalist and probe international fellow, delivered the following speech about the three gorges dam project in november 2010 while on a speaking tour in british columbia, canada. Sixtyfivefoot crack discovered in washington dam cbs news. Vantage was moved to its present location due to flooding when wanapum dam was constructed, a few miles south of vantage, in the early 1960s. Grant pud nearly finished with repairs at wanapum dam.
The part of the dam that has failed is called an ogee, which is a big concrete bump on the upstream higher elevation portion of. Two critically injured, inspectors on site after priest. Crack in wanapum dam a symptom of several big problems nw. March 1996 voith asked grant to use wanapum in the research of the advanced turbine project since grant pud was participating in the program and voith was its turbine contractor, we agreed. More than 50 asce members and guests gathered on november 19 th at cefalos banquet and event center for the pittsburgh geoinstitutes monthly dinner meeting and technical presentation, titled fixing a crack in the wanapum dam. Emergency fish passage at a fractured mainstem columbia.
Located next to the wanapums ancestral village and priest rapids dam, this 50,000 squarefoot building is instrumental in perpetuating the importance of the culture, traditions and beliefs. Wanapum dam is the grant county puds largest power producer. The priest rapids dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity dam, located between the yakima firing range and the hanford nuclear reservation in central washington, more than 50 miles east of yakima. The owner of the dam, grant county public utility district, immediately mandated a drawdown of the dams reservoir to relieve pressure on the spillway monoliths. This graphic form the grant pud shows the sequence of events that led to the crack in wanapum dam. Two critically injured, inspectors on site after priest rapids dam explosion. We dont say what we mean, and we dont mean what we say. Grant pud employee airlifted after fall at wanapum dam. When grant county pud has had an opportunity to do a full. The wanapum dam, a hydroelectric project located on the columbia river in grant county, wash. Areas fished include columbia river, crab creek, columbia river fishing dates. Cracked dam causes water emergency in washington state. Lake wanapum was created by the dam and flooded the original town site. On february 27, 2014, a 2inch 5 cm wide crack was discovered by inspection divers on one of the 65 feet 20 m tall concrete monoliths that make up the spillway of the dam.
Wanapum dam hydroelectric project information columbia. Crack in wanapum dam may have been there awhile the. Utility officials say the 50year old man was doing maintenance inside a draft tube when he fell. The crack in the massive concrete structure was 2 inches wide and ran 65 feet. Wanapum reservoir extends 38 miles upstream to the tailwater of rock island dam. The results of an 11week investigation showed the people building the dam should have used additional concrete or reinforced steel when constructing the pillars supporting the dam s spillway, grant pud reported. Construction was initiated in 1959 with initial beneficial operation in. It stretches from there upstream to the rock island dam. Divers inspecting the spill way discovered a two inch wide 65 foot horizontal fracture.
255 504 1299 946 732 1090 85 927 1423 108 583 314 831 1271 252 1201 902 540 1401 429 1075 1041 671 940 393 42 959 1173 1473 876 803 1422 82 1371 646 140 27 1093