Marmot Dam on the Sandy River operates under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license that expires in 2004. PGE intends to surrender its operating license for the Bull Run Hydroelectric project, of which Marmot Dam is a part, and has entered into a settlement agreement for the decommissioning of the dam and associated facilities. As described in the Settlement Agreement and Decommissioning Plan, PGE will completely remove Marmot Dam during the summer of 2007. The removal of Marmot Dam will result in the release approximately 750,000 cubic meters of sediment that is currently stored upstream.

Gregory Stewart's PhD research on the Sandy River below Marmot dam predicted the trajectory of sediment transport and deposition following dam removal. Special attention was paid to those areas where ecological response to geomorphic change is expected to be most acute. During the summer of 2007, we will participate in monitoring the dam removal, and document the dynamics of the sediment erosion, transport and deposition.

For more information:
Portland General Electric dam removal page