Your PUD News Release

PUD restores Rock Island safety barrier

Chelan County PUD
News Release
5/28/2008

PUD crews from the Central Maintenance Division were successful in restoring the safety barrier across the Columbia River above Rock Island Dam at approximately 12:25 p.m. Wednesday.

The barrier indicates a restricted area near the dam that boaters must avoid. It broke Saturday morning as high seasonal river flows created enough pressure on a large tree snagged in the barrier to snap the three-fourths-inch steel cable that stretches across a series of floats upstream from the dam. Crews were unsure what might be required to make repairs with high river flows and had warned that it could take as long as 30 days. 

Wednesday morning PUD employees were able to use a large District work boat with strong engines to pull part of the barrier upstream about 700 feet where the broken cable was reattached from the Chelan County shoreline. A winch on shore then tightened the cable with help from the work boat pushing on the barrier against the strong current. The repairs are expected to last until the cable can be fully replaced after river conditions relax and flows diminish later this summer. 

Boaters are reminded that river flows are high at this time of year, and there is additional debris in the water that has been flushed into the river with high spring runoff. 

*** 

Steve Lachowicz
Communications director
509 661-4639
steve.lachowicz@chelanpud.org