The Lewis River Hydroelectric Projects - PacifiCorp

Lewis River Sites—Overview Sign
Location:
Size:
Title:
Content:
Merwin Park, Speelyai Park, Cresap Bay Park, Saddle Dam Park, Yale
Park, Cougar Park, Beaver Bay Camp, Swift Forest Camp, Eagle Cliff
Park
TBD
The Lewis River Hydroelectric Projects—Hydropower and Much More
[Name of Site] is owned and operated by PacifiCorp, an electric utility
that operates the four major hydroelectric projects, and associated
recreation sites, along the Lewis River.
The Lewis River flows 90 miles from the glaciers of Mt. Adams to join the
Columbia River near the town of Woodland, Washington. There are three
major hydroelectric dams on the Lewis: Merwin Dam near Ariel, Yale
Dam near Yale, and Swift Dam near Cougar. In addition, there is a
power-generation canal between Swift Dam and upper Yale Lake.
Annually, these four projects generate over 2 million megawatt-hours of
electricity—enough to power over 250,000 homes. But PacifiCorp’s work
in the Lewis River Valley goes beyond power generation. As a
requirement of its Federal hydropower license, the company acts as a
steward to the reservoirs, the river itself, and many of the surrounding
lands. PacifiCorp’s goal is to balance power generation with the needs of
the public and of the environment.
To achieve this goal, PacifiCorp
• With Cowlitz PUD, creates and maintains 15 recreation facilities,
including campgrounds, picnic areas, swimming beaches, boat
launches, and trails.
• Provides flood management services throughout the lower Lewis
River.
• Funds fish hatcheries to maintain Lewis River salmon runs and to
provide for sport fishing in the reservoirs.
• Protects and enhances wildlife habitat in and around the river and
reservoirs.
Many organizations watch over PacifiCorp’s operations, including the US
Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the US
Environmental Protection Agency (through the Washington Department
of Ecology), the Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the
National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife.
Additional
Content
[Sidebars]:
Sharing these lands with the public is a particularly important
commitment for PacifiCorp. Long before it was a federal requirement,
Pacific Light and Power (now PacifiCorp) was operating a welldeveloped
park system here along the Lewis River.
Appendix 1: panel profiles Lewis River Draft I&E Plan page 5