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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1983)
O tìé lT Ì Warm Springs News SON h is t o r ic a l i ¡OCTET Y OR P A R K A V * 1230 PORTLAND » OK 9 7 2 8 5 U.S. Portage Spllyay Tymoo Coyote News VOL 8 NO 16 WARM SPRINGS, OREGON 97761 JULY 29.1983 C a m p e rs, flo a te r s dismayed with flood Spityay T y moo photo by Behrend by Pat Leno NO PARKING Here one minute and gone the next. . .that’s just about how fast the flood waters on the Deschutes River went the afternoon of July 16. For rafters on the river, the idea of being dumped into' the river is accepted but they didn’t expect the river to be dumped into their cars. That is what happened to several who had parked their cars in the park area located across from the Rainbow Market. Throughout the day, there had been summer rain showers with brief periods of clearing. Suddenly, during one of the showers, a torrent of water rushed down the river, it happened so quickly, that a family camping in the park had their entire camp submerged. They said they didn’t have time to get anything out of the way of the waters and all of their gear was “sopping wet.” Thus ended the family’s weekend. A rafter enthusiast, Steve Pomp of Portland, returned to the park to find his car filled with river water and his boat trailer covered with weeds. Water rushed out of his car as he opened a door to inspect dam age to his p e rso n a l belongings. He said this sport of rafting has become an expensive hobby for him. Earlier this year he lost a drift boat and all his new gear to the river. He said he hoped his insurance would cover the latest damage. A close look into his car revealed puddles of muck on the floor and. seats soaked with water. For some unfortunate river drifters the discovery of the flooding water would not be made until they returned from their trips down to Trout Creek or Maupin. Lightning causes malfunction at hydro plant The first anniversary of the dedication of the T ribe’s hydroelectric project July 16 was marked with an unusual chain of events beginning with a severe lightning storm which resulted in an unanticipated rise in the Deschutes River. The 4.6 foot wall of water shooting dow n the D eschutes was caused after lightning disabled controls a t the P o rtla n d General Electric reregulating dam four miles upriver from Warm Springs adjacent to the tribally-owned hydroelectric project. The storm, which began with o m in o u s b l a c k c lo u d s enveloping the area, deposited . 15 inches of rain and hail in the Madras and Warm Springs a re a in a s h o r t, tim e . Accompanying the downpour was intense th u n d er and lightning which created an Weather JULY 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 HI 86 80 77 87 94 91 80 75 80 LOW 48 60 54 49 60 64 61 44 50 maintain a flow for fisheries. u nusual chain o f events 4.6-foot wall of water contrary malfunction in the future. The possibility of lightning resulting in the overflow of to the reported eight-foot wall P G E p u b lic r e la tio n s water through gates at the as seen in statewide news spokesm an Steve M ueller producing such a chain of Pelton reregulating dam. releases. related that some steps had events to cause the overflow of According to Pelton-Round A meeting held by PGE already been taken. “The gates water through the reregulating Butte dam project superinten officials and Pelton Dam will open automatically only dam spilways “is very remote,” dent Bud Catto, lightning operators has resulted in the one foot,” he explained. Any says Catto. Equipment at the struck close to the reregulating addition of more controls on greater opening would require dams have lightning protection dam disabling a control cable the dam to minimize the manual operation. This one to minimize the effects of which sends information from p o s s i b i l i t y o f s u c h a foot opening is necessary to lightning strikes. the river level guaging station 2 0 0 y a r d s b e lo w th e reregulating dam to the reregulating powerhouse. After lightning struck the cable, causing a malfunction in th e e q u ip m e n t, w ro n g information was received by the control equipment. The reading indicated the river was low. Four spilway gates opened automatically upon receiving this computerized information. The 14 foot openings allowed 22,500 cubic feet per second of water to run into the river. Normal flow is 4,600 cubic feet per second. The operator at Pelton Dam was also receiving the same low river information on his gauges and left Pelton Dam to check on the situ atio n a t the reregulating dam. Upon arrival he realized the malfunction and closed the gates manually. Gates at the reregulating dam S/rftor r>woo p*oto Loto had remained open for half an The waters receded quickly from the park area located across from the Rainbow Market during the hour adding enough water to the Deschutes River to make a recent flooding, but for rafters who had parked their cars close to the riverbanks the water remained inside their cars creating puddles of muck, and mud.
