Just over a year ago we posted a blog about the new cooling tower that PGE had added to Pelton Damn… We have fished the Deschutes River for over 30 years and this year noticed some definite changes. Is this because of the Cooling Tower or just a weird year, who knows… But As mentioned in the post nearly 14 months ago there are some definite concerns we should all have.
Questions and answers on Deschutes water temperatures From PGE Posted On Their Site:
July 29th, 2011
The selective water withdrawal facility is now in its second year of operation, and we’re getting questions about how we’re managing water temperatures in the Lower Deschutes. Here are some answers for you:
- What’s PGE’s role in managing water temperatures in the lower Deschutes?
- How is “natural thermal potential” calculated?
- Why has the temperature of the water released below the dams changed in the past two years?
- Isn’t warmer water bad for the fish downstream?
- Given that PGE now manage water temperatures, why aren’t you working to counterbalance other human influences that make the water unnaturally warm and bad for fish, like irrigation and other development?
- What can you do to adjust temperatures if it turns out you’ve deviated from natural thermal potential?
Have you noticed a difference on the Deschutes? Let us know your thoughts, we would love to hear from you.
