The Marmot Dam, located on the Sandy River in Northwestern Oregon, is one of the first large dams to be removed in the US. The removal of this dam is one of intense study by environmental groups, industry, and scientists. This site is intended to serve as a resource center for all information related to the Marmot Dam's removal and the Bull Run Decommissioning project.

SANDY RIVER FLOWS AGAIN
On October 19, 2007, fall rains brought flows on the Sandy River, OR, to a sufficient level for Portland General Electric (PGE) to notch the temporary coffer dam (video), allowing the river to start redistributing reservoir sediment. Read the full story. In addition, a documentary film crew that visited St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) this past June shot footage of a model study located in the basement of the lab: NCED created a model of the Marmot Dam with colleagues from the US Forest Service (USFS), Oregon State University, and dam owners PGE to help predict and document this exciting event. View a clip of this video, “Scale Model Demonstrates Coffer Dam Washout,” to learn more about how a river removes a coffer dam.

Webcam:
Time lapse video (courtesy of the US Geological Survey) of the Marmot Dam's coffer dam breach on the Sandy River.

Research:
Potential Geomorphic and Ecological Impacts of the Marmot Dam Removal, Sandy River, OR - final report of pre-removal field survey and modeling of the Marmot Dam and the Sandy River. Study conducted by Greg Stewart (Oregon State University or OSU) and Gordon Grant (US Forest Service or USFS) for Portland General Electric.

Physical Model Study of the Marmot Dam Removal -  information on a research study (model) of the removal and upstream sediment remobilization by the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory and the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics. View  the model in a video clip, “Scale Model Demonstrates Coffer Dam Washout,” on the Portland General Electric (PGE) Marmot Dam website.

US Geological Survey - Oregon Water Science Center - site contains an overview of the USGS OWSC program on pre- and post-monitoring of the Marmot Dam's removal. Data are available from the site for discharge and turbidity.

Local Organizations:
Sandy River Basin Watershed Council  - community organization focused on managing the Sandy River Basin with information and perspectives on the Bull Run Decommissioning Project.

Sandy River Basin Partners - community organization supporting the restoration and recovery of wild salmon and steel head population in the Sandy River Basin.

Portland General Electric - public site provided by the dam owner with information on the dam's removal, including timeline and photographs.

Other News:
The Sandy Post - local paper from Sandy Oregon with information and perspectives on the Bull Run Decomissioning Project.

The Oregonian - Portland, OR, newspaper with a story about the blast that signaled the end of the Marmot Dam.

General Dam Removal Information:
The Dam Remover: Mark I - a 1D numeical model for studying the response of a reservoir to sudden dam removal. Available free from the NCED Stream Restoration Tool Box.

The Geomorphic Response of Rivers to Dam Removal -  video/slide presentation of the basic of dams, dam removal and the response of the river to dam removal. Produced by Gordon Grant, USFS; Greg Stewart, OSU; and Chris Bromley, University of Nottingham.

Dialogue on Dams and River - Aspen Institute - summary and downloadable version of the 2002 report produced by the Aspen Institute on dam removal as a viable option for river managment and restoration.

Article: US Forest Service - general article by Gordon Grant (USFS) on the response of rivers to dam removal.

Photo Galleries:
NCED Photo Archives - under construction.

Local Weather Information:
US Geological Survey real-time gage data at the Marmot Dam

Oregon Climate Service - under "Specific Products," select 24-hr QPF for days 1, 2, 3, or 4-5.