First Dam water level lowered Tuesday
Lowering the water level at First Dam started Tuesday to strengthen the dam and allow for state-mandated repairs, said John DeVilbiss, Utah State University Public Relations and Marketing executive director.
Repairs, which were last done more than a decade ago, should be finished by June 1 in time for the first spring runoff, according to the USU media relation’s press release.
“The public should not be alarmed,” DeVilbiss said. “It’s just one of those things that needs to be done. The measure is preventive and not reactive.”
The group impacted the most will be the river’s aquatic life, said Kent Sorenson, Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) aquatics manager for the Northern region. The draining will produce silt which will flow downstream and affect fishing in the area, he said.
“We will lose some fish,” said Darrell Hart, assistant vice president for Facilities. “But not as many as we would if we would not have been part of the discussions regarding draw-down procedures early on.”
Hart said the university will closely follow the recommendations from a number of agencies for drawing down the water to reduce fish loss. These agencies include the State Fisheries, the Utah State Water Lab and the State Engineer’s Office, he said.
The main concern at this point is the issue of safety for local residents, said John Fitch, USU product coordinator for facilities, design and construction. He said USU Campus Police and Logan City Police have been notified of the dangers of bank failures and will be patrolling the area. He said residents should be cautious.
The repairs, which are funded by the State Department of Water Resources, include adding mass to the east side of the dam, new control gates and a new hydroelectric generator, Fitch said.
The reservoir water level will be brought back up to a normal level on Oct. 29, he said.