Doug Johnson: I’m at Bonneville Dam, the first federal dam built by the Army Corps
of Engineers along the Columbia River in 1937. Today there are 31 dams on the Columbia and
Snake rivers that provide clean, low-cost energy to the entire northwest. And I’m
joined today by the Army Corps of Engineers’ Dave Weiss. He is going to explain to us how
we start with water here, run it through the dam, and provide electricity to you and your
family and the businesses that serve you. Dave?
Dave Weiss: Let’s go to the powerhouse, we’ll see how that happens.
Doug Johnson: Let’s do it …
Doug Johnson: So here we are at the powerhouse where the water and the turbines work their
magic. Dave, what’s going on beneath us?
Dave Weiss: Well, hydropower uses the force of falling water. We’re here at powerhouse,
where at Bonneville Dam, water falls about 60 feet under the dam. It’s the force of
that falling water that turns these waterwheel-like structures under the generators, those spinning
turbines we’ll call them, run the generator, spins a magnet in the generator that produces
electricity on copper coils right below our feet. Bonneville Dam produces enough electricity
for a city the size of Portland, Oregon. Once that power is produced here, the Bonneville
Power Administration will distribute that power over transmission lines all over the
Northwest.
Doug Johnson: So now hydropower is a great resource, can you tell us a little bit about
the benefits of hydropower?
Dave Weiss: Certainly. Because we’re using the power of falling water, we can do it again
and again. Because of the water cycle, water can go through this dam, other dams, and rains
and snows start the whole process over again. Water is a renewable resource. It’s also
a clean resource; we’re not burning anything here. There’s not a byproduct pollution.
So, it’s a fairly cheap source of electricity. We don’t have to haul fuel in. And it’s
a fairly clean source of electricity as well.
Doug Johnson: So, along with those great things that the hydro system provides us, there are
challenges. Can you talk a little bit about those?
Dave Weiss: Yes there are challenges. Dams are obstacles to salmon; adult salmon trying
to get upstream to their spawning grounds and young salmon, baby salmon going downstream
to the ocean. Luckily the dam was designed with fish ladders and other passage facilities
for salmon. And we’re always improving those facilities, whether screens to keep young
salmon away from the turbines, or other systems to pass fish safely by the dam. We’re using
the latest scientific research to always improve those systems here at Bonneville Dam.
Doug Johnson: So you can see operating a dam is a very complex and involved process. But
Dave, if you had to sum it up, what would you say is the most challenging aspect of
operating a dam?
Dave Weiss: Well I think the biggest challenge is trying to find the balance. There are all
kinds of competing demands we have on this resource and finding the balance between them
all. Here at Bonneville Dam, we want to use water to make electricity. But it’s also
important that we use this resource for improved transportation, water for boats. And of course
we must remember salmon; salmon need water too, water for fish passage. And there’s
other dams in the system that are built for flood control and for irrigation. And they
are a part of finding this balance as well. Working together – the Corps of Engineers,
Bonneville Power Administration, public and private utilities – all working together
to get the most out of this Columbia River resource.
Doug Johnson: Thanks for joining us. We hope we’ve provided you with a better understanding
of how we harness the power of the river to bring energy to you and your family. And we
hope you continue to join us as we examine the benefits and issues associated with power
in the Northwest.