The Dam at Peshastin

The Dam at Soleduck

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note: We are very interested in any pictures you may have of these two dams, especially at varying water levels.

The diversion dam on the Wenatchee River at the Peshastin Creek confluence (pictured on the right, at low flow) presents both a hazard and an opportunity.  The hazard is this: during snowmelt, (the time when the river is most-used) the hydraulic created by the dam is a drowning machine.  It is an accident waiting to happen.  What many people don't understand is that this is totally unnecessary- there is no need to accept a hazard as the cost of having a diversion dam in the river.

Currently the hydraulic caused by the dam creates a serious hazard in the middle of one of the more heavily-used recreational rivers in the state.  A person or vessel caught in this hydraulic will potentially recirculate for hours unless rescued. (It should be mentioned that life expectancy under such circumstances can predictably be measurable in minutes.) It's not uncommon to watch logs and other flotsam stay there for hours, being driven under, floating back to the surface, then being fed back into the hydraulic by its powerful backflow.

The existing dam is adequately marked as a hazard, and this may be the reason why no fatalities have occurred there.  This sort of marking provides some safety, but does not mitigate the lost recreational opportunities potentially available.

The opportunity the current situation presents can be seen in the example demonstrated by another diversion dam (pictured left):  The fish hatchery diversion dam on the Soleduck River is known far and wide for the fact that during flood conditions, the wave it creates is nearly ideal for recreational purposes.  The picture seen here demonstrates what is possible with a dam at medium (roughly 3,500cfs) flow.  The major difference between this hydraulic and the one created by the Peshastin dam is that objects that enter this hydraulic flush out immediately.

The difference between these two dams is in the shape of the downstream face: whereas the Peshastin dam is a straight dropoff, the Soleduck dam has an uneven, ramping downstream face, which allows downriver traffic (in the case of the Soleduck, drift boats) to safely pass at regular flows.

The proposal is to modify the Peshastin dam to resemble the one on the Soleduck.  This modification would not degrade the very important functions the dam already serves- it would greatly enhance the recreational value of this part of the river.

The Wenatchee River between Leavenworth and Cashmere is a summertime recreational resource of considerable value- every year there's a Wenatchee River Festival, featuring competitions that draw competitors and spectators from around the world.  This is one of the most heavily-used rivers in the state when it comes to recreation.

The dam at Peshastin has every potential of being the high point of the river, instead of being the low point.  It is already a man-made interference, and there's no question that it provides value- what we propose is to add more value to the equation by converting a major hazard into a major recreational asset.