Work to upgrade spillway gates will require lowering reservoir for six months
COUGAR, Wash.—March 28, 2023—The boat ramp at Swift Forest Camp on the Lewis River in southwest Washington will be out of service for six months starting in early September. PacifiCorp, which operates the ramp as part of an extensive array of recreational facilities on the Lewis River, needs to lower the reservoir level in order to complete work that will improve the operation of the dam’s spillways.
Work will begin by drawing down Swift Reservoir in early September 2023. Once the reservoir level has been lowered to approximate elevation 950 feet, construction will commence. The Swift Forest Camp boat ramp goes out of service at an elevation of 972 feet. The 950-foot reservoir level will need to be maintained for approximately six months as the work proceeds.
The upgrades include the construction of a bulkhead system in conjunction with spillway gate retrofit work. The bulkheads will give PacifiCorp flexibility in the timing of spillway gate maintenance and allow maintenance to be conducted without drawing down the reservoir. The work is part of our ongoing commitment to safety in dam operation.
PacifiCorp is notifying recreationists who have already reserved spots at Swift Forest Camp about the closure. Anyone now seeking to make a reservation at the campground after September 1 will be advised of the boat ramp closure In addition, private property owners along the shores of the reservoir have also been notified.
The company appreciates the patience of the people who enjoy Swift Reservoir. This short period of closure, much of it when the camping area and public boat ramp is closed, will make it possible to perform other spillway work in the future without affecting the reservoir level.
About PacifiCorp
PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electrical providers in the United States, serving 2 million customers. The company operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming and as Pacific Power in California, Oregon and Washington. PacifiCorp provides safe and reliable service through a vast, integrated system of generation and transmission that serves hundreds of communities as the largest private owner/operator of transmission and the largest regulated utility owner of wind power in the West. For more information, visit www.pacificorp.com.