Removing the Marmot Dam, Airs June 19, 2008
Posted Tue May 27, 2008
- Promotional Contact:
- Carol Howard
- 503-977-7751
How do you remove a dam? And what happens to all that water once it's gone? Tune in to OREGON FIELD GUIDE on Thursday, June 19 at 8:30pm (and Sunday, June 22 at 2:30am and 6:30pm) on the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting and watch what happens as crews remove the largest dam yet in the Northwest. Also a look at what it's like living in a fire tower and a search for the mysterious and elusive ice worm.
Marmot Dam Removal -- FIELD GUIDE is on hand for the demolition of the Marmot Dam on the Sandy River. For over a hundred years it harnessed the waters flowing off Mount Hood for power, but needed repairs and modifications were proving economically unfeasible. So PGE decided to take the dam out and return the river to its natural state. The big question was what to do with the century's worth of sediment that piled up behind the dam and if it would destroy fragile fish spawning areas. Twenty-three different organizations consulting on the project decided to try the unprecedented. The results surprised the experts.
Fire towers -- Bill Friday has worked and lived in fire towers for over 40 years. This lonely and Spartan way of living is not for everyone, but the Green Mountain fire tower in Central Oregon feels like home to him. He likes to think of his time there as an extended camping trip. As he scans the landscape for smoke, Bill also gets to enjoy gorgeous views and an incredible variety of bird and wildlife that make up his neighborhood. He's reported more than 2,000 fires and gone through three "storms of the century" over his career as a lookout. FIELD GUIDE joins Bill for a tour and taste of this unique way of life.
Ice Worms -- They're just about the strangest creatures that you can imagine -- worms that live in the ice and appear to be unique to a handful of mountains in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. FIELD GUIDE joins a University of Puget Sound professor and student 3,000 feet up the slopes of Mount Rainer for a look at the tiny creatures that are no bigger than a hair. They live only in ice -- not snow -- and their ability to burrow with ease through solid ice remains a mystery that scientists are trying to unravel.
Video clips of the stories featured on FIELD GUIDE can be viewed online immediately following the broadcast at www.opb.org/programs/ofg/
About OREGON FIELD GUIDE
In its 19th season, OREGON FIELD GUIDE remains a valuable source of information about outdoor recreation, ecological issues, natural resources and travel destinations. OREGON FIELD GUIDE airs Thursday evenings at 8:30pm on the television stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting and repeats on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm. In the Mountain Time zone of Eastern Oregon, the program airs at 9:30pm Thursdays, and at 7:30pm Sundays.
About OPB
OPB is the state's most far-reaching and accessible media resource, providing free access to programming for children and adults designed to give voice to community, connect Oregon and its neighbors and illuminate a wider world. Every week, over 1.5 million people tune in to or log on to OPB's Television, Radio and Internet delivered services. As the hub of operations for the state's Emergency Broadcast and Amber Alert services, OPB serves as the backbone for the distribution of critical information to broadcasters and homes throughout Oregon. OPB is one of the largest producers and presenters of national television programming through PBS, and is also a member station of NPR, Public Radio International (PRI), and American Public Media (APM). The OPB Web site is opb.org.
Last Modified Tue May 27 2008 15:49PM
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