Leaburg canal will drain on Saturday

The Eugene Water & Electric Board will begin dewatering the Leaburg Power Canal on Saturday morning, April 2nd, to perform maintenance on the power plant, canal and fish screen. The shutdown of the Leaburg generating facility and power canal is expected to last about two weeks, according to utility spokesman  Joe Harwood. "During the shutdown, EWEB will divert very little water from the McKenzie River into the canal, which will cause the river level to rise downstream of the canal’s mouth. During the re-watering period, expected to begin on or around April 17th, the river level will gradually drop as more water is diverted into the canal."

On Monday, April 4th, EWEB generation staff and a contractor will begin installing a debris boom across the canal intake. The boom, along the right bank, will help prevent large, woody debris from collecting on the dam’s trash racks. EWEB expects the boom to help improve safety and reduce the many hours spent by staff physically removing debris off the intake. Leaburg Lake, the parking lot at the visitor center and the boat take-out will be closed to the public during the installation. The closure is expected to continue through Thursday, April 7th. The utility will complete similar repairs to the Walterville power plant, fish screen and canal beginning in mid-June.