EWEB dewaters Walterville Canal

WALTERVILLE: EWEB dewatered the Walterville Canal on Tuesday after receiving an automated alert from a device that monitors water seepage that also triggered a dam safety process.

Officials say the leak was detected near the Walterville Powerhouse’s 110-year-old earthen canal embankment. When an increase in seepage occurs, it triggers a dam safety risk mitigation process that requires dewatering of the canal for close-up inspections.

The Eugene Water & Electric Board says the issue is not a public safety concern. The utility’s generation staff inspected the site on Tuesday and confirmed that the seepage monitoring device was working correctly. They were unable to identify any obvious reasons for the increased seepage.

To fully investigate the seepage change and stop it from increasing, EWEB decided to dewater the canal to look for issues. Crews will conduct additional investigations over the next several weeks to determine the causes and timing for rewatering the canal and returning to service.

All investigations will be performed under the oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) dam safety program. EWEB must receive FERC approval to resume normal generation activities.

The review process may include oversight of the investigatory procedures, certification of the findings, and approving a planned course of action if needed. EWEB says it will provide an update after determining more about this developing issue.