Since the gates were opened on the Booth-Kelly dam in early April, the mill pond is slowly draining away, flushing fish downstream and leaving a legacy of logs from past mill operations in its wake. The pond has dropped nearly 4 feet since the gates were opened. The pond’s estimated depth is 5 to 6 feet. The upper end of the pond is currently a winding, shallow channel leading to a much reduced pond above the dam. Inflow has been reduced to solely seepage at the 28th Street crossing, where a coffer dam diverts the free flowing Mill Race into Gorrie Creek. Fish in the Mill Race can return to the Middle Fork Willamette River via Gorrie Creek.
Mill Pond looking East from Dam
Project partners discuss fish management as pond draws down.
Large logs exposed as mill pond recedes.
