Visit Soda Springs Dam to see spawning salmon, fish passage improvements

TOKETEE, Ore. — Pacific Power, along with federal and state natural resource agencies, will host a public tour that will highlight state-of-the-art fish passage facilities and recent spawning habitat improvements at Soda Springs Dam and other locations on the North Umpqua River within the Umpqua National Forest, 60 miles east of Roseburg.

The Oct. 8 tour will showcase Pacific Power's 194-megawatt hydroelectric project enhancements that produces enough renewable, emissions-free electricity to supply 80,000 average homes each year. The project was built in the 1940s and 50s but has undergone many substantial improvements since 2003 to balance efficient energy production with fish and wildlife conservation, recreation and other values.

"Protecting the river and its inhabitants isn't just a responsibility for Pacific Power, it’s a commitment that drives our work. Every facility upgrade is about creating a thriving habitat for fish spawning,” said Rich Grost, principal aquatic scientist at Pacific Power. "It's especially satisfying to see hundreds of wild Chinook salmon spawning upstream and downstream of the dam and to share that experience with our visitors."

The tour begins at 1 p.m. and is expected to conclude by 4 p.m. It will begin with a presentation at the North Umpqua Implementation Center, about an hour east of Roseburg on Highway 138. Visitors should turn left at Milepost 57 (at the green "Control Center" sign) onto Toketee School Road and proceed down the paved road one-quarter mile to the parking lot in front of the gray and blue buildings.

After the presentation, guests will be transported to the project sites on buses. Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking space. Visitors are asked to please wear sturdy boots or shoes and bring a hard hat if they have one. Hard hats are required to access the dam and will be provided to those who don't have their own.

Space is limited and must be reserved by contacting Steve Albertelli (Pacific Power) at 541-776-6676 or Steve.Albertelli@PacifiCorp.com by October 1, 2025, and providing the names of everyone in the party. Last-minute requests will be accommodated on a space-available basis.

The Resource Coordination Committee sponsors the tour for the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project. Members include PacifiCorp, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Department of Water Resources. Representatives of several of these agencies will be participating in the tour.