Owens River Gorge(update)

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10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 21, 2018 - 03:13pm PT
PREPAREDNESS UPDATE:
HIGH WATER FLOW
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will be performing emergency repair work on the Control Gorge Power Plant beginning June 26th, with a projected completion date of September 5th. Water being released from the Crowley Reservoir will enter the Owens River at the Middle Gorge Power Plant and flow downstream through the Owens Gorge and into the Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
Inyo County residents and visitors can expect extremely high water flow in the Owens River below Middle Gorge Power Plant. “Normal water flow rates are at 55 cubic feet per second, cfs. During this time period, the flows could be as high as 500cfs. Once the higher flow rates have started they will remain at these elevated levels until the Control Gorge Power Plant is returned to operation in September,” stated Jon Crook, LADWP.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jun 21, 2018 - 04:47pm PT
Get your pack rafts ready!
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Jun 21, 2018 - 05:36pm PT
So that water is going to be coming down those penstocks by DWP and Flash Flood? I don't see any other way they can insert that added flow from the central gorge power plan on downstream.
Bob Harrington

climber
Bishop, California
Jun 21, 2018 - 11:12pm PT
Right, the high flows are below the Middle Gorge Power Plant, so the river crossings at Warning Signs and below will not be possible. As I understand it, flows upstream of the power plant should be in the range of what we climbers would consider normal. The full press release is on the Inyo Sheriff's web page.
Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
Jun 22, 2018 - 11:29am PT
Whoa. The Warning Signs bridge is pretty high. It will be interesting to see if it's submerged. Bridge to Big Tower was raised, too. Anyone know how big the flows were last year? CFS? At least middle, inner and upper Gorge will be accessible.

Bring yer snorkels.

BAd
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Jun 22, 2018 - 12:56pm PT
Perhaps as much as 9 times the flow. Those pipes are gonna be rumbling. I'm not sure I would want to hang out right there. I guess they know what they're doing, but didn't they blow out one of those pipes uphill from there a few years back, shut off the flow at the bottom too fast?
G_Gnome

Trad climber
Cali
Jun 22, 2018 - 01:22pm PT
Kris, that is how the gorge got rewatered. When they blew the pipe they tried running the water down an old creek bed rather than in the gorge. Someone noticed and the DWP was immediately sued because the only time you can run water outside its natural bed is in pipe or sluice. So they were forced to run it back into the gorge. A day later and people were planting trout in there and they were forced to keep the gorge watered to support the trout population. We should all thank the people of Bishop who took those steps because the gorge is a much nicer place to climb with water and greenery in it.
Chief

climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
Jun 22, 2018 - 05:48pm PT
I wonder how the trout will fare with the higher flow regimes?
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Jun 22, 2018 - 07:01pm PT
We should all thank the people of Bishop who took those steps because the gorge is a much nicer place to climb with water and greenery in it.

Word.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Jun 24, 2018 - 06:13am PT
double word^^^

Access Update: MrE was down in the Lower Gorge yesterday- the new (high-water) crossings from the plant down
are not under water at the moment.
Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
Jun 24, 2018 - 12:48pm PT
xCon for the win!

BAd
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
Jun 24, 2018 - 07:57pm PT
Climb above the the Central Power Plant.
Pretty warm down there now mid day
Eric Beck

Sport climber
Bishop, California
Aug 14, 2018 - 07:26pm PT
It was a little cooler today and I felt restless so I walked down the south entrance road. The river was the highest I have ever seen it. The near end of the bridge at the bottom of the hill has water flowing over it. The far end appears to have detached from the bolts and is a foot right of where it should be.

The next bridge, I think in Erik's area has water lapping over it and is covered in green slime, looks treacherous.

Driving back to Bishop, White Mtn has new snow at the top.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Aug 14, 2018 - 08:55pm PT
Thanks for the bump Eric - we thought we had the high water crossings high enough. Not high enough obviously. We will fix the BT bridge once the flow goes down - that one has been moved a few times now to get it further off the river. Appreciate the heads-up!

Here's some pics Erik took a couple weeks ago - still the same, it sounds like:







phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
Aug 14, 2018 - 10:38pm PT
Hoh man that’s some big water.
Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
Aug 15, 2018 - 06:55am PT
Dayum! Thanks for posting those pics, Maidy.

BAd
Hoots

climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Aug 15, 2018 - 07:37am PT
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Aug 15, 2018 - 07:43am PT
Whoa^^^ Erik and were wondering if anyone ever did that. Seems pretty freaky given the large amount of debris blocking the river in certain sections.
i'm gumby dammit

Sport climber
da ow
Aug 15, 2018 - 07:50am PT
^the bridges for instance
crusher

climber
Santa Monica, CA
Aug 15, 2018 - 12:37pm PT
Thanks for the pictures. Never did I imagine I'd see that much water in the river...wow!
Messages 1 - 20 of total 37 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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