After building a 6-foot-tall dam and powerhouse on Woods Creek near Monroe, the Snohomish County Public Utility District now plans to build another 12 feet tall and 65 feet wide dam on Youngs Creek. The yearlong construction on the $30 million project is expected to begin in a couple of months from now. When completed, the mini-powerhouse will power 2,000 to 6,000 homes.
Not only will the PUD’s project divert less water from Youngs Creek, it will also be extremely friendly to the local trout and salmon population. A quarter-acre pond will store enough water to spin a turbine connected to a 7.5-megawatt generator. The powerhouse is situated 3 miles downstream from the dam. The used water will go back to the creek. Next, the project will be connected to the Sultan substation with an 8.1-mile-long underground and overhead transmission line. During summers, when there is not sufficient water in the reservoir, the system likely will shut down and will reopen in winter.
Via: HeraldNet