Lab 4

FIELD TRIP MARMOT DAM

The Marmot Dam  in Sandy river was build between 1908 and 1912. It is a supplier hydroelectric power for the Portland area and was owned by Portland Generic Electricity (PGE). Marmot Dam was removed 2007 and 2008. Before it was removed the area was a logging land.

The government of Portland, Oregon is en charged of the area where the Marmot Dam was located.

The Dam was removed because it makes difficult the flow of the fishes upstream. In the Sandy river we can find four species of fishes such as Salmon, Spring Chinook, Steelhead, and Coho.

The big impact on fishes and their habitat is one of the main issue that it would affect because of the amount of sedimentation realized, but as I understand it did not affected because Salmons are used to survive in water with a amount of sedimentation. Fishes have its own environment where allow them to a specific amount of oxygen in order to survive.

Now after 7 years since the Dam was removed Sandy river flows free, and there is no more sedimentation meaning in big amount. The area where the building was it start to grow some trees some of them are about 5 to 6 feet tall, and is known as a secondary succession not only for the plants is also for the animals that start to build their habitat in the area. The soils looks like is fertilized, but in the upper area the land is kind of hard and quite of difficult to plant and has a better description like a rocky place. By the south of the Sandy river area there is a forest that is not recognized as a old grow, but it looks like have western Hemlock, Douglas fir, Big leaf maple, with open canopy which allow others seedlings to take place, and also has seedlings which make the environment a nice place even if there will be weeds. wildlife habitat is present there, but we could not have a chance to see any type of species, but according to guide we can find, bears, birds, elks, deers etc.

According to the guide in the future there will be a  park for recreation, where people will be able to camp, hiking, biking etc.

This is a very good example of a secondary succession where we were able to see what happen after a Dam was removed.  It is amazing how the environment response; in my perspective what I saw that the water looks green and it only fave 7 years since it was removed the building is just amazing comparing with others rivers that I have seen.