Utility looks to dam Skykomish for power

By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times

Just as Washington makes an international splash for the largest dam removal ever in North America, a local utility is proposing to build a hydroelectric project on one of the last free-flowing rivers in the state.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District is exploring whether to build an inflatable weir on the Skykomish River above Canyon Falls, downstream from Index.

Basically a piece of steel held up by a rubber inner tube, the weir could be inflated to stand as high as eight feet, or lie on the riverbed, depending on flows. The utility would build a powerhouse on the north side of Sunset Falls, in the same location as an existing state trap-and-haul facility, which would be replaced as part of the project. Read more.