Notes
Here we see the power station near the mouth of the Hood River shortly after it opened. It functioned from 1923 (with occasional breaks due to flooding or failures of the aqueduct) until the flood on Election Day, 2006. Much of the aqueduct has been removed, though the building housing the turbine remains.
Note the pedestrian access path alongside the MHRR bridge. It's a shame that's gone. It would be a nice access point for fishing and hiking the path of the old pipeline.
Category: [Downtown Hood River]
Comments
What was the purpose of the water tower?
l.e. on 29th October 2013 @ 7:15am
Served as an air break, to moderate the pressure developed in the pipeline after it's run downhill from copper dam. anytime there was a valve closed, or a surge, the tank would relieve it. All the gravity irrigation systems are "relieved" at the open delivery boxes; piped systems have to have some way of doing the same, similar to what some home plumbing systems have to relieve water hammer.
spinsur on 29th October 2013 @ 7:37am
And what was that house like structure up the water line a bit?
Rawhyde on 29th October 2013 @ 7:49am
In the 1950's, I used to walk up the railroad track with Albo Horn to go fishing there.
Bill Seaton on 29th October 2013 @ 11:47am
Now there is a name I know about, Albo Horn. My father talked about Albo all the time. Albo was my fathers cousin. I use to spend a lot of time down there by that bridge growing up.
Dan K on 29th October 2013 @ 3:08pm
Kind of sad to have this gone. But I like the idea of a wild river too. Would love to see some pedestrian bridges across the river (maybe both here near the old power plant and up at the dam location as well, along with pedestrian trails up both sides of the river. People really should be able to walk and bike from Odell to Hood River without having to risk their lives on the highways.
longshot on 29th October 2013 @ 7:59pm
I wonder if foot traffic up the river was always rather inaccessible.
Do you think Indian Creek got its name because the Indians traveled the creek to get up into the upper valley?
l.e. on 29th October 2013 @ 11:43pm
I spent many hours in the area shown in this photo while I was young, plus going up the Indian Creek trail to 12th Street. Hobos camped in the willows below the railroad bridge. We were told to stay away from them.
Jeffrey Bryant on 30th October 2013 @ 2:57am
On my "to do" list is work on the story of the building of these facilities and what part the MHRR played in that process.....In addition to pictures such as this one, PP&L tells me they have LOTs of pictures of construction. But first, is finishing the Viento article that Arthur's great picture postings prompted.
Arlen Sheldrake on 30th October 2013 @ 11:02am
Uncle Amos Rouget, (the newspapers mistakenly spelled his name Rogers), helped to build this, and the dam. He and Aunt Carrie, with their daughters Martel and Caroline Rouget, lived in a tar paper shack, not far from the dam. Aunt Carrie was Carrie Zimmerman, sister to our great grandmother, May Zimmerman-Roberts. They came to Hood River circa 1910. How Aunt Carrie could stand to leave Chicago, and the beautiful home they had, to live in a tar paper shack, is beyond me?!
Lesa on 15th November 2013 @ 5:21pm
What the purpose of the water tower?
Cece Marie on 14th April 2015 @ 8:22am
Cece Marie, the tower is called a "surge tower". It is necessary to buffer water pressure variations in the pipeline. Without a surge tower a surge in pressure could burst the pipeline. Instead, excessive pressure can push some water up into the tower so it doesn't force the volume of the pipeline to expand, which it can't do without bursting.
Arthur on 14th April 2015 @ 9:34am