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News and Updates from Seattle City Light

Summer 2021 Tours and Recreation

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Boat on water

Skagit Tours are Back!

In partnership with North Cascades Institute, we are excited to once again invite you to escape to the beauty of the North Cascades with Skagit Tours this summer. Our tours comply with current health and capacity guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable tour experience for all. Visit our Skagit Tours webpage for more information on tours for the 2021 season.

Not able to visit this summer? View Virtual Skagit Tours on North Cascades Institute’s website.

Learn More about Skagit Tours

Skagit Recreation Opportunities

Explore the historic community of Newhalem and nearby attractions including Ladder Creek Falls and the Trail of the Cedars. You can also visit the Skagit Information Center starting this month.

Recreation Open in 2021

NEWHALEM

Skagit Information Center

  • Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Friday–Sunday through Jun. 30. Open seven days a week Jul. 1–Sept. 30.
  • Details: Face coverings and social distancing required.

Trail of the Cedars

  • Hours: Open daily year-round.
  • Details: Three-quarter-mile loop trail to Newhalem Powerhouse offering views of large western red cedars and the Skagit River.
  • Directions: Trail starts in Newhalem at the end of Main Street opposite Highway 20.
  • More info: Visit the National Park Service website.

Ladder Creek Falls Trail and Gardens

  • Hours: Open daily year-round. Lighted from dusk to 11:00 p.m.
  • Details: Half-mile loop trail provides spectacular views of the waterfalls, including a series cascading through a slot rock canyon, and Ladder Creek Gardens. Visit at night for a light show that illuminates the falls.
  • Directions: Trail starts at the parking lot across the river from Gorge Powerhouse. Follow the trail to the right and cross the suspension foot bridge.
  • More info: Visit the National Park Service website.

Public restrooms available

  • Location: Next to Skagit Information Center.

DIABLO AND DIABLO LAKE

North Cascades Environmental Learning Center

Diablo Lake Trailhead and Ferry Dock

  • Hours: Gate is open from 7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and will open automatically for exit after 4:30 p.m.
  • Details: Road across from Diablo Dam is currently open for access.

Diablo Lake Ferry

  • Hours: Daily departures (one-way only) from: Ross to Diablo at 11 a.m. and Diablo to Ross at 2 p.m.
  • Details: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ferry is only operating for guests with reservations at Ross Lake Resort; face coverings required.

Stetattle Creek Trailhead

Sourdough Trailhead

Public restrooms available

  • Location: Across Diablo Dam.

Recreation Closed in 2021

NEWHALEM

The Gorge Inn

Gorge Powerhouse Visitor Gallery

Skagit General Store

Questions about Skagit Recreation? Call us at (206) 386-4478 or email us.

Boundary Recreation Opportunities

The Boundary Reservoir at our Boundary Hydroelectric Project offers many recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, camping, picnicking, and sightseeing. City Light is committed to preserving and enhancing these recreational activities for visitors to the Boundary Project area. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will not be offering Boundary Tours this year.

Recreation Open in 2021

Forebay Recreation Area

  • Hours: Open year-round (please note: in winter water may not be available and roads may not be plowed).
  • Campground details: Free, no reservations, first come, first served. 22 campsites, including 12 RV sites (Class C RVs accommodated). Limit six consecutive nights’ stay. Flush toilets and potable water available. No hook-ups, dump station, or showers. All campsites have fire rings and picnic tables.
  • Day use area details: 7 picnic tables, 4 BBQ grills, 1 large group shelter with 4 tables, 14 parking stalls.
  • Boat launch details: Concrete boat launch with accessible boarding dock, 13 parking stalls for trucks and trailers, tie-down area.

Metaline Waterfront Park

  • Hours: Open daily year-round; may be subject to flooding in spring.
  • Details: Concrete boat ramp, accessible boarding dock, kayak ramp, group shelter with fire pit, playground equipment, restroom with flush toilets, parking.

Vista House

  • Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk.
  • Details: Interior viewing room, exterior viewing platform, flush restrooms.

Boat-in Campsites

  • Details: Six shoreline campsites (Lime Creek, Everett Slough, Monument Bar, Grandview, Slumber Cove [no toilet], Ledbetter Cove) with fire rings, picnic tables, tent pads, food storage lockers, and primitive toilets. First come, first served. No reservations.

Recreation Closed in 2021

Boundary Tours

Questions about Boundary Recreation? Call us at (509) 446-3083 (select option 9) or email us.

Upcoming Boundary Recreation Enhancements

Under City Light’s federal license to operate Boundary Dam, we are actively developing additional recreational facilities to support local recreation.

The canyon reach area of the Boundary reservoir between Metaline Falls and Boundary Dam offers spectacular views of geology and steep rock faces, wildlife, dense forest vegetation, nearby mountains, and waterfalls, including Peewee Falls – which are typically only viewable from the water. Working closely with the US Forest Service/Colville National Forest, City Light is funding the construction of two new viewpoints and trailheads along the eastern rim of the canyon which will open up the views to a much broader range of visitors. These viewpoints will be completed by 2022.

For hiking enthusiasts, a new six-mile trail connecting the two viewpoints will be completed by 2023. Additionally, City Light will be developing a new portage trail around Metaline Falls in 2022 to provide paddlers an alternative to running or avoiding the rapids at the falls. The new portage trail will include parking, picnic tables and a vault toilet.

City Light Employees Raise over $8,000 in Holiday Donations

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With our holidays looking a little different this season, one thing has stayed the same at City Light: our employees’ dedication to giving back. The City Light giving workshops have been busy this holiday season, with our employee elves spreading a little extra cheer across the region.

Toys for Tots Toy Drive at our Service Centers

Up north at Boundary, employees donated over $3,000 at their annual fundraising event. “We wanted to help underprivileged kids and their families get through the holidays,” shared event organizer and City Light employee Bear Holter. Past holiday events included an employee potluck with delicious homemade treats and an in-person auction, but this year the Boundary crew decided to alter the format to keep everyone safe and healthy. Though the food festivities were halted, employees donated items for a socially distanced auction, splitting proceeds between the Tree of Sharing and the local Ione Food Bank.

“We are so proud of the generosity and selflessness of our employees to continue this tradition of giving to those in our area in a time where every act of kindness matters,” Bear expressed.

Further south, employees at the North and South Service Centers shifted their usual employee celebration and united in a new way by organizing a Toys for Tots toy drive!

“The service center holiday celebrations have been a long-standing tradition for our folks with many retirees/families involved over the years,” City Light’s Erica Gaur explained. “It was very exciting to see everyone come together and stay in the true holiday spirit, especially during these times.”

Together, the service centers donated over $4,000 in toy donations (filling up a 10-yard dump truck full of toys!) and have aspirations of spreading cheer with future holiday toy drives.

But it doesn’t end there. Our Environment, Land and Licensing Business Unit (ELLBU) showed their support in holiday giving by putting together a fun trivia challenge in which they raised over $1,500 for Project Share.

ELLBU’s virtual fundraiser for Project Share

From near, far, and everywhere in between, the holiday spirit shines through our employees and the collective efforts to give back to local communities and causes. And that makes for a very good day at
the City Light giving workshops.

A huge thanks to Bear Holter and Janet Hart from Boundary; Robert Santoff, Tosha Siebert and Erica Gaur from the North and South Service Centers; and Cierra Holland Purcell from ELLBU for sharing their work to support those within the community and in spreading the holiday spirit throughout City Light.

Pend Oreille County, Seattle City Light Reach 10-Year Agreement

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Seattle City Light’s Boundary Hydroelectric Project in Pend Oreille County is a vital source of hydroelectricity, powering the utility’s service area for more than 50 years. As a steward of the resources the utility relies on in this northeastern Washington county, City Light strives to maintain a positive relationship with local residents, governing entities and tribes. This fall, City Light continued this partnership as the utility and Pend Oreille County reached a 10-year agreement regarding the impact fees associated with the Boundary Hydroelectric Project. The Seattle City Council approved the ordinance on Sept. 25, allowing City Light to move forward with these payments. 

Boundary Hydroelectric Project from its Vista House
Boundary Hydroelectric Project from its Vista House

This agreement, which lasts from 2020 to 2029, provides payment to Pend Oreille County and the school districts and towns adjacent to the project. This includes the Selkirk, Cusick and Newport School Districts and the towns of Metaline, Metaline Falls and Ione. Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 35.21.425 requires any city that constructs a hydroelectric generating project after March 17, 1955, in a county other than the county in which such utility is located, to enter into an agreement with that county to provide “impact fees,” which are funds for public peace, health, safety, welfare and added road maintenance in the operating county. 

Since Boundary Hydroelectric Project opened in 1967, more than a decade after the RCW was established, City Light has provided these payments to Pend Oreille County to ease the hydroelectric project’s financial impact. City Light Chief Operating Officer Mike Haynes describes the agreement as part of the utility’s commitment to this community.   

“We are so proud and thankful to be a part of such a vibrant community as Pend Oreille County,” Mike said. “Our Boundary Hydroelectric Project employees call this region home and we want to make sure that they, along with the rest of the residents, know that City Light cares for this community. City Light is excited to continue this partnership and support this region for decades to come.”  

Per the utility’s Boundary Relicensing Agreement, City Light has worked with state, local and federal entities on large-scale capital projects throughout Pend Oreille County, including the construction of Boundary Forebay Recreational Area, which opened last summer.   

To learn about the storied history of the Boundary Hydroelectric Project, visit City Light’s #Boundary50 digital exhibit.  

Advisory Message for Pend Oreille County

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Boundary Dam Operations Update

On Friday, May 1, Governor Inslee extended the statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order until May 31. The order was first announced on March 23 in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We know that these necessary preventative measures have changed the way we live, work, and play. Many jobs look different today than they did several months ago.

Seattle City Light is committed to managing Boundary Dam in a responsible manner that ensures the dam is staffed with essential personnel to enable safe and reliable operations. The City Light team at Boundary Dam continually strives to find the balance between operational flexibility and measures that protect and mitigate for the environmental impacts of operations. These measures address recreation, aquatic, terrestrial, cultural, and wildlife resources and benefit the environment and the communities in and around Boundary Dam.

Update on Forebay Recreation Area Facilities (July 14, 2020)

  • The Forebay Recreation Area boat launch, campground and day-use areas are open. Potable water is available. Portable toilets may be provided in lieu of the campground restrooms. We ask that guests plan accordingly when visiting.
  • The Metaline Waterfront Park boat launch is open for public use.
  • Camping at boat-in campsites along the Boundary reservoir shoreline is open.
  • The Boundary Dam Vista House is closed, but the parking area, picnic tables, viewing platform and trail are open to the public. Portable toilets will be provided outside of this facility.
  • Boundary Dam tours inside the dam and powerhouse are suspended until further notice.

Visitors can learn more about Boundary Hydroelectric Project Recreational Opportunities at www.seattle.gov/light/Boundary/recreation.asp.

City of Seattle Continuity of Operations Plan and Ensuring Safe and Reliable Dam Operations

With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the City of Seattle operationalized its Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for COVID-19 on March 13. This COOP ensures the continuation of critical services in the event of an emergency. Operations at Boundary Dam are considered a critical service and the dam is staffed with essential personnel to ensure safe and reliable operations. The City of Seattle continues to revise and update the COOP to make sure that amidst this pandemic, we can continue to perform our critical functions that residents and businesses rely on.

Planning for Springtime Runoff

Seattle City Light staff are committed to strategically maintaining the optimal elevation level for the reservoir at Boundary Dam during the summer recreation season. The Pend Oreille River flows are controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Albeni Falls Dam, just outside of Oldtown, Idaho. The river flows north through Box Canyon Dam to Boundary Dam. City Light employees are currently preparing for the springtime runoff by conducting maintenance tasks on the generators, turbines, and spillways. The snowpack is at normal levels this year and the utility expects to have a solid supply of water to generate electricity.

City Light’s Commitment to Safe Employees and Reliable Service During the COVID-19 Crisis

Our service is an essential need and its reliability is a top priority. City Light is prioritizing essential critical infrastructure work in accordance with Governor Inslee’s order. We are committed to providing safe and reliable power and ensuring the health and safety of our employees and the communities in which we live. We regularly review and update internal guidelines to make sure employees are properly informed and trained. We distribute information about COVID-19, including general health and safety tips as well as resources for teleworking. Our Safety group ensures all work meets COVID-19 regulations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Those who must work in a City Light facility are practicing safe social distancing and access to those locations is limited to essential employees. We are enhancing cleaning practices and distributing hand sanitizer and other cleaning supplies to those who must report to our facilities. Crews will carry proof that the work they are doing qualifies as essential critical infrastructure work in accordance with Governor Inslee’s order.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Julie Moore, Seattle City Light Interim Communications Director, at julie.moore@seattle.gov.

This information was updated on July 14, 2020.

Forebay Recreation Area at Boundary Dam Opens

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Improved Forebay Campground at Boundary Dam

Seattle City Light is excited to announce that the Forebay Recreation Area at its Boundary Dam in northeastern Washington is now OPEN. The campground, day-use area, and boat launch were reopened in May after substantial improvements. 

The recreation area located adjacent to the the dam offers the following amenities to recreationists:

Campground

  • Capacity: 22 sites. Includes six walk-in tent sites, three car camp sites, and 12 RV sites.  Class C RV’s can be accommodated.
  • Fees and Reservations: Free. First-come, first-served. No reservations.
  • Stays limited to six consecutive nights.
  • Facilities and Services: Flush toilets and potable water available. No hook-ups, dump station, or showers. Sites have fire rings and picnic tables.

Day Use Area

  • Seven day-use picnic tables
  • Four BBQ grills
  • One large group shelter with four picnic tables
  • 14 day-use parking stalls

Boat Launch

  • Extended boat ramp lane so boats may be launched/retrieved with fewer problems due to fluctuating water elevations
  • 13 parking spots for trucks and trailers
  • Tie-down area
  • Short-term moorage only (maximum 30 minutes)

Boundary Dam is located on the Pend Oreille River and produces approximately 55% of the power supply owned by City Light.

For additional information on the Forebay Recreation Area , please call (509) 446-3083 or email SCL_Recreation@seattle.gov.

Pend Oreille River Closed to Recreational Activities

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The Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office has closed the Pend Oreille River to recreational activities due to safety concerns about extremely high river flows and flooding, as reported by KXLY. That order includes the reservoir at Seattle City Light’s Boundary Hydroelectric Project.

Closure means no boating, swimming or other activity is allowed on the river until further notice.

Anyone planning to visit Boundary or use its campground should check with the Sheriff’s Office for updates on access to the river.

For a look at the water flowing over the spillway at Boundary, watch this video from our Facebook page.

Boundary Hydroelectric Project Receives National Historic Recognition

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Boundary Hydroelectric Project from its Vista House

Boundary Hydroelectric Project from its Vista House

For more than 50 years, the Boundary Hydroelectric Project has powered Seattle with its clean hydropower. At 340 feet tall, the concrete double-curvature arch of Boundary Dam cuts an imposing figure on the Pend Oreille River in northeastern Washington. In January, City Light submitted an application to the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation for Boundary to the National Register of Historical Places. Today, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation determined that Boundary meets the National Register criteria.

“Determining the Boundary Project’s eligibility for the National Register is a requirement of our license to operate the dam, but to be listed on the National Register is an honor,” explains City Light’s Mike Aronowitz. “It’s confirmation that the history and design of Boundary deserve to be nationally recognized and preserved.”

The nomination will now be sent to the Keeper of the National Register within the National Park Service, who makes the final listing decision.

 

ABOUT THE BOUNDARY HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

City Light announced its plan to acquire the Boundary Dam site and construct a hydroelectric power plant Oct. 27, 1953. On July 10, 1961, City Light was issued a license by the Federal Power Commission, granting the utility permission to utilize a section of the Pend Oreille River and construct Boundary Dam. Construction began in August 1963 by carving out 500,000 cubic yards of the limestone mountain to make way for the world’s largest underground powerhouse at the time. The machine hall, which houses the turbines that generate electricity, was excavated to be 477 feet long, 76 feet wide and 15 stories below the ground. The dam itself was built to an astounding 340 feet tall, 32 feet at its base and eight feet at its crest. The reservoir that retains the water from the Pend Oreille River is 1,794 acres and 17.5 miles long, roughly three times the size of Lake Union.

The 1,040-megawatt Boundary Hydroelectric Project (Boundary Project) impounds the Pend Oreille River in a rural canyon north of Metaline Falls, in Pend Oreille County (pronounced Pon-deh-RAY), Washington, and is owned and operated by Seattle City Light (City Light) under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) License No. 2144. Completed with four generation units in 1967, the multi-component facility was built between 1963 and 1967 and consists of a concrete variable-radius, double curvature, thin arch dam, an underground powerhouse, the Vista House, and other support and recreation-related built resources as were developed during the original construction period. The overall nominated district covers 167 acres, all located within the larger boundary for the FERC license.

The Boundary Project is located at river mile 17 on the Pend Oreille River in a narrow canyon in the Selkirk Mountains, in northeastern Washington, about ten miles north of the Town of Metaline Falls and one mile south of the U.S.-Canada border. Boundary is a multi-component project occupying 167-acres within the larger licensed area, and is operated by Seattle City Light under FERC License No. 2144.1 The individual resources of the Boundary Project were designed by multiple engineering firms and architectural firms as detailed below, under the direction of Herbert V. Standberg, City Light’s project engineer, with Cr. Hoidal and Robert L. Skone providing, respectively, civil and electrical engineering oversight.
The Boundary Project is documented as a “district” which includes the dam, forebay, powerhouse, transmission line, Vista House, and related recreational and support structures, tied together by the original looped road system from the controlled access point at the end of Boundary Road.

In 2013, City Light was issued a new license to operate Boundary through 2055. With the new license comes several important recreation developments that will directly benefit the local community and promote economic development. Improvements are already underway at the Forebay Recreation Area. Other enhancements are slated for Metaline Waterfront Park in 2018, followed by two new spectacular viewing locations and a portage trail for kayakers around Metaline Falls in 2019. A new hiking trail on the east side of the reservoir will be added in 2020.

❄️Winter Wonderland at City Light’s Hydroelectric Projects❄️

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It’s that time of the year in Seattle. You know, when dreary clouds outstay their welcome and cold rain reliably pelts your face every time you venture outdoors.

While our facilities in Seattle have stayed soggy for most of the season, our other facilities are dealing with a different (and some would argue more pleasant) kind of precipitation: snow! Our hydroelectric projects in the North Cascades and in northeastern Washington have had enough snow to make Jack Frost jealous.

City Light employees from across the state sent us these frosty photos to show what the weather is like in their neck of the woods. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, wrap up in your favorite blanket and browse through these delightful snowscapes.

A special thanks to all of those who submitted photos!

Seattle City (spot)Light: Bear Holter

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Machinist Crew Chief Bear Holter has worked at City Light for 25 years. Currently, he oversees the hydroelectric maintenance at Boundary Dam. “We handle the mechanical maintenance at the powerhouse,” Bear explained. “Things like turbine overhauls and other mechanical work. We also maintain our mobile equipment and take care of the dam’s spillgates. There’s so much we do—we’re the jack of all trades.”

Born in Metaline Falls, Bear served in the Navy for four years doing welding, construction and working on submarines. His first position at City Light was a machinist specialist at Skagit. When he learned of an opening at Boundary, he applied for the transfer. “I always knew I wanted to get back to Boundary,” he said. “I remember the dam being built. My grandparents took me to it when I was a kid so it means a lot to me.”

Bear lives in Sullivan Lake with his wife, Lynn—their home sits behind the house in which Bear was raised! They’re active members of the community, including their alma mater, Selkirk High School, where Bear does announcing for sporting events. “I’m the voice of the Rangers!” he exclaimed. In this week’s (spot)Light, Bear talks about his career inspiration and life at Boundary.

Bear and Lynn at Frank Slide in British Columbia

“There are six of us on my team. One of the biggest jobs we’ve done was rebuilding a generator. We took the whole thing apart, piece by piece. We got it cleared down to the runner, which is the water wheel or the big thing that spins when the water hits it. When that comes out, we install seal rings to hold it in place. All the bearings get done. The rotor comes out. There are many steps, and, in the end, we put it all back together. It’s a big job that takes about one year to complete. It’s quite a deal.”

“I loved working at Skagit. My daughters grew up there, but I knew the only way I could get back to Boundary was as a machinist. I wanted to be an iron worker for the City, but the only opening at Boundary was taken by my brother, Randy! He was five years ahead of me so I knew I wouldn’t get to Boundary as an ironworker. I took up the machinist trade and went through the apprenticeship. In fact, I was the first City Light apprentice through the machinist program. When I learned of the machinist opening at Boundary, I went for it and, along the way, I became crew chief.”

“I wanted to get in the utility business because my dad was a lifer at Box Canyon Dam which is here locally. He spent 32 years there. It was good to our family so I figured it was a good line of work to get into. You can say he was my early source of inspiration. He also worked ten years here at Boundary.  Randy and I followed in his footsteps. In fact, Randy just celebrated 30 years with City Light.”

“Metaline Falls was a great place to grow up and I’m glad I returned. It has fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation that I enjoy. Up at the dam, we’re a tight-knit group. We work hard together and it’s not uncommon to see each other around town. I just love that small-town feel.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Kevin Lidtka

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Kevin Lidtka is a Laser Scanning Technician in City Light’s Power Production division, a title that might make it sound like he works on office equipment. That perception couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Kevin is in a one-of-kind position at the City of Seattle; he uses lasers to produce 3D images of physical environments.

Kevin got his start in laser scanning by working as a land surveyor at a private engineering firm for eight years before joining the City. He’s been at City Light for four years now, and in that time he’s put his laser to use on many projects.

In this week’s Seattle City (spot)Light, Kevin tells us how he got into laser scanning and exactly how it works.


Laser Scanning Technician Kevin Lidtka

“I got into surveying because it was outdoors and it seemed like an exciting thing to do; it’s not a cookie-cutter job. I was working as a surveyor out the field when I saw my first laser scanner, and thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Today I map City Light’s assets with a 3D laser scanner, which is a survey tool that accurately maps everything its sees within a thousand feet.”

“The scanner sits on a tripod because it is a big heavy piece of equipment. It’s like a camera, I suppose… And calling it a 3D camera is the easiest way to explain it. I really enjoy photography and art, and the same eye for composition that you need for photography is what’s needed for laser scanning. Everything you can see, it sees,” said Kevin.

“The scanner shoots a laser beam out and spins it around with a mirror. It’s just a single line, but that line maps every surface that it touches with a single point. Those points create a 3D point cloud.”

“Once it’s done scanning, I drop the point cloud into a computer program where you can look at it. You can view the scan in 3D and spin it all around, zoom in and out and examine things all the way down to one millimeter. This is useful in all sorts of ways.”

“For example, I’ve been going to Boundary Dam for four years now. Over time, I’ve built a point cloud of all the facilities there. Since it has about a millimeter accuracy, we know the exact dimensions of every space. If they want to add a building, they know what to avoid. If they need to move equipment, they know their clearances. It’s perfect for any task which calls for the knowledge of what fits where.”

“Here’s another example: In the last four months, I’ve set up at the exact same spot every time I visit Boundary to get a really good vantage of the face of the dam. I scan the face and then overlay that data with the last version. Over time, this will tell us how the dam expands when it’s really hot or contracts when it’s really cold. We will be able to animate the data and watch the dam ’breathe.’ That data goes to the Dam Safety group, of course.”

“It takes someone willing to think outside of the box to jump onboard with laser scanning. It’s a powerful tool, and City Light has given me the platform to produce some amazing things. Laser scanning is starting to become well-known, and I imagine in the future it is going to be in even greater demand.”
If you want to find out more about Kevin Lidtka or laser scanning, read Kevin’s posts at xyHt magazine or visit his YouTube channel to see animated scans.