Canal Breach Results in Spill to Lewis River
(Information on this site is considered to be accurate at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.)


Cleanup workers removing oil from the transformer below damaged power house.
Taken by: David Byers, Ecology
Date: 04/28/02

Summary Information 

Date of Incident:  
April 21, 2002  about 05:00am

Location:  
Swift power canal is on the Lewis River in Southwest Washington, located along Highway 503-Spur about three miles east of Cougar

Product/Quantity:  
20,000-22,000 gallons of oil, (mostly mineral oil)

Cause:  
About a 250-foot section of the Swift power canal wall collapsed. The resulting flow of debris and water seriously damaged the PUD’s powerhouse.

 

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Last Update 4/28/02-  (refer to media alert for details)

  • SPUR 503 - The state Department of Transportation reopened the damaged portion of SR 503-Spur, three miles east of Cougar, late in the day on Friday, April 26th. A pilot car is being used to guide vehicles through the area, at least through Monday afternoon.  Traveler information is available by calling DOT’s
    hotline at (800) 695-ROAD or accessing www.wsdot.wa.gov/.
     

  • YALE RESERVOIR CLEANUP - Environmental cleanup activity will continue Monday.

    About 21,900 gallons of oil were on site before the canal failure. Most of it was in two non-PCB transformers that were filled with mineral oil used for cooling.   A total of 775 gallons of oil was pumped directly out of the transformers and an additional 1,090 gallons recovered in the vicinity of one of the transformers, which is partially buried adjacent to the powerhouse. Heavy equipment will be brought on sight to remove the buried transformer this week.
     

  • FISHING - Washington state Fish and Wildlife closed the Lewis River Power Canal (Swift Power canal), and old Lewis River streambed between Swift No. 1 and Swift No. 2 powerhouses to all fishing. This emergency rule took effect Monday, April 29, 2002, and will remain in effect until further notice. 
    (Link to emergency rule removed 12/02/05.)

    Swift Reservoir opened for fishing on Saturday, April 27. Reservoir levels are near full pool. Yale Reservoir remains closed for day-use activities and boating access until at least May 6, because of environmental clean-up activities.

    Lake Merwin is open for fishing, but boat access is closed until further notice because reservoir levels are too low. This is because flows from Swift and Yale reservoirs are restricted to help crews with oil spill clean up. Merwin Reservoir is temporarily being used to sustain Lewis River flows until more normal flows can be resumed through Swift and Yale reservoirs.

 

Initial Summary 4/22/02- 

A breach of the Swift No. 2 Power Canal occurred about 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 21. The breach resulted in about a 250-foot section of the canal wall collapsing. The resulting flow of debris and water seriously damaged the Cowlitz County Public Utility District’s  powerhouse.  There were no power outages to electric customers as a result of the event.

The Swift power canal is on the Lewis River in Southwest Washington, located along Highway 503-Spur about three miles east of Cougar. Cowlitz County Public Utility District owns the Swift No. 2 Powerhouse, Switching Yard and Canal and Pacific Power operates the facility.

Members of various local, state and federal agencies, and utility representatives have developed and initiated a cooperative work plan to prevent further damage and continue with repairs and cleanup. 

The Department of Ecology is overseeing the assessment of the oil spilled as a result of the breach below the Swift No. 2 Powerhouse, in Yale Reservoir. The leading edge of oil has been contained with 2,300 feet of containment boom. Work crews will be focusing on determining the amount of oil remaining in the sources of primary concern - two transformers located at the powerhouse. Both transformers are designated as non-Poly Chlorinated Bi-Phenyl (non-PCB).