EWEB to Maintain Carmen-Smith Power Transmission Corridor From The Sky: Helicopter Trimming Reduces Impact, Saves Time & Money
Since the construction of Eugene Water & Electric Board’s Carmen-Smith power transmission line more than 30 years ago, forest vegetation has slowly grown back into the 70-foot-wide corridor that provides clearance for the lines.
On October 1, a helicopter crew will begin re-establishing the right-of-way. The crew will complete its work in just 12 days, at a cost of $80,000. Done in the more traditional, ground-based manner, this job would take a three-person crew between three and four years and would cost $417,000.
The 18-mile long transmission line delivers power from the Carmen-Smith complex on the upper McKenzie River. Maintaining the transmission right-of-way is crucial for EWEB, its customers and the forest. The 70-foot corridor is designed to reduce the potential of forest fires that can be touched off by trees falling into the transmission lines. Reducing this interference also eliminates the potential of transmission interruptions.