Improving habitat resiliency throughout the Upper McKenzie
Environmental Responsibility is a core guiding value for EWEB decision-making. This summer, EWEB continues its commitment to environmental stewardship with a robust slate of habitat enhancement updates throughout the upper McKenzie River, across the footprint of the Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project.
The project – 90 miles northeast of Eugene near the headwaters of the McKenzie River – is vital for preserving local control over an important source of carbon-free, on-demand electricity for our community. Project upgrades are required as part of relicensing the facility for another 40 years of operating with permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and include improvements to the machinery as well as commitments to strengthen the McKenzie River watershed and support wildlife.
Refurbishing the Carmen Powerhouse is at the heart of the efforts to produce on-demand energy. Water stored in the Smith Reservoir enters the Carmen Powerhouse through a long tunnel, spinning turbines equipped with electromagnets to convert the gravitational energy of falling water into mechanical energy of spinning turbines into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.
EWEB and its contractor General Electric finished commissioning the first refurbished turbine last year and are on track to complete the installation of the second turbine by this fall, enabling the Carmen Powerhouse to provide up to 110 megawatts of electricity.
Once the second turbine is commissioned and reconnected, EWEB will be able to control the release of water and generate when it’s needed most to fulfill peak energy demand. Thanks to the project’s ability to store water in the Smith Reservoir, this hydropower project acts like a gigantic battery and is a unique and crucial tool EWEB has to counter rising energy prices.
Equally important as upgrading the power-production aspects are EWEB’s initiatives to protect and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats throughout the project area. For 2025, EWEB is planning a large wood enhancement project in the lower Carmen Bypass Reach and will add new underwater log structures and boulders to the Carmen Diversion Reservoir. These features will provide critical habitat for fish species, especially endangered Chinook salmon and bull trout as well as native cutthroat trout.
These efforts build on 2024 projects such as the installation of fish habitat structures in Smith and Trail Bridge Reservoirs, the creation of tree snags for wildlife habitat along the Carmen transmission line, and innovative naturescaping below the powerlines to reduce the need for mechanical mowing and vegetation removal. With these enhancements, EWEB is demonstrating a long-term commitment to restoring and maintaining natural habitats alongside its operational infrastructure.
Additional 2025 projects include planning the installation of a debris boom at the Trail Bridge Powerhouse Spillway and testing a new operating range at the facility, which aims to support year-round downstream fish passage – further illustrating EWEB’s integrated approach to balancing power generation with ecological considerations.
For recreational visitors, EWEB will soon finish improvements at Lakes End Campground, Smith Day Use Area, and the Carmen Diversion Reservoir. Sites are set to open in 2026. The Ice Cap Campground is currently open.
As EWEB continues to modernize its infrastructure and support the health of the local environment, it’s clear that its projects are about more than electricity – they’re about preserving the natural heritage of the McKenzie River and protecting the wildlife that call our region home.
To learn more: https://www.eweb.org/projects/mckenzie-river-hydro-projects/carmen-smith-hydropower-project
