Related News
Related News
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Court rules in favor of EWEB in Carmen-Smith litigation
The U.S. District Court in Eugene has granted EWEB's motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought under the Endangered Species Act pertaining to fish passage at EWEB’s Trail Bridge Dam. The favorable ruling clears the way for EWEB to continue advancing towards implementation of permanent fish passage at the dam.
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EWEB proposes modified plan for permanent fish passage at Trail Bridge Dam
After eight months of extensive collaboration and analysis with scientific experts at two federal regulatory agencies, EWEB is proposing an improved plan to build permanent fish passage facilities at Trail Bridge Dam on the McKenzie River.
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EWEB Celebrates Operators on the 75th Anniversary of the Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant
Learn more about the Water Treatment Plant Operators who have kept the Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant running for the last 75 years.
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NASA partners with EWEB to assess wildfire impacts to drinking water
NASA's Earth Information Center shares a new video detailing how EWEB's Drinking Water Source Protection work is advising new research tools
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EWEB prepares for wildfire season with risk mitigation measures
EWEB is building a more resilient electric system to weather various types of disasters, from wildfire to winter storms.
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Sustainability Snapshot - Homes for Good May 2025
Our first Sustainability Snapshop highlights a project where EWEB teamed up with longtime partner, Homes for Good, to deliver ductless heat pumps to income-eligible apartment rentals.
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EWEB environmental specialist wins prestigious awards for publication
Article recounting EWEB’s efforts to protect the McKenzie River after Holiday Farm Fire earns national recognition
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Last Call for EWEB/Lane County Septic Grants
Holiday Farm Fire recovery program now eligible for businesses, residential property owners who purchased post-fire, to cover inspection costs and new construction
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EWEB, Lane County host open house to gather feedback for “Leaburg Transportation Alternatives Analysis”
“What is the Future of the Leaburg Dam Bridge?” open house exhibit on display at Lloyd Knox Park Visitor Pavilion through July 25
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EWEB Pilots New Line Safety Program for 4th graders.
This year, EWEB is ramping up power line safety for children, specifically 4th graders.
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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.
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EWEB weighs multi-billion-dollar decision affecting energy supply
EWEB is weighing energy supply decisions that will cost nearly $2 billion over the next two decades.
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Habitat Restoration Underway on McKenzie River
Partners at EWEB, McKenzie River Trust, the McKenzie Watershed Council, and the U.S. Forest Service broke ground on a major floodplain restoration project in Quartz Creek.
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Infrastructure upgrades at Nightingale Hosted Shelters made possible through powerful public-nonprofit partnership
Nightingale Hosted Shelters, EWEB, and the City of Eugene celebrate infrastructure milestone
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Hayden Bridge celebrates 75 years of service as EWEB looks forward to a new era of water resiliency
EWEB Water Treatment Supervisor, Toby Dixon, looks back at how the Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant has changed over the years and explains what EWEB is doing to secure a more resilient water future.
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EWEB unveils Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan
January 10, 2024 • Adam Spencer, Communications Specialist
EWEB Commissioners unanimously approved an action plan for decommissioning EWEB’s Leaburg Hydroelectric Project at their Board meeting Tuesday. (Navigate to 1:13:13 in above video to skip to LDAP presentation)
The Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan (LDAP) outlines the essential actions, activities, and regulatory processes required for the decommissioning of the Leaburg Project.
The objective of the LDAP is to position EWEB to begin on-the-ground decommissioning activities by 2032.
Decommissioning entails the removal of the Leaburg Dam and the restoration of the McKenzie River to a free-flowing state within the Project area.
EWEB is already implementing risk-reduction measures to mitigate dam safety concerns with the Leaburg Canal. The LDAP outlines ways the utility will permanently modify portions of the Leaburg Canal to safely convey tributary flows of creeks to the McKenzie River.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversees EWEB’s hydropower license. In its plan, EWEB maps out how it will navigate FERC processes to retire the Project.
The FERC requires formal consultations with Indian Tribes, public agencies that manage natural resources and public health, as well as community members.
EWEB will also conduct extensive studies on decommissioning impacts, such as how the hydrology of the river will change, water quality impacts, and impacts to endangered species, in order to develop strategies to mitigate negative impacts.
The 1928 Project is also a State Historic District, so EWEB will need to consult with the State Historic Preservation Office to determine appropriate mitigation strategies.
EWEB staff estimate it will take at least five years to assemble all the information required to apply to modify its license with FERC.
FERC ordered EWEB to cease generation at the Project in October 2018 when observations of extensive seepage and internal erosion in the Leaburg Canal raised dam safety concerns.
EWEB Commissioners unanimously decided to decommission the Leaburg Project in January of 2023 after determining the costs to fix the canal would be more expensive than purchasing electricity from other sources.
The full LDAP report is available online at (clicking link will download PDF): https://www.eweb.org/your-public-utility/board-of-commissioners/2024-board-agendas-and-minutes/01-09-24-board-agenda.
