Date post: | 01-Jul-2015 |
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Art & Photos |
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The first meeting of the Eugene Water Board was held on March 11,
1911. The Eugene Water Board later changed its name to the
Eugene Water & Electric Board in 1949 to reflect its growing role as a
power provider.
Two construction workers pause for a photo while others pour
the concrete roof slab of Skinner Butte Reservoir, circa 1926.
The reservoir was completed in 1927.
Stone mason George Piero rests on part of his handiwork, the
Skinner Butte Reservoir rock walls, during construction of the water-
storage facility in 1927.
A section of 30-inch water transmission pipe takes part in a
Eugene parade in 1926. The pipe later became part of the
transmission system that brought McKenzie River water to
Eugene, starting in 1927.
Workers build a 12-mile-long water pipe from the McKenzie
River to Eugene in 1926. The original source of Eugene’s
water was the Willamette, but EWEB moved the source to
the McKenzie, completing work on the pipeline and water-
treatment facility in 1927.
Workers pose for a photo during construction of the Leaburg
Power Canal, circa 1929. The canal diverts water from Leaburg
Dam to generate electricity at the powerhouse, four miles
downstream on the McKenzie River.
Workers scamper across the penstocks during construction of Leaburg Dam,
Canal and Powerhouse in 1929. The penstocks send water from the canal to the
powerhouse below, generating electricity.
Workers install a generator at the Leaburg Power Plant in 1929.
The Leaburg Power Plant was
completed in 1929 at a cost of
$2 million. The powerhouse
began producing electricity in
1930 when Leaburg Dam was
completed. Frieze reliefs on the
building signify heat, power and
light.
Water cascades through the roll gates of the iconic Leaburg Dam,
which diverts a portion of the McKenzie River into a 4-mile canal
that feeds water to the turbines at the Leaburg Power Plant.
Workers use a truck, chains and wooden skids to pull a 1,250-
kilovot transformer into place in 1936 at the steam plant along
the Willamette River, just upstream from EWEB’s current
headquarters.
The Hayden Bridge Filtration Plant, which treats water from the
McKenzie River, was completed in 1950. Today, following
several expansions, the plant can treat 80.5 million gallons a
day.
EWEB meter readers gather ahead of another day of
work, circa 1962.
An EWEB float glides down Willamette Street during a
celebratory parade in 1950.
EWEB crews install the downtown electric network
(underground) in this undated photo, circa late 1950s.
The network remains in place today.
A Columbus Day storm strikes Eugene in 1962, toppling
thousands of trees and power lines. EWEB crews work
around the clock for five days to restore power.
Workers build a two-mile-long tunnel from Carmen
Diversion Reservoir to Smith Reservoir as part of the
Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project construction,
completed in 1963.
The Carmen-Smith
Hydroelectric Project began
operations in 1963 with a
generating capacity of 114
megawatts. Gov. Mark Hatfield
spoke at the dedication of the
project.
EWEB’s display at the Lane County Fair in 1954.
An EWEB line technician shows an
interested youth how to climb a power
pole at the 1972 Lane County Fair.
EWEB rolled out the 15-
horsepower Mars II electric car
in the mid-1970s. With a
maximum speed of 60 mph, the
all-electric vehicle had a range
of 70-120 miles on a single
charge.
EWEB established its first energy conservation program in 1977. Since its
inception, EWEB’s program has helped customers install efficiency
improvements that save in excess of 490 million kilowatt-hours each year.
These annual savings exceed the combined output of the utility's 6 hydroelectric
projects.
EWEB broke ground in 1997 on its first major wind generation
project – the Foote Creek Rim Project near Arlington, Wyoming.
EWEB broke ground in 2008 on its Roosevelt Operations Center in west
Eugene. About half of EWEB’s employees moved into the facility in late
2010.