The timber and rock structure was under nearly 3m of sediment about 46m upstream of the former Savage Rapids Dam site on the Rogue River. The structure is thought to be part of a cofferdam used during the construction of the US Bureau of Reclamation’s (USBR) Savage Rapids Dam around 1921. The remains were exposed as the Rogue River eroded sediment following the dam removal.
USBR is currently evaluating the potential of removing the structure.
The Savage Rapids Dam was removed to permanently resolve fish passage issues at the site. USBR awarded the construction contract to Slayden Construction of Stayton, Oregon in August 2006. Construction began in October 2006, and the river began flowing freely again on 9 October 2009.
The total estimated project cost is about $39.3M, which includes a grant for $3M from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for dam removal.
