Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Rogue River blew through a dam this week, two weeks before it was scheduled to be taken out.

ODFW

The Rogue River's Gold Ray Dam before the breach

A federal judge gave the final go-ahead to take out the Gold Ray Dam two weeks ago. Restoration experts had built a coffer dam and had taken out one side of the Gold Ray.

Bob Hunter with WaterWatch was at the dam site when the Rogue River breached the coffer dam and flowed through the open part of the Gold Ray itself.

Bob Hunter: "People saw it coming, but it was still, quite a big surprise and I think that, at least for me personally, I didn’t know the ramifications were of that fully."

The Gold Ray dam is the third Rogue River dam to come out recently, after the Savage Rapids last summer, and the City of Gold Hill diversion dam, in 2008.

Water Watch says the dams weren’t producing power, and pumps will replace the dams’ irrigation function.

150 miles of the river are now open to migrating salmon.