SPOKANE, Wash. — If you thought parts of the Spokane River looked a little lower than normal, you were right.
Avista lowered the river near the Division St. Bridge and for about four miles east of it to repair a dam.
Crews decreased the water level by about five and a half feet.
“In order to create a safe working condition for (our workers), we had to reduce some of the pressure off the spill gate,” said Meghan Lunney, the Spokane River’s license manager.
Lunney said crews pulled some of the river water into a powerhouse before it got to the Upper Falls section near the Division St. Bridge.
Crews lowered the levels over the span of two days to make sure the water change wouldn’t affect any of the animals living in the area.
“You don’t ever want to get into a situation where you draw it down too quickly, because the shoreline might become unstable,” Lunney said. “You could also strand some fish that are normally in those areas and end up in an area where there’s not enough water for them.”
She said a team of fish experts walked the river’s shoreline to make sure there were no large amounts of fish left out of the water.
The City of Spokane also took advantage of the lower levels in the area. Workers cleaned up trash that would typically be submerged under the water.
The city is also holding a community-wide cleanup on Saturday.
The repair project is set to finish between Monday and Wednesday. Lunney said levels should return to normal then.