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Photos of Morton Dam, circa 1980. In view is the dam, spillway, and a walkway that went through the reinforced concrete flat slab buttresses.
Carl Smith who took these photos, worked at the dam site around 1980. Herein lies his account of his time there:
Positioned in the left corner are two immense cast iron scour valves integrated into the dam’s structure, designed to drain the lower level behind the dam if necessary. Standing atop a metal grate floor over three meters high above the valves, one would encounter the spindles. During my time, traditional handles were replaced with electric motors equipped with gear chain drives. Each morning before commencing work in the dam base, I would operate one of these valves, releasing only a fraction of its capacity. This brief action effectively cleared the river’s path for approximately 30 minutes, reducing the river level in that section and allowing the dam base floor drain holes to function properly. This helped prevent the recurring issue of nightly flooding.
The rush of water and rocks through the valve when it was open always commanded attention, especially given the occasional large rock impacts. Despite these forces, the valves were impressively thickly built, as observed from above.
Observing the flow of water entering and exiting the dam from the left side of the spillway provided a tranquil moment, often accompanied by the captivating sight of trout attempting to leap over the spillway. This spectacle was more pronounced in the mornings, with trout inhabiting every part of the river.
Content and photos from Carl Smith.
