The Eugene Water and Electric Board is reopening the Carmen-Smith recreation area. It has been closed for nine years.
EWEB’s Carmen-Smith Hydro-electric project is a network of three dams and reservoirs and two power-generating plants near the source of the McKenzie River. The area includes hiking trails, three campgrounds, two day-use areas and three waterfalls.
EWEB closed much of the site in 2017 as the utility began what was supposed to be a five-year project to replace one massive turbine and refurbish the other at the Carmen power plant, upgrade spillways for fish going downstream, and rebuild two campgrounds…