Behind the scenes at Rocky Reach, a workforce keeps the dam, and the county, running

WENATCHEE — From the outside, Rocky Reach Dam appears as a familiar fixture along the Columbia River — a massive concrete structure quietly generating electricity. But a recent hard-hat tour led by Dr. James Webber offered a closer look at the people and precision required to keep the dam operating, revealing a workplace built around specialized trades, constant monitoring, and careers many residents may not realize exist locally.

Webber, the new Outreach Specialist at the Rocky Reach Discovery Center, recently stepped into the role following the retirement of longtime educator Bob Bauer, who for years served as a public-facing voice for the facility. The transition, Webber said during the tour, mirrors a broader reality at Rocky Reach: experienced workers are retiring, and the challenge now is explaining — clearly and concretely — what hydropower careers actually look like to the next generation.

Despite its scale, Webber emphasized that Rocky Reach is not a static structure. Even a dam weighing billions of pounds is in continuous, measurable motion. Changes in temperature and water conditions cause the concrete to expand and contract, movements that are expected and carefully tracked.

Specialized instruments monitor the dam around the clock, measuring subtle shifts to ensure they remain within tight operational tolerances. “Do hydro dams move? Yes, a little,” Webber explained during the tour. “Do hydro dams leak? Yes, a little. People tend to think they’re perfectly solid, but that’s not how they work.”

That level of monitoring reflects the dam’s importance as critical infrastructure. Rocky Reach can generate up to 1,300 megawatts of electricity at peak capacity, producing far more power than is needed locally. Revenue from selling surplus electricity helps keep regional power rates low while supporting public amenities, including parks, recreation areas, and educational programming.

Keeping that system running depends on a workforce largely hidden from public view. One of the most striking examples Webber highlighted is the dam’s underwater dive team. Near the powerhouse, support trucks supply divers with oxygen, heated water for their suits, and live video feeds from below the surface. The work takes place in water temperatures around 50 degrees, often in confined spaces with strong currents.

Divers perform tasks ranging from sediment removal to concrete repair and underwater welding. Before entering the program, Webber explained, each diver must first be trained as a hydro mechanic and then complete additional apprenticeship work. Beyond technical skill, trust is essential. Divers work in pairs and rely on surface crews to manage life-support systems. “They have each other’s lives in each other’s hands,” Webber said, describing the culture of the team.

Inside the powerhouse, Webber pointed out overhead cranes capable of lifting hundreds of tons, used to remove turbine components that can weigh more than two million pounds. While modern systems allow much of this work to be controlled remotely, the machinery still requires deep institutional knowledge. Many components are custom-built, sourced internationally, and maintained by workers who understand both mechanical systems and the river environment.

Biology also plays a central role in Rocky Reach operations. While no biologists were present on the tour, Webber described how fish counters monitor every adult salmon, steelhead, and lamprey passing through the ladder system during migration seasons, ensuring accurate data collection. Juvenile fish bypass systems installed in the early 2000s were designed to guide young salmon downstream safely while conserving water for power generation, making the dam nearly “invisible” to migrating fish.

Even with decades of engineering improvements, Webber said one challenge lies largely beyond human control: River temperature. Reduced snowpack and warmer conditions can slow salmon migration, demonstrating how climate pressures intersect directly with hydropower operations.

Throughout the tour, Webber returned repeatedly to the subject of workforce development. Outreach at Rocky Reach has shifted in recent years from simply showcasing hydropower to explaining career pathways. Many positions do not require four-year degrees. Hydro mechanics, linemen, and related trades typically follow two-year technical programs paired with paid apprenticeships that lead to long-term, family-wage jobs.

Programs such as IGNITE — Inspiring Girls Now In Technology Evolution — are part of that effort. The initiative introduces middle school girls to STEM careers and technical fields historically dominated by men, with the goal of expanding who sees themselves as a future fit for work at facilities like Rocky Reach.

By the end of the tour, Webber’s message was clear: Rocky Reach is more than a landmark or a power source. It is a living workplace that depends on precision, trust, and skilled labor, much of it happening out of sight, beneath the surface of the Columbia River or inside concrete walls that quietly shift, flex, and endure.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media