1967 160mw Green Peter Dam and 1945,1988 Short Covered Bridge on Santiam Rivers near Cascadia, OR

Dam: (Satellite) The dam is on Middle Santiam River

Bridge: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite) South Fork Santiam River

Street View, Aug 2013

USACE, Portland District posted 0:45 video

The river flows downstream of our dams can speed up at any moment.

This is especially critical in the summer when more people are paddling on Willamette Valley rivers and we’re turning hydropower on and off to keep up with electricity demand.

The most dramatic changes can happen below our Green Peter Dam, where the narrow canyon between the dam and Foster Reservoir can fill quickly during peak hours.

We've posted warning signs, but we’re always looking for ways to improve safety at our locations, which is why we remind you to wear a properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever you’re in or on the water.

Wearing a life jacket drastically improves your chances of surviving dangerous situations.

USACE
The dam has two 80mw units with a hydraulic capacity of 4,600cfs.

I found this bridge while looking for Cascadia, which is the post office town for the dam.

Street View, Aug 2013

HAER OR-120-7
VIEW LOOKING DOWNSTREAM, WEST 280 DEGREES - Short Bridge, Spanning South Santiam River at High Deck Road, Cascadia, Linn County, OR

"Significance: Built in 1945 to replace an earlier bridge at this site, Short Bridge illustrates Linn County's distinctive open-sided housing that was designed to increase visibility and reduce wind resistance. It is one of the few covered bridges in Oregon to incorporate modern split-ring connectors, which made wood structures competitive with those of steel in the mid-20th century. Short Bridge was rehabilitated in 1988 and continues to carry vehicular traffic, including logging trucks." [HAER_data]

2011 Photo by Michael Goff via BridgeHunter

The Short Bridge is the sole survivor of the covered bridges which crossed the South Fork of the Santiam River and is one of the few remaining in the county to have a wooden shingle roof. The span is Linn County's most eastern covered bridge.

When the wooden-housed structure was built, the bridge was known more commonly as the Whiskey Butte Bridge but was renamed for a long-time area resident, Gordon Short.

Quite often visitors are surprised by ducks, deer and other animals in the vicinity of the bridge. During the summer, fishermen on and under the bridge cast lines into the cool waters of the South Santiam River.

(Reference: Roofs Over Rivers, by Bill and Nick Cockrell)

[ArchivedBridgeHunter]

Jimmy G, Jun 2025