Technical Workshop & NW Operators Forum Agenda

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Breakfast (Utility Owners Only)
8:30 AM - 8:40 AM
Welcome (Utility Owners Only)
Speaker: Ram Veeraraghavan, Tacoma Power
8:40 AM - 9:00 AM
Welcome Remarks (Utility Owners Only)
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Owners Forum Round Table Discussion (Utility Owners Only)
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Owners Forum Working Lunch (Utility Owners Only)
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wells Dam Tour Hosted By Douglas County PUD
Douglas County PUD
Open to All
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Rocky Reach Dam Tour Hosted By Chelan County PUD
Chelan County PUD
Open to All
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Dam Safety Special Interest Groups (Open To Utilities and Sponsors)

The NWHA Regional Dam Safety Working Group will be hosting this meeting, and the focus will be on special inspections. Dam safety colleagues from the PNW will share their latest experiences using improved, and new, technologies to gain more value out of their special inspections. This includes aerial photogrammetry of embankment dams, underwater photogrammetry of concrete structures and foundation drain inspections. Please join us to learn from others and to share your experiences for performing special inspections

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Machine Condition Assessment and Asset Management Special Interest Groups (Open To Utilities and Sponsors)

This discussion will explore how condition monitoring practices can inform stronger asset management decisions and how their value can be demonstrated through reliability improvement, risk reduction, and return on investment. Participants will examine current practices and emerging technologies that connect field observations and sensor data to asset planning, budgeting, and maintenance decisions. The discussion will encourage shared learning through real examples and concludes with a discussion on future use cases and opportunities for follow up collaboration.

Who should attend: maintenance, reliability, and operations leaders; engineers and planners; and anyone responsible for Condition Monitoring, Data, or Asset Management Programs.

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Networking Reception and Dinner
Join us for an evening of dinner and networking. 
Sponsored by: 
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM - 8:10 AM
Workshop Kickoff
Speaker: John Chandler, PSE
8:10 AM - 8:20 AM
Welcome Remarks
Speaker: Shane Bickford, Douglas County PUD
8:20 AM - 8:30 AM
Transition to Presentations
Speaker: John Chandler, PSE
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Using Data to Inform O&M Decisions and Avoid Forced Outages
Speaker: Brett Bickford, Chelan PUD
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Improved Forecasts and Collaboration During 2025 Skagit Floods
Speaker: Brandon Vavrek, SCL
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Cabinet Gorge Station Service Project
Speaker: Patrick Temple, Avista
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Networking Break
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Chelan County PUD's Oil-Free Journey
Speaker: George Velazquez, Chelan County PUD
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Wanapum Dam Fish Ladder 72" Valve Replacement
Speaker: Jason Michelbook and Bill Anderson, Grant County PUD
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
A Dam Safety Improvement Option Selection
Speaker: Ulysses Hillard, Seattle Public Utilities & Carl Mannheim, Kleinschmidt
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
WRAP & Markets
Speaker: Steve Bellcoff, BPA and Sara Eaton, BPA
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Enhancing Dam Safety with Internal Remote Inspection Capabilities
Speaker: Shaun Scott and Colten Elkin, Idaho Power
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Networking Break
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Rock Island Dam: Electrical Retrofitting and Cutover at the First Dam on the Columbia River
Speaker: Christopher Eden, Stantec & Cameron Doneen, Chelan County PUD
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Lost Creek Windings Repair
Speaker: Ceyal Clark, USACE
4:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Speaker: John Chandler, PSE