Area	Basinwide/Regional
Topic	Tour: Historical Photos Splash Dams (Basin Wide)

 

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Big River had 27 splash dams that were used to float logs downstream to the mill at the town of Mendocino. This is Hells Gate Dam on the South Fork. Construction of splash dams began in about 1860 and continued through 1924. Some remained in use through 1943 when the last raft of logs was floated down the North Fork Big River. CDFG destroyed the last dam that blocked the river in 1945 (see Picture #8). Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee).


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The photo above shows: "Building Hell Gate Dam. "Grandpa" David Wilsey, Donkey Engineer, is shown in the middle foreground. John Norberry, who built the dam for Ben Mallory is on extreme right. Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee). #081589 Wilsey.


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Splash dams often contained over one million board feet of lumber. This photo shows the upstream side of an unknown Big River splash dam. Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee).


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Front view of Johnson Dam in 1914 shortly after completion. This location is in the upper main Big River watershed. Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee). #01599, Jackson.


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North Fork Big River Dam with water being released. Spring 1925. #01597. Jackson. Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee).


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"After the water drive. Part of 22 million board foot logjam. Maru would subsequently work to sort and straighten logs out so that the journey to the mill could continue." Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee).


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"Water driving on Big River." This photo shows a log drive at some unknown location in the Big River watershed circa 1924. The flood created by the log drive erodes the banks of the river. The shadow image at upper right may have been a streamside tree swept into the drive, as the camera shutter remained open. Photo provided courtesy of the Mendocino Historical Society and the Held Poage Memorial Home and Research Library (from the Collection of Robert Lee).


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This photo documents the destruction of Hell Gate Dam on the South Fork Big River in April, 1945.Union Lumber Company-Georgia-Pacific Collection. Used with permission of the Ft Bragg-Mendocino Coast Historical Society.

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