Marine/Hydro

Hydroelectric Dams
Over the years, Thompson Metal Fab has had a hand in numerous Western United States hydroelectric dam projects — gates, spillway weirs and bypass systems being the most common. Our work can be found at such dams as Rocky Reach, Round Butte, Lower Monumental, The Dalles, Priest Rapids, Ice Harbor, Poe, Little Goose and Lower Granite.

Barges
In addition to filling the needs of the hydroelectric sector, TMF has built a myriad of other marine projects, including barges, custom hulls, kort nozzles and floating platforms. Our location adjacent to the Columbia River has proven invaluable in the launching and testing of all of these various products.

Innovation For Improved River Health
In recent years, Thompson Metal Fab has become involved in projects transforming the way fish are safely transported through dams. We take pride in this ingenuity. Floating surface collectors and other sorting facilities have been recognized as an effective way to regulate and better study fish populations. In conjunction with selective water withdrawals, these collectors also can regulate water temperatures, a move that benefits all life downstream.

On one such project, the Round Butte Dam project on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, Thompson Metal Fab was the preferred fabricator. TMF supplied 5 million pounds of fabricated steel for use in a selective water withdrawal, a fish transfer facility, the access bridge and a flow conduit. In 2014, Thompson completed a similar fish collection faciltiy for Tacoma Power, this one located at the scenic Lake Cushman Dam outside Hoodsport, WA.