Avista Monitoring Crane Incident at Post Falls North Channel Dam

Workers rush to repair crane on Post Falls dam in Washington

Dam was scheduled to open for fish in about 3 weeks for fishing season

POST FALLS, Idaho - Avista crews are working to repair a crane that malfunctioned while crews were working atop the North Channel Dam in Post Falls, Idaho, Tuesday morning.

Crews were conducting routine maintenance when the crane came off its rail, said Avista spokesperson Casey Fielder.

The crane is used to lift the dam's gates to control water flow. The dam is scheduled to open to boaters in about three weeks.

Fielder said crews are doing everything they can to repair the crane, but he wasn't sure how long it would take.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said the dam was scheduled to open for fishing season on April 15.

Fielder said Avista is working with Fish and Wildlife to determine if the opening can be delayed.