New utility terrain vehicle keeps Wynoochee on the right track

Self-sufficiency is the name of the game at the Wynoochee River Project. When nestled in the foothills of the Olympic National Forest, more than 30 miles away from the nearest town, it’s critical to have the right tools on hand to fix any problems. Wynoochee received an essential addition to their suite of tools in 2020– a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV). Generation and Fleet Services successfully collaborated to find the best vehicle for the Project. “Fleet Services did a terrific job working with us to figure out what we needed,” said Wynoochee River Project assistant manager Scott Trent. “The UTV they found has already proven its worth and paid for itself.” During nicer weather, Project staff use it to do grounds maintenance work, put boats in the reservoir, pick up litter, move hay and seed around for erosion control, transport tools and equipment, and drive to places inaccessible to a regular truck. However, the UTV’s capabilities especially shine in inclement weather: employees add custom tracks over the wheels, and the UTV is ready to go snow-chomping.

OFF THE GRID

The Project is powered by electricity from Grays Harbor PUD, except for the Weatherwax microwave communications system. Due to the remote location of the system’s communication tower, it is entirely off the grid; it is powered by solar, wind, and battery packs. All hydro plant controls, internet, telephone access, and data are transmitted via Weatherwax. “It can be difficult to keep the batteries charged during the winter. Sometimes we don’t get enough solar energy due to the lack of sun, or if the panels get buried in snow,” said Scott. “We’ve also had strong storms take out our wind power. This UTV allows us to access the site when we need to repair our system.” Wynoochee used to own a snowcat (short for snow and caterpillar), but it was from a bygone era and finally plowed over its last snowbank five years ago. “Rather than investing in a new snowcat, which can cost upwards of $300,000, we rented them when needed, but that was also expensive,” said Fleet Services manager Don Ashmore. “This UTV is a fraction of that price and can be used for multiple purposes – it’s an incredible value for the utility.” The UTV has become the Swiss Army knife of vehicles for Wynoochee. “It’s important to keep our communications up and running for emergency response, public safety, and operational needs,” said Scott. “We appreciate Fleet Services’ efforts in helping us find the right tool for the job.”