Spring rains can wash branches, limbs and trees into tributaries that find their way into the Columbia River. The Corps’ dams have bypass systems designed to keep these and other floating hazards safely away from turbines. It’s unusual to see large trees pass the dam, so engineers were surprised to find a 60-foot tree with its rootball still attached, stuck in the bypass system. With the help of a crane, workers were able to safely extract the estimated 25,000-pound, nearly 6-foot diameter behemoth. After it was free, the tree was cut into smaller sections before workers allowed it to continue its travel to the sea.