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00:00My name's Mike Rowe, and this is my job.
00:05I explore the country looking for people who aren't afraid to get dirty.
00:11We want to get some of this out to customers before the growing season is over.
00:14Hard-working men and women who earn an honest living doing the kinds of jobs
00:20that make civilized life possible for the rest of us.
00:23Now, get ready to get dirty.
00:30Coming up on Dirty Jobs, crawling inside this hydroelectric generator is a carnival of fun.
00:37This is the most tedious, time-consuming jack job I've seen in a while.
00:41At the sideshow, see the amazing Mike tie himself into knots.
00:45Oh, this is super comfortable.
00:47Under the big top.
00:48Whoa! That's supposed to move?
00:49Yeah.
00:50I fly through the air on a turbine blade trapeze.
00:53What? Yes. Not so bad, huh? Not so good.
00:57Then...
00:58This is the bone foo.
00:59What is a bone foo?
01:01The practical jokers of the fish tagging department show me a pond that's nothing.
01:06Pretty much pure crap. Pretty much.
01:08It's a nice toilet, but it's a toilet.
01:10It is.
01:14Oh, God.
01:15Let's say you're a salmon, recently born, living up in Canada somewhere.
01:32You find yourself in the Columbia River one day with an overwhelming desire to swim to the ocean.
01:38It happens to millions of salmon.
01:41But if you find yourself down here in Wenatchee, Washington, you're going to have an obstacle.
01:46That's the Rocky Reach Dam.
01:48It's pretty cool.
01:49Rocky Reach Dam can generate enough electricity to power a city the size of Seattle or Denver.
01:55Inside these structures are turbines that create the electricity and these are the spillways.
02:01Baby salmon can get through the turbines and through the spillways, but for a safer journey to the ocean, Rocky Reach created the fish bypass system.
02:10It looks like an amusement ride at a carnival or something, but it's a big white tube.
02:14It comes all the way around.
02:16I'm standing on it right now.
02:17How a salmon gets through the fish bypass is a mystery to me.
02:20How the turbines generate electricity, that's a mystery as well.
02:24Today, I hope to solve those and other mysteries.
02:30The Rocky Reach Dam was built in 1956 to harness the Columbia River's currents.
02:35Over 50 years later, the dam is now responsible for providing electricity to 7 million homes in the Pacific Northwest.
02:46All of this is part of the juvenile fish bypass system that I was doing.
02:49The guy walking with us right now is the dam safety inspector, Randy Ogle.
02:5360 feet down.
02:55Regular viewers know that before every shoot, we always go through our safety inspections.
03:00He's in a hurry.
03:01Be like Ryan, he's getting run over in the middle of a safety briefing.
03:03Okay, this is part of the lockout, tag out procedures.
03:06We have tag here.
03:08That tag stays there.
03:09Stays there.
03:10So let people know.
03:11Dead gates are in.
03:12Don't take them out.
03:13Because you could be down there.
03:14Because we could be down there.
03:15I could be down there.
03:16That's right.
03:17Okay, I think I got it.
03:18Terrific.
03:19Do we start work now?
03:20No.
03:21We've got lots of tags.
03:22You want to show me all the tags?
03:23I'm going to show you all the tags.
03:25I'm going to show you all the tags.
03:26Your purpose in showing me these tags is, is it to create a sense of understanding or create a sense of security in me?
03:33Understanding and security.
03:35So that there is no chance of you being hurt.
03:38Would it be possible just to leapfrog straight ahead to, like would you trust me now if I said I feel very secure?
03:43No.
03:44No.
03:45We have to lock the clearance.
03:47So we've got two.
03:48All right.
03:4935 more to go.
03:50Come on.
03:51I thought you said 11.
03:52There's 11 units.
03:53But there's a lot of other tags.
03:57Off we go then.
04:02Good, Dave.
04:03I blame you for this.
04:04If everyone keeps up, we won't be here long.
04:08And that's something.
04:09My security and understanding are increasing exponentially.
04:14Now, this was a very efficient use of our time right here.
04:17I was trying.
04:18We just tore through six of these things, click and split.
04:20All right.
04:21Careful.
04:22Tripping hazard.
04:23Somebody put a tag on that thing.
04:24Safety first.
04:25It just means I can't sue you if something goes wrong.
04:29That's really what this means.
04:30That means that you've blocked the clearance.
04:32Uh-huh.
04:33And you know that those tags were there.
04:34Okay.
04:35You'll have to sign off before you leave.
04:37All right.
04:39Is that everybody?
04:40Let's go to work.
04:41All right.
04:42So this is the crew.
04:43It's Jeff and Jody and John and Dwayne and Vince.
04:46Take note.
04:47Dwayne is 6'3".
04:48And Vince, he's 6'6".
04:49You'll see why this is important in a minute.
04:50These guys are so big, they're making me feel like Barsky.
04:51What are we doing down here exactly?
04:52We're going to pull the main shaft packing.
04:53Yeah.
04:54And what is the packing in the main shaft exactly?
04:56It's keeping the river from flooding.
04:57Good.
04:58Yeah.
04:59Good.
05:00So graphite in a cord design is wrapped around the shaft of the turbine.
05:01Correct.
05:02Keeping the river where it belongs.
05:03Yep.
05:04Not in here.
05:05We're going to take that out and put in a new one.
05:06Yes, we will.
05:07I'm going to follow you guys.
05:08You'll follow me.
05:09You'll follow us.
05:10These boats.
05:11There are 11 hydraulic turbines here at Rocky Reach Dam.
05:12And each of these two boats are starting to work.
05:13You'll follow me.
05:14You'll follow me.
05:15You'll follow me.
05:16You'll follow us.
05:18As you see.
05:19There a 11 hydraulic turbines here at Rocky Reach Dam.
05:21And each of these boats will be filled.
05:22Right.
05:23Well, when you've got those boats, you'll hold them up to the south.
05:24And what's the wind?
05:25Here we have to keep the shore ramping.
05:26Okay.
05:27Yeah.
05:28We've got these boats.
05:29How come on?
05:30Here we've got these boats, you'll follow us.
05:31Nice.
05:32Alright.
05:33And we've got these boats.
05:34We've got these boats.
05:35There are aintyroxic turbines.
05:36here at rocky reach dam and each turbine operates independently from the other
05:40power is generated when water flows through the dam spinning the turbines
05:46we're going a couple floors down where a turbine has been shut down for
05:50maintenance the packing I guess is under here under our feet actually and once
05:57once we're down there Vince do we take the graphite thing with us or do we know
06:01we're gonna be pulling stuff out we're just gonna go down by ourselves these
06:04guys are gonna lower there are tools down to us and we'll pull the packing great
06:10the black gunky stuff I'm looking at that's just black gunky stuff yeah the
06:18stuff that ends up in the sump uh-huh and uh that's not but that's not what we're
06:23changing out that's not the graph like that so I mean really spell it out for
06:27me like I'm a small stupid child feet first into the hole you kind of got to
06:32bend yourself sideways to get your legs to go one way arms above your head to
06:38get through the hole because you're probably too wide this way to go through
06:41the hole lay down and we'll disperse around the diameter of the shaft around
06:46here all right great you got to go in once again there goes Doug as usual Doug
06:57goes in first to capture the magnificence of our job site oh I'm facing the wrong
07:05way now you can turn around once you get far away down there all right it'll come
07:08natural to you once you start in it it's like riding a bike
07:14oh yeah I get it you guys are kidding right all of it no no you're not messing with me you just lay
07:31down here in the gunk oh man
07:33claustrophobics need not apply it's freezing down here
07:38remember what we talked about earlier well this area is about three and a half feet high
07:44Vince you attach those feet that's me me
07:50Vince being 6'6 and all I thought I'd give him some room
07:53Mike I brought you a pair
07:55pair of what pair of channel locks you can't be a hydromechanic without your channel locks oh okay
08:02what do you want me to do with them we're gonna take all these nuts off we're gonna take it out
08:08packing's below it the shaft packing needs to be replaced every four and a half years
08:14I just want to show you that's that's what 6'6 looks like
08:27jabbed into a place that was built for somebody who's maybe 5'6
08:31how's your back so far so good yeah
08:34so to Wayne what do you guys normally uh you guys normally talk about when you're not here
08:42we usually don't use as nice a language as we're using today
08:46that goes up right
08:50that'll come towards you
08:52down
08:54down
08:55crap
09:02get the
09:05am I going the no there's no way I'm going the wrong way
09:09am I going the wrong way Dwight
09:10yeah it's going the wrong way
09:12like this
09:12nope the other way
09:14crap
09:16well I'd failed to accomplish my task
09:21but for some reason Vince didn't seem to care
09:26he said it was time to remove the ring from around the shaft
09:29all right we're coming
09:32oh yeah hold on a second
09:33it was a tight fit
09:36so we had to raise it evenly on all sides
09:38are you out all the way
09:41well you see this thing you got your fingers through right there
09:43there's another one over here except it's got a big rod through it
09:46it's sticking in its other end part of the uh
09:48oh you didn't pull this out
09:49no
09:50I thought you should have one of these
09:51oh okay
09:53I thought with all the grunt over there at the way
09:55and I thought maybe he pulled the stud out of the tight
09:57oh this is awkward
10:00is it coming out Mike
10:03I got uh one of the nuts off
10:05but that other thing is screwed in there like
10:08in Samson
10:09I don't know what that means
10:12you're good huh
10:18yeah it's helping
10:19yeah
10:19I can't believe I'm actually assisting
10:21I can't tell if it's working from here
10:24uh oh
10:32oh man
10:35coming up
10:38I learned some new words
10:39then up on the trapeze
10:47I get my butt kicked
10:48give me another kick
10:49one more
10:50yeah yeah
10:51that's hysterical
10:53later
10:54the fish professionals
10:55all right
10:56why am I suddenly thinking we might be working at the wrong dance
10:58show me where to put a salmon tag
11:01don't tell me to go up the butt
11:02here we go Mike
11:13got it started here
11:14we're all right
11:16oh that's cool
11:17yeah mine came up a little too actually
11:19all right
11:20so this is the stuff we're replacing
11:23I see it now
11:24the packing material is made of a braided graphite
11:27aside from keeping the river out
11:29its webbed fibers allow a small amount of water
11:32to seep through
11:33keeping the shaft cool while it spins
11:35all you Duane
11:37all right
11:37you got her
11:38it's all free
11:39so we got all that thing out in one big piece
11:42yep
11:44that section
11:45there's some more in there Mike
11:46sure there is
11:47sure there is
11:49why would we be finished
11:50can you get this foot
11:51on the other side of my foot
11:52oh sure
11:53is that comfortable
11:55oh this is super comfortable
11:56oh this is really good
11:59okay wait a minute
12:00that's
12:01okay that's good
12:02this is just bolts everywhere
12:06most of them
12:08many of them have sailed into my vertebrae somehow
12:11this is the most tedious
12:12time-consuming jack job I've seen in a while
12:16how you coming with your work Mike
12:17well
12:18I'm trying to turn this thing
12:20I can only get it like a millimeter at a time
12:21my neck seems to be breaking a bit
12:23oh that hole
12:25that bad hole there
12:26is just screwing us
12:27yeah
12:28that last one just pulled my bolt back out
12:31huh
12:32yeah
12:33so what do we do
12:34close it down
12:35oh we gotta fix it
12:38sorry Seattle
12:39it's gonna get dark
12:40real dark
12:42let's try coming up again
12:44all right
12:44you ready Mike
12:45all right
12:45want to give a little pull
12:46are we ready
12:47yeah
12:48we're spread too thin Dwayne
12:57man
12:57we need another person
13:00yeah we do
13:01we're never getting out of here
13:04can John come down here Jody
13:06we're gonna need another hand
13:07we're just spread out too thin
13:09to bring this thing up straight and even
13:11I think it's starting to fall apart a little bit
13:14this is John
13:15he's coming down right now
13:16if you've just joined us
13:18we've been stuck
13:18here at the base of a turbine
13:21trying to get a lantern ring
13:23out of the
13:24the
13:26you know look
13:27I give up with the nouns
13:28the point right now
13:29is things have become so bad
13:31cramped and untenable
13:32that both Doug and I
13:33are on the verge of urinating
13:34in our pants
13:34that would be a dirty jobs first
13:37I'm
13:39I'm not saying
13:40it's not gonna happen
13:41but if it does
13:42you're going first
13:43how do these seashells get in here
13:45they tell us
13:47that they actually
13:48uh
13:49grow in here
13:50really
13:51yeah
13:52these aren't leaking in
13:53from the river
13:54apparently they come in
13:56in some type of
13:57I don't know
13:58larvae form
13:59or
13:59right
13:59you know
13:59yeah
14:00yeah
14:01and they
14:01yeah we find them in
14:03you know places
14:04they can't get through
14:05so they've actually
14:06grown
14:07in here
14:09nice spot isn't it
14:11it really is a little
14:12slice of heaven
14:12you got down here
14:13and we're on the good side
14:14that side
14:16that side over there
14:17where Dwayne is
14:17is the worst side
14:18oh really
14:19I told him that earlier
14:20John
14:20you didn't believe me
14:21can we start cussing
14:22can you guys edit out
14:23some cussing
14:24you can cuss
14:24yeah
14:25I don't care anymore
14:26you're past that point
14:28yep
14:28carded
14:30going to come out of here
14:32one way or another
14:33alright the kid's watching
14:34right now
14:35you might want to get them
14:35out of the room
14:36because we're
14:36we took a poll
14:39we really don't have
14:39any choice
14:40we're going to start cussing
14:41let me try getting one out
14:52and the other one
14:52oh wait a minute
14:53he's up
14:54we're out
14:55we're out
14:56alright it's all you
14:58oh my gosh
15:00yeah baby
15:00got it in
15:02alright now that should be
15:03the last one
15:04now there's six
15:05another lantern ring
15:06and six more
15:07shut up
15:08hey I think we're out
15:11of the hole aren't we
15:12yeah
15:12it just feels so good
15:14to stand up
15:15it does
15:15stretch out
15:16now we were down there
15:17in real time
15:18a couple hours
15:19maybe
15:20how long
15:21I mean is that unusual
15:22is that longer than normal
15:24maybe a little bit
15:27well absolutely
15:28a ridiculously
15:29cramped spot down there
15:31what's next for me
15:33we're going to
15:35hang off the
15:36turbine blades
15:37and put a
15:38temporary
15:38hanging floor
15:39underneath there
15:40hang off of the
15:42turbine blades
15:43and put a temporary
15:44hanging floor
15:44yep
15:45after you
15:47bitch you got a little
15:50dirt on your shirt
15:51there by the way
15:52coming up
15:53you ready
15:53I'm ready
15:54okay
15:55building a scaffold
15:56in midair
15:56this is swinging job
15:58we just call this
15:59a swinging staging
16:00and you can see why
16:01because you're swinging
16:02the whole time
16:03yeah
16:03no this is swinging
16:04for sure
16:05oh
16:06some experiences
16:16are simply
16:17so awful
16:18and motivate you
16:19to want to forget them
16:20so quickly
16:20that you just have to
16:21change your surroundings
16:22entirely
16:23which is what I've done
16:24Dwayne and
16:25Vince
16:27they're gone from my life
16:28replaced by Mark
16:29and Craig
16:30and Sam there
16:31and this is Tim
16:32and this is Chad
16:33and they have promised me
16:34the next job
16:34will take place
16:35in a larger place
16:37larger
16:37and this is a solemn promise
16:39you've made to me
16:40as long as you don't
16:41fall in the water
16:41we're okay
16:42Mark you've done this before
16:44oh a few times
16:45you feel fairly confident
16:46about the proceedings
16:47it had
16:47no problem
16:48Chad
16:49do you concur
16:49I concur
16:50Greg anything to add
16:52not at all
16:53these guys got it under control
16:56these guys have it under control
16:58I'll follow you
16:59you promise it's bigger down here
17:04we're going below
17:07to the bottom most part
17:08of the turbine
17:09where the blades are
17:10behind those gates
17:11right there
17:12where the water is leaking in
17:14is the bottom of the river
17:16so it's the pressure
17:17from the water
17:17on the blade
17:18that compels the blade
17:20to turn
17:20which turns the turbine
17:23which generates the power
17:25the generator
17:26which goes electricity
17:27yep
17:27and since we'll be working
17:30on the blades
17:31we'll be closer
17:32to the river
17:32I'm having a dirty jobs moment
17:37you know
17:37I spent this morning
17:38doing this lockout
17:39tagout thing
17:40because safety is critical
17:41I mean critical
17:43it took me an hour
17:44to walk around
17:45and look at how
17:45everything was arranged
17:46and safe
17:47and now
17:47we're basically
17:49crawling down a blade
17:50over top of water
17:53building a scaffold
17:55in midair
17:55without a harness
17:58how are we allowed
18:01to do this
18:01without a harness
18:02it's safer
18:03to fall in the water
18:04than it is
18:06to hang down there
18:06until we can get you out
18:07well there you go
18:10you ready?
18:11I'm ready
18:12okay
18:12we'll have you go down there
18:14uh huh
18:14and just climb down
18:15grab that cable
18:16and make sure
18:17you get your feet
18:17on the aluminum
18:18down there
18:19similar to a trapeze
18:20when you get down there
18:21similar to a trapeze
18:22hang on to the cable
18:23I reflect back
18:24at all the trapezes
18:25I've been on
18:26so
18:27what's your question?
18:30you know what
18:31I've got no question
18:33hey
18:33tell you what
18:34that Jacob's Ladder
18:35is going to slip on you
18:36as you go down
18:36until it hits the knots
18:37so you're standing
18:38on the Jacob's Ladder
18:38then grab that red cable there
18:40and hang on to that
18:41for dear life
18:41so one foot on the Jacob's Ladder
18:43one hand on the cable
18:44great
18:45I'll be good
18:46hell I can do it
18:48and just lower yourself
18:54down on that cable
18:54whoa
19:00that's supposed to move?
19:04yeah
19:04that red cable
19:07is your ticket
19:07right there
19:08this guy?
19:08you bet
19:09swing your legs out
19:12and slide down
19:13where's the kick?
19:18keep going
19:18you on it?
19:25yes
19:25not so bad
19:26not so good
19:27but I'm on it
19:29you're alright
19:29oh crap
19:31you want me to sit
19:32on this thing?
19:33yeah
19:33just go ahead
19:34and have a seat
19:35right there
19:35and Tim
19:36we'll be passing you
19:36aboard here
19:37you made it
19:37Tim
19:38how's it going?
19:41I don't mind telling you
19:42I'm a little confused
19:45coming down
19:48alright
19:51that is our work platform
19:52really?
19:53yep
19:53yeah we're ready
19:55for the first piece
19:55okay
19:56this side bolts to there
19:59this method of building
20:00a hanging scaffold
20:02was custom designed
20:03by the hydro dam mechanics
20:04what part of the scaffolding
20:06is this called
20:06that's coming down next
20:08the outside ring
20:12I guess
20:12I don't know
20:14the outside piece
20:16you guys
20:17with your technical terms
20:18we just call this
20:19the swinging staging
20:20and you can see why
20:21because you're swinging
20:22the whole time
20:23yeah
20:23no this is swinging
20:24for sure
20:24cross
20:26go cross
20:27that's very sporty
20:39very sporty
20:41I got it
20:42oh
20:44give me another kick
20:49one more
20:50yeah yeah
20:51that's hysterical
20:53that it's safer
20:54not to wear a harness
20:55because the water
20:56even though it's
20:5715-20 feet down
20:58would provide less
20:59of a potential damage
21:01than that harness
21:02snapping back
21:03and cracking your ribs
21:04you get this?
21:06basically put up
21:07the metal first
21:08you know
21:08make a superstructure
21:10all the way around it
21:12then you start
21:13laying in the wood
21:13all wood pieces
21:15have been custom cut
21:16to fit exactly
21:18into the metal structure
21:19oh
21:24that was going bad
21:27that was going bad
21:31lifeguard is not on duty
21:34yeah
21:35we just built a scaffold
21:37or what?
21:38we just built us a scaffolding
21:39in a little while
21:40you'll get to go
21:41down over there
21:43I forgot
21:45I forgot there was a job to do
21:47I thought this was the gig
21:49coming up
21:51how do we get out of there?
21:52shimmy down there
21:53wait a minute
21:54wait a minute
21:54shimmy down?
21:55I'll hold the platform
21:56for you
21:57you'll be alright
21:57I find this job
21:58has three problems
22:00location
22:01location
22:02location
22:03you're alright
22:04come on down
22:04crap
22:05then
22:07man behind the curtain
22:08I learned that fish tagging
22:10requires surgery
22:11can I give it a shot?
22:13sure I can do that
22:15uh oh
22:16waking you sure?
22:17no no man
22:18I was looking at you
22:19when you thought about it
22:19there was a flash of profound uncertainty
22:22and worry
22:22that caused your massage
22:24another mini staging area
22:32will be hung below the scaffold
22:33to do the oil change
22:35coming up on the rope
22:36well that just doesn't look stable at all
22:38how do we get out of there?
22:41climb
22:41climb on
22:44we'll get you a ladder
22:45alright
22:46yeah
22:46I don't like it man
22:48get me a ladder
22:49huh?
22:52alright you put the ladder in?
22:54we can
22:55what do you mean we can?
22:56how else would you do it?
22:58shimmy down there
22:59wait a minute
23:00wait a minute
23:00shimmy down?
23:01yeah
23:01please shimmy
23:03show me how you shimmy
23:05look I'm just kind of kidding
23:09if you don't really want to do this
23:10I don't
23:10you're all hung up man
23:18shoot me
23:22fuck
23:24is that the ladder?
23:28no I'll do it
23:29you can spot me
23:30don't let me fall in there
23:34I wouldn't dream of that
23:36I don't know
23:38where
23:39how tall
23:42yeah I mean how tall are you?
23:446'6
23:44I ain't gonna reach that
23:46he'll reach
23:47I'll hold the platform for you
23:49you'll be alright
23:50now I'm shimmy in?
24:02crap
24:03you're alright
24:03come on down
24:04you're about an inch friendly
24:12there you go
24:14that's right
24:15I shimmied
24:17I shimmied
24:18we won't be shimmying out of here
24:25this is the cap we're gonna pull out right here
24:29each turbine contains approximately 2200 gallons of oil
24:34and it's got to be changed every five years
24:36why does it have to be so tight?
24:39I mean honestly
24:40what's gonna happen?
24:42you're pulling it toward you
24:43I swear you told me to go the other way
24:45no I didn't
24:46you were on the other side
24:47when I told you to go the other way
24:48push
24:53push?
24:54yep
24:55no no man I just saw you
24:57you came towards you
24:57you keep changing directions
24:58how can I change directions?
24:59I didn't move
25:01my knee
25:02now look if I take your exact position
25:10look at this right here
25:13that should mean bringing it toward me
25:16but bringing it toward me
25:17he's tightening it
25:18lefty loosey?
25:19it's my left
25:21that's left
25:23but you want to go this way right?
25:26yep
25:27what are you gonna do with those?
25:32we're gonna put these in
25:32keep it from falling on us
25:34how's mine going?
25:36yeah
25:36I wasn't turning it
25:37oh okay
25:38oh
25:38what am I turning?
25:41all the way
25:42the what?
25:43you running your net down?
25:45I don't know what I'm doing man
25:46I'm just
25:47I just hate this helmet so much
25:48and every time I turn around
25:50I smash myself in this
25:51okay just keep running your net down
25:54I'm dirty
25:55I wish I could do this for you
25:58I don't understand how you're turning it
26:00I don't understand
26:00it's a mystery
26:02hold still
26:03I got it
26:04what do you mean you're having it?
26:05you're coming down
26:06I got you
26:06ah
26:07okay don't spill it
26:09it's nasty
26:10okay
26:11that's under there
26:13oh this is super convenient too
26:16look at that
26:17that'll just go right in there like this
26:19by the way
26:19maybe this way
26:21yeah
26:21sure
26:22all right
26:26what's this weigh like 90 pounds?
26:28this is good
26:28give or take
26:28turn it on
26:31you're not pumping today
26:32we're all good
26:33it's all work
26:34we're gonna pump it tomorrow morning
26:35just out of curiosity
26:36why don't you do it now?
26:37I'm not sure
26:38I mean look
26:39you know what?
26:40I'm just curious
26:41I mean
26:41just end of the day
26:43it's good
26:43it's time to go home?
26:45yeah
26:45I love it
26:46I think you're off the hook
26:47if you're done
26:49I'm done
26:49fair enough
26:50I don't live in a world
26:51of extra credit anymore
26:53you want a couple guys
26:54to help me out of that?
26:56I think yeah
26:57maybe Sam
26:57that would be
26:58that'd be ideal
26:58give him a hand out
27:00Jagler
27:00how would you
27:03shimmy out of here?
27:04I'd just climb right up
27:05out of here
27:05go ahead
27:07I'll watch your technique
27:08I guess I could
27:19throw my leg up here
27:21I always do that
27:24maybe I'll just stay down here
27:27really how you gonna do that
27:30you just gonna pull me straight up?
27:31yeah get out of here
27:32the nice thing about this gig
27:51is the glamour
27:52that you always find yourself in
27:54no matter what
27:54Sam
27:55it's been a fantastic day
27:56thank you
27:57anybody else here
27:58worth saying goodbye to?
27:59everybody
28:00give my regards
28:01would you?
28:03I'm just gonna hang here
28:04for a bit
28:04reflect on all I've done wrong
28:08coming up
28:11I escaped the dam
28:12and tagged some wild salmon
28:14the tags we're gonna be
28:16implanting here
28:17they are called
28:18an acoustic tag
28:19it's a dangerous procedure
28:20what's worse gonna happen?
28:22one slip of the knife
28:23and he's dead
28:24well this is gonna take forever
28:25but hey
28:26no pressure
28:26nurse I can save this one
28:28no pressure at all
28:29what the heck
28:30just outside of the cramped
28:38and uncomfortable confines
28:40of that turbine
28:40is the other elements
28:42of the rocky reach hydro dam
28:43the fish bypass
28:45just so we're clear
28:46that crane
28:48is over the turbine
28:49with the blades
28:50that I was just on
28:51and just so we're
28:53double clear
28:53I'll never be in there again
28:56as part of their operating agreement
28:59with the government
29:00rocky reach has to provide
29:01the fish safe passage
29:03past the dam
29:04they do this by directing
29:05the fish
29:06to this bypass
29:07a mile long pipe
29:09that wraps around the dam
29:10and drops the fish
29:11on the other side
29:12rocky reach
29:15must also perform
29:16rigorous studies
29:17to show that the fish bypass
29:18is doing its job
29:20one of the people
29:21who performs these studies
29:22is Dave Beardsley
29:23the man behind the curtain
29:27you're Dave
29:28yeah
29:28Dave I'm Mike
29:29nice to meet you Mike
29:30you too
29:30well first of all
29:31officially
29:32what do you call
29:32where we are right now
29:34this is the rocky reach
29:35juvenile sampling facility
29:37and the juveniles in question
29:38are small salmon
29:39small yeah baby salmon
29:40and they've been trying
29:41to get back to the ocean
29:43yeah they're migrating
29:44to the ocean
29:44for the first time
29:46for the first time
29:46they're on the ride
29:47of their life
29:47this is a huge adventure
29:48for the baby salmon
29:49that's correct
29:50all right
29:50and somehow or other
29:52their destiny
29:53is in your hands
29:54vis-a-vis this control panel
29:55yes
29:56with a flip of the switch
29:57Dave diverts
29:58a statistical sample
30:00of the fish
30:00inside the bypass
30:01into a holding area
30:03when are the runs
30:04the heaviest
30:05at what time of year
30:06the end of April
30:07and probably the end of May
30:09right
30:10that's when the fish
30:11smultify
30:12and actually
30:12it's an innate trigger
30:13that allows them
30:14to want to migrate
30:15to the ocean
30:16we have the fish
30:17crowded up
30:18we're ready to put them
30:18in this isolation chamber
30:20now what
30:21what do you think he is
30:22see a
30:23what species
30:25there we go
30:25he's at the Chinook
30:26this is
30:29this is
30:29MS-222
30:31it's called
30:32triacane methyl sulfonate
30:33it's a fish anesthetic
30:35all right
30:36go ahead
30:36pour that in
30:37okay
30:37now we gotta wait
30:39and they start to go
30:40belly up on their sides
30:42yeah
30:42oh yeah
30:43they're drunk
30:45all right
30:47so what you have to do
30:48here Mike
30:48is you have to
30:49just push this
30:50all the way straight up
30:51in one solid motion
30:52okay
30:53now the sleeping fish
30:56take a roller coaster ride
30:57through a series of pipes
30:58and finally plunge
31:00into the shallow
31:01stainless steel tank
31:02here's a glove frame
31:03Mike
31:03you gotta have one of those
31:04because we have that
31:05MS-222 in the water
31:07oh right
31:07right
31:08fish are checked
31:10for previous tags
31:11measured
31:12recorded
31:13and then
31:14sent off to the recovery tank
31:15and then we move on
31:16to the next fish
31:17all right
31:17every year from April to May
31:19Rocky Reach
31:19performs various studies
31:21to determine the type of fish
31:22that travel through the bypass
31:23and gather statistics
31:25on fish survival rates
31:26once the fish are collected
31:28we'll transport them
31:29across the dam
31:30to the tagging sites
31:32and those ears
31:33back towards you
31:34just testing Carl
31:35sure
31:36there you go
31:38we're gonna hop up
31:39on top here
31:39this is
31:41the device used to
31:42the hell is that Carl
31:43what in the hell
31:45is that
31:46this is the bone foo
31:49what is a bone foo
31:50it's used to
31:52scare the fish
31:53to the bottom of the tank
31:54as they're exiting
31:54so that they don't
31:55hang around
31:56Carl
31:56I don't mean to put you
31:57on the spot
31:58but isn't it
31:59isn't it true
31:59that this is a made up tool
32:00yes it is
32:01it's not really a bone foo
32:02no it's
32:03just a custom specialty tool
32:05who made it
32:06Carl
32:07you made this
32:08no not that one
32:10but one like it
32:11oh I see
32:11so you ripped off
32:13a pre-existing design
32:14I did yes
32:15and what was the pre-existing design called
32:17what's more interesting
32:18the fact that Carl created this
32:20or that he borrowed it
32:21from a pre-existing design
32:22that doesn't have a name
32:23or that he somehow
32:24christened it a bone foo
32:26for reasons that
32:27aren't entirely clear to me
32:29that's what we want to know
32:33that's where the name came from
32:34yes
32:34all right
32:35one of the hydromechanics
32:36his nickname is bone
32:38and he is a black belt in karate
32:40so foo
32:41kung fu
32:42karate
32:43kung fu
32:43so he designed the initial tool
32:47and called it the bone foo
32:49what's your friend's name
32:50the karate guy
32:51I mean his real name
32:52not bone
32:53what is his name
32:55no we don't even know
32:56what his real name is
32:57Rick
32:57Rick
32:58now listen
32:59I'm going to ask you
33:00a serious question
33:01and I appreciate an honest answer
33:02why do you call him bone
33:05I don't know
33:07the mechanics nicknamed him that
33:09really
33:10why am I suddenly thinking
33:12we might be working
33:13at the wrong dance
33:13hey guess what
33:21bone foo time babies
33:23yes get in there
33:24there we go
33:26the trash cans
33:27that hold these fish
33:28are constantly filled
33:29with fresh water
33:29pumped from the river
33:31after it's gone through
33:32a denitrification process
33:33now we're going to
33:35we're going to take these
33:36inside
33:36where the actual work
33:38will commence
33:39that's correct
33:40got it
33:41right through this door here
33:43how's it going
33:44how's it going
33:44good how are you doing
33:45good
33:45good
33:46Chris
33:46Mike
33:47nice to meet you
33:48you too
33:48the tags we're going to be
33:49implanting here
33:50they are called an acoustic tag
33:53now they're detected in the river
33:54by sonar devices
33:57called hydrophones
33:58you're a big brother here
33:59for the fish
34:00right
34:00once you shove one of these things
34:02in there
34:02where do you put them
34:03don't tell me to go up the butt
34:04no
34:05honestly I can't
34:07I don't think I can bear it anymore
34:08right here
34:10right in there
34:11oh through the heart
34:12there's an opening
34:14in the belly cavity
34:14where we insert them
34:15where it doesn't affect
34:16any of the organs
34:17so I'm making an incision
34:19right off the pec fin
34:21in between the midline
34:22which is right here
34:23while the fish is lying
34:25on the operating table
34:26fresh water and anesthesia
34:27is irrigated
34:29from a bucket to the fish
34:30you can feel the ribs
34:31you have to crack those ribs
34:33or cut through them
34:34to get the tag in
34:35the cavity
34:35so next we're going to
34:37use this as oxycine
34:38oxytet
34:39it's an oxytet cyclene
34:41and it's an antibiotic
34:42topical
34:43where do you put it
34:44just give it a square
34:44right on the incision
34:46right on the incision
34:46yep
34:46perfect
34:49here I'm putting the tag
34:50the tag just kind of pops in
34:52now we're going to two sutures
34:55these sutures will fall out
34:57on their own
34:58they'll absorb
34:59or dissolve
35:00and you'll never see them
35:02might be a little war wound
35:03although you probably won't
35:04have any memory of this at all
35:05no
35:06I mean if I were a fish
35:07I'd be busy blocking this out
35:09with the cameras
35:11and needles
35:11and he's done
35:13can I give it a shot
35:14let me do it
35:14uh oh
35:17we can
35:18yeah sure
35:18no no man
35:19I was looking at you
35:20when you thought about it
35:21there was a flash
35:22of profound uncertainty
35:23and worry
35:24that crossed your visage
35:25um
35:26pretty awkward
35:29for who?
35:33well
35:33for anyone
35:34just starting out
35:35if you want to give it a shot
35:36sure
35:36coming up
35:38I give it a shot
35:39first I can save this one
35:40but as usual
35:41you want to try another fish
35:42end up in the toilet
35:43pretty much pure crap
35:45a big fish toilet
35:46I'm just glad I got a light jacket on
35:48I know
35:49I mean
35:55oh yeah
35:56I mean what's worse
35:57is going to happen
35:57okay
35:58Chris
35:59you want to help him on that
36:00okay
36:01I'll be your assistant
36:02oh yeah
36:02okay yeah
36:03Chris weigh that for me
36:04as you can see
36:07Dave was a little apprehensive
36:08about letting me play doctor
36:10later I found out why
36:12turns out
36:13if I killed this fish
36:14I could have completely
36:15messed up their study
36:16which would have potentially
36:17cost rocky reach
36:18big bucks
36:19for many
36:20complicated reasons
36:21which only goes to prove
36:23that if ignorance is bliss
36:25well
36:26I've
36:27got a lot of bliss
36:28and then ride along
36:29the midline
36:30yep
36:30perfect
36:32good
36:33like that
36:33good
36:34all right
36:34all right
36:36this goes in
36:37this one first
36:37it doesn't matter
36:38and like
36:40stick it
36:41like this
36:42just like that
36:43okay
36:44tilt it back
36:44and I'll assist you
36:46with this
36:47all right
36:47would you please
36:48thanks
36:48oh that looks perfect
36:49you're doing very well
36:50thank you sir
36:51all righty
36:53all right
36:56nurse I can save this one
36:57all right
36:58we're going to go through
36:59the outer wall here
37:00yep
37:00want to do a little bit
37:02closer to your
37:02your um
37:04cut there
37:05too far
37:06yeah you still want to
37:07go closer to
37:08oh super close
37:08I see
37:09yep
37:09squeeze and pull
37:11like in
37:12oh this is going to
37:13take forever
37:14oh wait
37:17when you have this
37:18I'm all jacked up
37:18oh you are kind of
37:19jacked up
37:19yeah
37:20mm-hmm
37:20all right
37:22maybe
37:22yeah these humans
37:24are broken
37:24hope this guy doesn't
37:26wake up
37:27uh
37:27you know
37:28he's probably having
37:29one of those things
37:30where he's uh
37:31aware through your
37:32whole surgery
37:32very tricky
37:36what the heck
37:36what
37:37let me see
37:38when I get this
37:39right
37:39and pull it through
37:40supposedly
37:42you want to try
37:46another fish
37:47she's still moving
37:48not really
37:50oh he's still alive
37:54oh perfect
37:55good
37:55he's going to say
37:56if this one's dead
37:56already let me
37:57practice on him
37:58we can do that
38:00no he's alive
38:01he's good
38:02he's great
38:03just to be clear
38:06Dave later told me
38:08that the fish
38:08pulled through the
38:09operation with flying
38:10colors
38:10and when last seen
38:12was happily swimming
38:13toward the ocean
38:13that's pretty much it
38:18with that process
38:19is there anything else
38:20you would like to do
38:21today
38:21yeah we're headed
38:22to the island
38:23what island
38:24Turtle Rock
38:25what happens
38:26on Turtle Rock
38:27Turtle Rock Island
38:30is a ten minute
38:31boat ride
38:32from the dam
38:32we're heading over
38:33to Turtle Rock
38:34inside these pools
38:38on Turtle Rock Island
38:39baby salmon
38:40from hatcheries
38:41grow until they're
38:42big enough
38:42to be released
38:43into the wild
38:43many of the babies
38:45are tagged
38:45for research purposes
38:46but a few of these
38:47tags have fallen
38:48out of their
38:49body cavities
38:50and sunk to the
38:51bottom of the pool
38:52with all the fish poo
38:53Dave tells me
38:55that when fish tags
38:57go missing
38:57in the poo
38:58it messes up
38:59their research
38:59so how does that
39:01impact me?
39:02gonna wade through
39:03some fish crap
39:04and retrieve
39:05some pit tags
39:07that's a job
39:09alright
39:11we're here
39:12it's
39:13beautiful
39:14where's the poo?
39:18well this is
39:19pond number one
39:20at Turtle Rock Island
39:21here
39:22it's a toilet
39:23a toilet?
39:24it's a nice toilet
39:26but it's a toilet
39:27it is
39:27the pool is a
39:29temporary holding area
39:30for the baby salmon
39:31it's like a fish motel
39:32and I'm like a maid
39:34I'm just glad I got
39:35a life jacket on
39:36I know
39:37you'd hate to drown
39:38in here
39:39I really would
39:40I'm vacuuming up
39:41all the poo
39:41and we're pumping it
39:43into a shallow pool
39:44where I'll be given
39:45a magnet
39:45to find the tiny
39:47metal tags
39:47I hear it sucking there
39:48oh I hear it sucking
39:49that's the sound
39:51of Dirty Jobs sucking
39:52I hear it sucking hard
39:54the water's very cold
39:56the poo is very soft
39:58it's pretty much everywhere
40:00now we can take a magnet
40:03and go through
40:04piles of crap
40:04oh yeah you bet
40:05alright let's do that
40:06ok
40:07how deep is that water?
40:09eh six eight inches maybe
40:10pretty much pure crap
40:12does this thing
40:13normally fill up
40:14all the way?
40:14ah no
40:15then what's with
40:16the big giant
40:17steep concrete sides
40:18well
40:18they don't want it
40:19to overflow
40:20I don't think
40:21we're in any grave
40:22danger of that
40:23I don't either
40:24ok
40:25could be all
40:27mucky and slick
40:27in here
40:28so be careful
40:29those are
40:30the underlying
40:31qualities of poo
40:32attached to the end
40:33of my stick
40:34is a magnetic strip
40:35that should lift
40:35any pit tags
40:36sucked out
40:37from the pond
40:38earlier
40:39no tags
40:40no tags yet
40:42doesn't smell any
40:43better when you
40:44kick it up
40:44does it?
40:45no
40:45kids
40:51don't smoke
40:53and if you do
40:54don't smoke
40:56in a pit full of crap
40:57it's disgusting
40:58hey hey hey
41:05oh yeah
41:06holy cow
41:07we hit the mother load
41:08you got something?
41:09one
41:09two
41:11three
41:11three
41:12four
41:13five
41:14six
41:14seven
41:15eight
41:16nine
41:17nine
41:17how about that?
41:18it's got to be
41:18some kind of record
41:19yep
41:20so these tags
41:22will be taken out
41:23of the original
41:24tag files
41:25and eliminated
41:27and be able
41:29to be reused
41:29nice and smooth
41:31not too fast
41:32oh you got two
41:35right there
41:36one there
41:37and one there
41:37there we go
41:38there's one
41:39two
41:40great
41:41well Dave
41:42it's been fascinating
41:43yes it has
41:44mind blowing
41:45yeah
41:45eye opening
41:46good
41:47unforgettable
41:48I'm actually soaking wet
41:49and I've had enough
41:50okay
41:51but really thanks for
41:52thanks for having me out
41:54you bet
41:55pleasure
41:56yeah
41:57I could probably draw
41:59a bright line
42:01between
42:02a guy
42:03in a pit
42:04full of crap
42:05with a magnet
42:06looking for
42:07little tiny
42:08tracking devices
42:09and millions
42:10of people
42:11in Seattle
42:11who flick a switch
42:13and have their
42:13lights come on
42:14I don't really have
42:16the energy to do it
42:17but you get the idea
42:18that's what this dam
42:19is all about
42:20that's what Dave's
42:22all about
42:22I'm done
42:26hey you know
42:30we'll go just about
42:31anywhere for the
42:31right dirty job
42:32we'll crawl on our
42:34hands and knees
42:35through tunnels
42:36full of chunks of ice
42:37sub-zero temperatures
42:39just to make a point
42:40right now the point
42:41is this
42:42if you have an idea
42:43for a dirty job
42:44discovery.com
42:46forward slash
42:47dirty jobs
42:48tell us all about it
42:51and we'll crawl
42:52through an icy tunnel
42:53near you
42:54or not
42:57safety
43:11safety
43:12safety
43:13safety
43:14gotta be safe
43:16look both ways
43:17don't take chances
43:18be careful
43:18don't be stupid
43:20save the fish baby
43:28save him some fish
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