12/03/2010
Some Dam – Hydro News
aanndd O
Otthheerr S
Sttuuffff
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Quote of Note: “I don't make jokes... I just watch the government and report the facts.” -
Will Rogers
“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson
Ron’s wine pick of the week: Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
“No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson
Other Stuff:
(I wonder if these people ever heard of the Seboyeta Pumped Storage Project that was never
built. The project was declared non-jurisdictional by the FERC!)
New Mexico Utility Joins Energy Storage Project
11/26/10, enr.construction.com
(Associated Press) New Mexico's largest electric utility is teaming up with federal scientists and
researchers at two colleges to develop a way for managing solar energy so it can be accessed
when it's most needed, rather than only when the sun shines. Here’s the link to the full article:
http://enr.construction.com/yb/enr/article.aspx?story_id=152750436
Dams:
(If you want to download a DVD’s worth about the Hoover Dam, here’s the
link (it’s a 349 MB download):
http://www.dosyatube.com/history-channel-modern-marvels-hoover-dam2006-pdtv-2-hotfileserve-download/)
History Channel – Modern Marvels: Hoover Dam (2006)
PDTV download
This post was added on 27 Nov 10
History Channel – Modern Marvels: Hoover Dam (2006) PDTV
Language: English
00:43:25 | 576×432 | XviD – 972Kbps | 25.000fps | MP3 – 138Kbps |
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
349MB
Genre: Documentary
OR, got straight to this link for Download:
http://dosyatube.com/download/go.php?id=1
(Yes indeed, at 1,000 feet of hydraulic head that little old 5.5 cfs leak is worth over 3.5 million
kWh annually)
Efforts to stop Bart Lake leaks fail
By Pat Forgey, November 23, 2010, juneauempire.com | JUNEAU EMPIRE
At attempt by Alaska Electric Light & Power to stop leaks at its Bart Lake Dam has failed, but now
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the utility say they can live with some seepage
from the lake. It was at the insistence of the federal agency that AEL&P took the Lake Dorothy
Hydroelectric Project, which included the Bart Lake Dam, off-line last summer for a $1.6 million
try at stopping the leak. The lake was drained to expose a couple of hundred feet of lake bed and
an impermeable membrane that extended 100 feet into the lake was extended by another 150
feet. Last summer, when AEL&P began to refill the lake, it discovered the leaks persisted. "We
think that reduced the seepage a bit, but not what we'd hoped that it would," said Scott Willis,
AEL&P's generation engineer. The water that leaks through the dam doesn't go into the penstock
that takes it to a hydroelectric turbine 1,000 feet below at the water's edge. "Whatever water that
flows underneath the dam is water that we don't get to generate power with," he said.
Bart Lake is the lowest of three lakes that make up the Lake Dorothy Hydroelectric Project. Most
of the project's water is held in Lake Dorothy, but all the water used for power generation has to
flow to Bart Lake and then into the penstock. Willis said that it is frustrating that the effort to
control the leaks didn't fully succeed. "We are still scratching our heads as to where it is coming
from," he said. During the lake draining process, fissures were found in the lake bed which were
thought to be the source of the leaks. Those were plugged, but the leaks persisted, he said. The
leaks aren't likely undermining the safety of the rock-fill dam, he said. Unlike earth-fill dams,
where erosion can weaken the structure, the 34-foot high Bart Lake dam is unlikely to erode and
be threatened, he said. "Neither we nor the FERC right now believe this seepage endangers the
structural stability of the dam," Willis said. Still, the federal regulatory agency is requiring AEL&P
monitor the flow and the turbidity of the steam downstream of the dam to ensure nothing
changes. The water flowing into the stream below the dam is clear, he said. The flow coming
through the base of the dam is about 5.5 cubic feet per second, and amount Willis said was
"relatively small." Having the added power generation capability of the $70 million Lake Dorothy
Hydroelectric Project to supplement the huge Snettisham Power Project and the city's smaller
generators means Juneau hasn't had to burn diesel to meet its primary power needs since it went
online. Further, the Lake Dorothy project's turbine proved to be able to generate more power
than projected with the water it carries. That extra amount is close to the amount that's being lost
through the seepage, Willis said. During the remediation project, Willis said that AEL&P was able
to store inflows into Lake Dorothy for later use, and then release them into Bart Lake when the
dam was again operational.
(Better listen to those “Dam” experts!)
Dam experts say renovation of existing dam requires more significant
study
By Brian Wheeler, Charlottesville Tomorrow, cvilletomorrow.typepad.com, November 24, 2010
An independent panel of dam experts says there is insufficient information to determine whether
building on top of the 1908 Lower Ragged Mountain Dam should be considered as part of the
Charlottesville-Albemarle, Virginia water supply plan. Three dam experts met for two days with
local officials and dam engineers to evaluate a feasibility study prepared in July by Black &
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
Veatch at the request of Charlottesville leaders. That feasibility study said the existing dam could
be raised to increase the water level by 35 to 45 feet. “I think the panel’s discussions were very
constructive,” said Thomas L. Frederick Jr., the executive director of the Rivanna Water & Sewer
Authority, in an interview. “There were one or two areas of disagreement between [the panel and
Black & Veatch], but it was more an acknowledgment of differences of opinion.” The panel’s
findings were presented Tuesday to the RWSA Board of Directors.
Daniel Johnson, vice president of GEI Consultants in Boulder, Colo., and a member of the panel,
said in an interview that the body concluded it would need more information before it could advise
whether to expand the existing dam or build a new one. “We don’t have the information to make
that decision now,” Johnson said. “If the costs end up being close together, it’s always better to
go with new technology rather than an old system.” In his presentation to the RWSA board,
Johnson outlined areas that could increase the Black & Veatch cost estimates, some relating to
deficiencies in the design identified as far back as 1913. For example, he said the panel
recommended a grout curtain be installed beneath the existing dam to limit seepage if the
renovation option was pursued, something not included in the Black & Veatch proposal. Other
grouting applications, excavation work and the widening of the road leading to the construction
site were all areas that Johnson said could raise the cost of renovating the existing dam. Black &
Veatch reported in August that a 45-foot increase in the reservoir pool could be accomplished for
between $21.4 million and $27 million. The firm also reported that the existing dam could be
raised 13 feet for a cost between $9.9 million and $13.1 million or just repaired for $6 million to
$7.9 million. There are no cost estimates for phasing the construction from one height to another.
Charlottesville’s City Council voted in September to expand the existing Ragged Mountain
Reservoir as part of a revised water plan by building a new or renovated dam in phases,
beginning with a 13 foot height increase. No preliminary engineering has been completed on a
concrete extension of the existing dam. Albemarle County, however, has stuck by its preference
for a new earthen dam to be built all at once, raising the reservoir by 42 feet. The Albemarle
County Service Authority is paying Schnabel Engineering to complete the final design work on
that earthen dam, which has an upper cost estimate of about $40.7 million. Greg Zamensky, an
engineer with Black & Veatch who participated in the panel’s review, responded to questions from
the RWSA board. “We need a chance to go back and look at the extent of their comments,”
Zamensky said. “As it stands now, I can’t tell you how I could respond to each of those points or
how it would impact the cost.” Judith Mueller, the city’s director of public works, said she believed
that the Black & Veatch proposal merits further study. Zamensky said his firm could spend
several weeks responding to the panel’s major questions. Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris told
the RWSA board he wanted Black & Veatch to respond to the panel’s feedback in order to update
the cost estimates. “I think they have their marching orders to walk through all the points that
were raised in the [panel’s] review,” Norris said.
Frederick began the board meeting by asking for “clear direction” from the policy makers about
the specifics of the community water supply plan. No verdict was reached at the meeting. “I think
the judgment that the board really needs to make is a gut call as to what is in the best interest of
the community,” Frederick said in an interview. “The question is, do we spend more time and
money to find out if this option should be pursued? It’s a judgment call they will have to make.”
Norris reiterated that he thinks the city is close to wrapping up its review of this option for an
enlarged reservoir. “It’s really the last major sticking point between the city and county on how to
proceed,” Norris said after the meeting. “We will get this report back in a couple weeks and at that
point we will be able to make a decision as to whether we want to see the dam renovated or
replaced.” At a meeting in Richmond last week, the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board
granted a six-month extension for continued use of the Ragged Mountain Reservoir through May
31, 2011 on the condition that construction permits be issued for the dam’s repair, renovation or
replacement by the end of May 2011.
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
(I guess when a dam you designed fails – you kinda want to hide!)
Engineer: Dam design firm no help in probe
November 29, 2010, thetimesnews.com
HOPE MILLS, NC — The engineer investigating what caused the Hope Mills dam to fail in June
said the firm that designed the structure hasn’t given him helpful information, according to records
published by The Fayetteville Observer. Engineer Kevin Lugo wrote an e-mail to Hope Mills Town
Attorney John Jackson on Sept. 13, telling the attorney that he had asked an official about the
failure “point-blank.” The response from Mark Smith — a senior vice president at architectural firm
McKim & Creed Enterprises LLC — was “that we would not receive a report pointing to the
reason for the failure and the person responsible.”. Hope Mills Lake suddenly drained in June
after officials began investigating why it had turbid water, which was cloudy and may have had
soil in it.
Last year, the town had gotten permission to put water in the lake again after an 80-year-old
earthen dam had collapsed in 2003. The town had built a new $14.8 million dam and spillway
before collecting water in the lake again. According to other documents analyzed by the
Observer, the dam project wasn’t going according to plan even before residents noticed strange
vibrations, concrete cracks and low lake levels in 2008. State regulators approved McKim &
Creed’s design despite concerns about the Wilmington firm’s work. Charlotte-based Crowder
Construction Co. used a different building material than called for by the plan in a section of the
dam where the failure occurred in June, the newspaper reported. Smith told the newspaper that
any change in material would have had to be approved by not only his firm, McKim & Creed, but
also by state dam safety engineers. As a result of irregularities, state engineers refused to give
Hope Mills more than conditional approval to impound water behind the dam and told the town to
hire another engineer — who had designed much of the dam when he worked at McKim & Creed
— to do quarterly dam inspections. Mayor Eddie Dees said Hope Mills officials relied on their
engineers and those at the state dam safety office to look out for the town. “I’ve heard all of the
complaints and all the stories. ‘We should have done this.’ ‘We should have done that.’ Hindsight
is 20/20,” Dees said. “When you hire somebody to build your house, you think they’re going to
build it right. That’s kind of where we were.”
Hydro:
(No roof, no equipment, no hydropower!)
POTSDAM MAKES PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HYDROELECTRIC
PROJECT
wwnytv.com, Nov 22, 2010
The West Dam hydro plant sits empty more than a
year after it was supposed to be operational and
generating money. The hydroelectric project has
been stalled after its parts supplier, Canadian
Turbines of Burlington, Ontario, failed to deliver on a
million dollar contract with the village. "We thought
that everyone was dealing in good faith, as it turns out
it wasn't the case. We are working day to day to have
this resolved," says Potsdam Mayor Ron Tischler. The
village has already paid more than a million dollars for
key pieces of equipment needed to make the hydro
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
plant operational, parts the village never received. Village officials say while they have turned to
the courts to recover what is due under the contract with Canadian Turbines, they are paying
other vendors directly for several key parts. They hope those components will be delivered to the
plant within the next few weeks, so they can be put inside the building and closed in before the
snow flies. Village officials say the sooner the plant becomes operational, the sooner the village
can cash in on the $3.5 million dollar project. While they continue to pursue legal remedies to the
plant's controversy, village officials say it's time to look ahead and let the past troubles and delays
become water over the dam.
(This should start an epic battle on the environment. Good luck – the first Susitna Project went
nowhere due to economics and this one is a long shot due to environmental issues.)
AEA chooses Susitna Dam project; Parnell agrees
by Sue Deyoe ~ November 24th, 2010, ktna.org
The Alaska Energy Authority announced today that they are supporting and recommending the
lower Watana Dam on the Susitna River over the Chakachamna Project. The Authority has been
expected to come out with a decision for the past couple of weeks. Governor Parnell has
responded to the decision. The Alaska Energy Authority has been studying two big hydro
projects this year in order to get a handle on future railbelt energy. Wednesday morning they
announced that the Susitna Dam makes more sense than pursuing the Chakachamna project.
Soon after the decision was released, Governor Sean Parnell’s office released his statement in
full support of the dam on the Susitna River. The legislature provided funding to AEA for the
preliminary planning, design, permitting and field work for the Susitna Dam, Chakachamna,
Glacier Fork and other hydro projects. The primary focus was on Susinta and Chakachamna.
The Chakachamna project is east of Lake Clark National Park near the Cook Inlet. The Susitna
Project is north of Devils Canyon and south of the Denali Highway. AEA acting director Mike
Harper says that the goal was to identify the project that has the best chance of being built. The
Authority concluded that the Chakachamna Project has greater environmental impact because
the project would require a cross basin water transfer. The Susitna project, they say, would
produce two to three times more energy at a lower per unit cost. The Susitna project supposedly
has fewer licensing and permitting issues. The dam is expected to create a 39 mile long lake
reservoir with a width of 2 miles.
In 2010 House Bill 306 directed the state to receive 50 percent of its electrical generation from
renewable and alternative energy sources by 2025. The Authority says the only way for this to
happen is to build a large hydroelectric project in the railbelt region. The current lower Watana
proposal is much smaller than the original idea that was studied in the 1980s. But the overall cost
of the dam construction is in the billions of dollars. AEA has been appropriated $10 million in state
funds to start the planning and design of a hydro project. Speculation amongst Fish and Wildlife
employees and others attending the Mat Su Salmon Symposium last week was the project was
more than 12 years away from being built due to the environmental process the project would
have to endure. AEA is planning public workshops in February. They also welcome written
comments at largehydro [at] aidea [dot] org. Parnell announced he will propose legislation this
next session that will allow AEA to pursue funding for the project.
(Is this “Back to the Future” for small scale hydro? Looks like an old-fashioned undershot
waterwheel. There must be 1,000’s of such sites like this in the U.S., but is it economical?)
Small-scale waterwheel hydropower generating buzz across Japan
11/28/10, mdn.mainichi.jp
KOFU, Japan -- Waterwheels in Yamanashi Prefecture are receiving renewed interest as
miniature, eco-friendly hydropower generators against the backdrop of global warming. The heart
of the small-scale hydropower generation system is the waterwheel turbines, which pump out up
to around 2,000 kilowatts of electricity. According to the Agency for Natural Resources and
Energy (ANRE), as of 2009 such small hydro generators were being operated in 474 places
across the country. Until the 1970s, waterwheels for private use were a common sight in brooks
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
and irrigation ditches across the country, but many of them were removed as major power
companies improved electrical grids. Small-scale hydropower generation is attracting a great deal
of attention as it requires little alteration to local geography to install generators and emits almost
no carbon dioxide thanks to its high energy conversion efficiency. In addition, a system that can
generate electric power without requiring large volumes of flowing water and great differences in
water elevations has been newly developed.
In 2005 the municipal government of Tsuru,
Yamanashi Prefecture installed its first waterwheel -measuring six meters in diameter and two meters in
width -- in a brook by its office, ahead of other local
governments in the country. The city has a plentiful
supply of underground water from Mount Fuji. The
maximum output of 20 kilowatts produced by the
waterwheel is used in the city office building on
workdays and is provided to a utility firm at night and
on holidays. According to Tsuru City officials, they
have so far received more than 4,000 inspection visits
to their waterwheels from other local governments,
electricity establishments, the Japan Agricultural
Cooperatives and civic groups. Whether or not installing waterwheels can earn back the cost of
the city's investment had previously been called into question, but it later became a statesupported project. In 2006 ANRE issued subsidies for two waterwheel installations for the first
time, and the number of such subsidized cases increased to 19 by 2009. Moreover, a local
electricity firm in Uozu, Toyama Prefecture plans to build a small hydropower facility that
generates a maximum output of 1,000 kilowatts using an erosion-control dam, calling on citizens
in September this year to invest in the roughly 800-million-yen project. According to an
investment house connected to the project, it received some 270 citizen applications and
collected approximately 300 million yen in a month. Meanwhile, Tetsunari Iida, executive director
at the nonprofit organization Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Tokyo, points out that if a
system in which power companies buy all small-scale hydropower-generated electricity at fixed
prices is enshrined in law, such projects won't have to rely on central government subsidies. "It's
important to make it work as an eco-friendly and profitable industry," says Iida.
As a matter of Interest:
Undershot Water Wheel
This type is the oldest. Vitruv described this type of water
wheel in the 1st century B.C. It can be used wherever a swiftly
running river, channel, canal, etc. is available. Its efficiency is
around 25%. In the 19th century, this type of wheel was further
developed, especially the design by Poncelet which reached
an efficiency of 70%.
(Now, here’s a real jobs program)
A deal to secure power and prosperity
November 29th, 2010, theguardian.pe.ca
The new power deal between Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia is exciting news not
only for the residents of those two provinces, but for Prince Edward Island. The $6.2-billion
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
agreement to develop the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project in Labrador would bring an energy
corridor past our front door and it's an opportunity we must capitalize on. All Islanders, including
provincial and federal politicians, need to concentrate on convincing Ottawa of the value of
investing in a power cable that will connect us to this source. There was much celebration this
month when outgoing Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams and Nova Scotia
Premier Darrell Dexter announced the deal. According to a Canadian Press story outlining the
details released in St. John's, Nalcor Energy - Newfoundland and Labrador's Crown utility - would
spend $2.9 billion to build a power-generating facility at Muskrat Falls capable of producing 824
megawatts of electricity. A transmission link from Labrador to Newfoundland would cost $2.1
billion, of which Emera Inc. - which owns Nova Scotia Power - would pay $600 million. Emera
would fund a link between Cape Ray, N.L. to Lingan, N.S. Both those provinces have asked
Ottawa to help fund the subsea power cable connecting the two provinces, and although they
haven't received an answer, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter is confident the federal
government will come on board. This deal has been heralded by the politicians as a watershed
event for the economies of Atlantic Canada. It would provide cheaper power to residents of
Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, and because the transmission of that power is
headed to New England markets, New Brunswick and P.E.I. also anticipate benefiting from that
transmission. Island Energy Minister Richard Brown has approached Ottawa with a funding
proposal for a power cable between P.E.I. and New Brunswick that would be needed to connect
to Lower Churchill power once it's flowing through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Malpeque
MP Wayne Easter has also made his pitch to Ottawa, urging it to reinstate funding for a
Northumberland Strait energy cable.
This is a regional development opportunity that P.E.I. can't pass up, and Ottawa would be hardpressed not to support it. Access to cheaper power would free P.E.I. from its total dependency on
costly fossil fuels and hopefully from the dubious distinction of paying the highest power rates in
the country. Attempts to persuade Ottawa in the past to invest in an undersea cable to connect
this province to cheaper sources of energy have failed perhaps because they seemed too
implausible or theoretical. All that changed when Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador
inked their recent deal. Allowing a power cable to pass from those provinces through New
Brunswick and into the New England states without taking advantage of it would be more than
just foolhardy for P.E.I. It would be unforgivable. We would be cheating not only ourselves, but
generations of Islanders after us who deserve access to this power corridor. As Islanders head
into the federal election territory, expected next year, they should hound every federal candidate
to make support for a connecting cable a key priority. The province and the federal government
should recognize those regional development projects that stand above all others in terms of their
potential to help the province achieve genuine and lasting prosperity. This is one of them.
Water:
Alabama Power to reduce flows on Coosa, Tallapoosa
WASF12News, wsfa.com, Nov 22, 2010
MONTGOMERY, AL - Alabama Power will soon begin reducing by 10 percent the releases of
water from hydroelectric dams on the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers. The reduction is part of an
effort to conserve water supplies in the face of developing drought conditions and could begin as
early as the first week of December. The National Weather Service and the state climatologist
have forecast drought conditions to persist or intensify through the normally wet winter season.
The 10 percent reduction will cut flows from the company's Coosa and Tallapoosa hydroelectric
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
projects into the Alabama River above Montgomery from 4,640 cubic feet per second (cfs) to
about 4,176 cfs. The reduction will help Alabama Power to conserve water in its reservoirs on the
two rivers. "We appreciate the timely action by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to grant our
request for this limited reduction in the flow of water that we normally release to support
navigation downstream," said Matt Bowden, Alabama Power's vice president of Environmental
Affairs. In addition to the flow reductions, Alabama Power is pursuing additional measures,
including requesting temporary variances to allow higher winter pools at Weiss, Logan Martin,
Harris and Martin lakes. These variances in the requirements outlined in Alabama Power's
federal licenses would allow the company to capture and store water earlier than normal over the
winter months, in an effort to improve the likelihood of filling the reservoirs during the predicted
dry conditions this winter and spring. "These actions will improve our ability to manage the water
that is available during this drought," Bowden said. "People should understand that droughts and
their severity are hard to predict. The steps being taken by the company now are proactive
efforts, consistent with our drought plan. They are designed to reduce the effects of drought,
which can impact numerous stakeholders both on the reservoirs and downstream."
Alabama Power releases water from the lakes to meet downstream needs such as navigation,
fisheries, water supply and water quality. During drought conditions, the company operates its
hydro facilities with one purpose in mind: to manage the limited water resources in the most
effective and responsible way. Alabama Power will remain in close contact with federal and state
agencies to monitor developing drought conditions and develop responses that protect water
quality, wildlife and navigation to the fullest possible extent. The relevant agencies include the
governor's office, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Alabama Department of
Environmental Management and the state Office of Water Resources. The company will also
work to keep lake communities, the public and others informed about its hydro operations. With
the early stages of drought, the full impact to Alabama Power's storage reservoirs is unknown.
The temporary variances and other measures will be re-evaluated as conditions improve or
deteriorate. Individuals with boats and water-related equipment and facilities should always stay
alert to changing conditions and be prepared to take the necessary steps to protect their property.
(Interesting water facts re energy consumption/production)
The Water-Energy Connection
November 22, 2010 By Todd Cloutier, sustainable-edmonds.org
Nationally, roughly 4% of total electricity use in the United
States is for pumping and treating potable water and
wastewater. The figure is a lot higher if you include energy
use for the things we do with water, such as heating it. For
example, 19% of California electricity use is dedicated to
water when water heating is included. The farther we have
to pump water, the greater the energy use—especially if we
have to pump it over mountain ranges, like in California. For
many cities and towns in the U.S., water pumping and
sewage treatment use more electricity than anything else.
On a per-capita basis, this energy use for water pumping
and treatment varies from about 350 kWh/year in the South Atlantic states to over 750 kWh/year
in the Mountain states, according to a 2002 Electric Power Research Institute report—about as
much annual use as a refrigerator.
Just as it takes energy to provide water, it also takes water to provide energy. Roughly 89% of
U.S. electricity is produced in thermoelectric plants—plants that use a heat source such as coal
or nuclear fission to produce steam, which spins a turbine that generates electricity. Water is
used to create the steam, and then more water is used to cool that steam and condense it back
into water. Averaged nationally, thermoelectric plants use 0.47 gallons of water for each kWh of
electricity produced, according to a 2003 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) paper
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(see “Save Energy to Save Water,” Hydropower, which accounts for 9% of U.S. generation,
consumes a lot more water because of evaporation from reservoirs. The same NREL study
examined evaporation from 120 of our largest reservoirs and extrapolated that to all 2,300 of our
power-generation reservoirs, calculating a national average water-intensity of 18 gallons/kWh for
hydropower—with much higher consumption in some states: 65 gallons/kWh in Arizona, and 137
gallons/kWh in Oklahoma, for example. By weighting the thermoelectric and hydropower values,
NREL found a national average of 2.0 gallons of water per kWh.
Water intensity is highly variable for fossil fuels. According to a 2006 Department of Energy report
to Congress, conventional onshore oil extraction consumes 0.12–0.31 gallons of water per gallon
of oil, but some oil extraction techniques can dramatically increase that. Canadian tar sands
require 140–360 gallons of water per gallon of oil, according to data from the Pacific Institute.
Another 1.0–2.5 gallons of water are required to process and transport each gallon of oil. With
natural gas, conventional onshore extraction uses negligible water but processing and transport
averages 3 gallons of water per million Btu. On the renewable fuel side, corn-based ethanol is
highly water-intensive. A 2008 paper in driven on an E85 ethanol mix (85% ethanol) “consumes”
28 gallons of water per mile! By conserving water we save energy, and by conserving energy we
save water. It’s a win-win!
Environment:
(I’m on the sea lions side until they stop humans from taking more salmon. We need to learn how
to like canned salmon and salmon croquettes)
Sea lions get fed court reprieve
By Erik Robinson, The (Vancouver) Columbian, wenatcheeworld.com, November 24, 2010
A federal appeals court on Tuesday effectively
blocked the trapping and killing of sea lions
feasting on salmon at Bonneville Dam. Sea
lions may be eating imperiled wild salmon at
the dam, but federal authorities now must
explain how it’s OK to kill a natural predator
while allowing human fishermen to kill an equal
or greater proportion of wild fish. “Obviously,
we’re disappointed,” said Garth Griffin, a
federal fisheries biologist overseeing the lethal
take permit. Griffin said the National Marine
Fisheries Service hasn’t yet reviewed the 30-page ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Once it does, it will then decide whether to try to address the shortcomings identified by the court
ruling and re-issue the permit in time for the next spring salmon run. The ruling comes after
members of an advisory board meeting in Portland, Ore., earlier this month recommended taking
even tougher actions against sea lions congregating below the dam. Members of the PinnipedFishery Interaction Task Force called for Washington and Oregon game agents to consider
shooting nuisance sea lions rather than trapping and euthanizing them by lethal injection.
State and federal fishery managers are trying to reduce the amount of wild salmon devoured by
sea lions congregating in front of a man-made bottleneck. In 2008, NMFS approved a waiver
under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which allows the states to kill nuisance animals eating
wild fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. But animal-rights activists contend the sea
lions are being scapegoated for wild salmon driven to the brink of extinction by many decades of
overfishing, dams and habitat degradation. The Humane Society of the United States sued to
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block the lethal-take permit. The organization argued that state and federal fishery managers
permit human fishermen an “incidental take” of between 5.5 percent and 17 percent of wild
Columbia River salmon stocks each year without jeopardizing the species’ survival. Sea lions, by
comparison, have been documented eating as much as 4.2 percent of the combined run of wild
and hatchery-raised salmon arriving at the dam. A three-judge appeals court panel ruled Tuesday
that failing to explain this discrepancy was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative
Procedures Act.
(So, the dead fish were some of their best friends that they want to catch to kill and eat! Glad
they’re not my best friends.)
Anglers ask for federal help
Government urged to order Duke to install a system to pump more oxygen into Lake
Norman.
By Joe Marusak, charlotteobserver.com, Nov. 28, 2010
A group of Lake Norman fishermen is asking the federal government to order Duke Energy to
install an oxygen-injection system in a part of the lake near McGuire Nuclear Station in
Huntersville to help prevent mass summer fish kills. Members of the Norman Fishery Alliance
wrote the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., recently seeking to make
such a system a condition of Duke Energy's renewal of its Catawba River hydroelectric license.
The alliance has more than 200 members. The fishermen cited the 3,000 dead striped bass found
floating on the surface in summer 2004 and the estimated 100 stripers that died in summer 2009
when dissolved oxygen levels dropped below survivable levels for the fish. They also cited what
they called the worst known kill to date: the estimated 7,000 dead adult striped bass removed
from the lake by state and Duke Energy biologists in July and August. "This kill was of such a
magnitude that the stench of decaying and dead fish was disgusting when the wind was not
blowing," longtime Lake Norman fishing guide Gus Gustafson wrote to the federal commission in
late October. "The odor was so pungent that fishermen and boaters in the kill zone gagged for
fresh air at times." "We've lost thousands of our best friends," longtime Lake Norman fisherman
and alliance member Sam Newman said in an interview last week.
In a September letter to Newman, who had written Gov. Bev Perdue for help, Brian McRae of the
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission blamed this summer's fish kill on a natural phenomenon
that occurs only in deeper reservoirs such as Lake Norman and Badin Lake, which lies in Rowan,
Stanly, Davidson and Montgomery counties. "Because of the depth of these reservoirs, deep
isolated pockets of dissolved oxygen form during the late spring and early summer, only to
collapse as dissolved oxygen levels decrease through the summer," wrote McRae, the
commission's Piedmont fisheries regional supervisor. "Although this stratification occurs annually,
we are still assessing the specific conditions that result in striped bass mortality in some years,
but not others, and how to address these conditions in the future," McRae wrote. While oxygeninjection systems are options to help prevent future striped bass kills, McRae said, paying for
such a system in a poor economy "is difficult to justify at the scale needed at Lake Norman."
Installing such systems has cost the Tennessee Valley Authority from $600,000 to $2million, and
annual operating costs are from $600,000 to $900,000, McRae wrote. The systems send liquid
oxygen from large containers on shore into pipes that disperse the oxygen in the water. FERC
spokeswoman Celeste Miller said letters such as those from the fishermen become part of the
public record the commission will consider in Duke's relicensing, although nothing has been
decided as to their specific request for an oxygen-injection system. Duke spokesperson Erin
Culbert said oxygen-injection systems will be among the topics to be discussed by the Lake
Norman Advisory Committee on Tuesday. The committee includes Duke environmental
scientists, representatives of the state Wildlife Resources Commission and others. But Culbert
also noted that this summer's kill was the result of a natural occurrence that also struck other
Piedmont reservoirs, including ones with no power plants.
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i
This compilation of articles and other information is provided at no cost for those interested in
hydropower, dams, and water resources issues and development, and should not be used for any
commercial or other purpose. Any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment
from those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only.
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12/10/2010
Some Dam – Hydro News
aanndd O
Otthheerr S
Sttuuffff
i
Quote of Note: “The man who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated
the day after." -- Newton D. Baker
“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson
Ron’s wine pick of the week: Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
“No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson
Other Stuff:
Dams:
(Here’s a great published proceedings that you can get from ASCE commemorating Hoover Dam
– it’s a good buy)
ASCE published proceedings on Hoover Dam 75th Anniversary History Symposium
(see: http://www.asce.org/Product.aspx?id=12884902525) - ASCE members can buy it from
ASCE for only $56.25. Yes, it does cost money, but the collection of engineering information and
photos is worth the price. You can also buy it from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Hoover-75th-Anniversary-History-Symposium/dp/0784411417
for the full $75.00 price.
(Here’s something every dam enthusiast needs hanging over their mantel)
December 3, 2010, littleheadshop.blogspot.com
Another Dam Sculpture Completed!
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Safety Concerns Raised About Major Central Texas Dam
kwtx.com
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday it’s implementing what it called interim
risk reduction measures after a screening of the Stillhouse Hollow Dam revealed potential
safety issues.
BELL COUNTY, Texas (November 23,
2010)—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
announced Tuesday it’s implementing what
it called “interim risk reduction measures”
while launching a long-term study after a
screening rated the Stillhouse Hollow Dam
as “having very high risk characteristics.”
The screening in 2008 evaluated how well
the dam meets current design standards and
the potential consequences of dam failure. The dam’s high-risk classification “is a result of
confirmed and unconfirmed issues and downstream consequences,” the Corps of Engineers said
in a press release Tuesday. The Corps did not specify what those issues are, but did say the dam
is now performing as intended. The Corps said interim measures include a review of emergency
plans, stockpiling materials and surveillance of the dam when flood pool levels are high.
"Stillhouse-Hollow Dam is operating as designed but is over 40 years old and we continue to
assess and ensure its safe operation,” said Col. Richard J. Muraski, Jr., commander, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers for the Fort Worth District. Work began on the dam on the Lampasas River in
1962 and was finished in 1968.
(A more complete summary of the report in this article and a better idea of what caused the
failure. You can view the entire report at: http://www.iowalifechanging.com/lakedelhi/default.aspx)
Flood Of Problems Led To Dam Breach
MICHAEL J. CRUMB, Associated Press, December 1, 2010, yankton.net
DES MOINES, Iowa — Several problems, including design flaws, likely led to the breach of an
eastern Iowa dam last summer that decimated a 9-mile long lake, a panel of independent
engineers said Wednesday. The findings identified design and construction issues, areas where
water likely seeped through the dam and a flood gate that failed to fully open as likely causes to
the breach of the Lake Delhi Dam on July 24 after days of torrential rain. Two main factors were
identified by the three engineers: water overtopping the dam and internal erosion of an earthen
berm and core wall caused by water seeping through. The panel said the design and construction
of the core wall — a narrow concrete wall within the earthen portion of the dam 25 feet upstream
of the spillway — likely contributed to internal erosion. But the engineers said either condition —
the erosion or the overtopping of the dam for a long period of time — would likely have caused
the breach, which swept years of sediment and about 100 boats downstream.
“It’s not just the one thing,” said Wayne King, deputy regional engineer for the Atlanta Regional
Office of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “The different kinds of embankment
deterioration that was spotted, the tension cracks, the flow coming out in various places, so it’s
like, ‘Where do I go?’ You’re trying to plug all the leaks and it’s almost impossible to do anything.”
The engineers also said dam inspectors for the state should have strong backgrounds in dam
engineering. They said design weaknesses in the dam were found that would have led to
additional problems — weaknesses they said an experienced engineer would have recognized.
King did not address whether state inspectors have the experience needed to identify problems
found at the Delhi dam. “A lot of things you don’t experience, a lot of inspectors don’t experience
the same things, so someone who has experienced the core wall problem, ’Yeah, I’ve seen that
before.’ But somebody who hasn’t, they might have to think about it a while and talk to somebody
else,” King said. The engineers said damaged concrete behind the gate guide for the spillway’s
third gate prevented the gate from being fully opened as the water rose.
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The dam was built in 1927, to produce hydroelectricity. Before it was drained, the lake was used
solely for recreation; members of the Lake Delhi Recreation Association paid dues to maintain it.
The dam’s failure caused property values of lake-side homes to fall. The engineers’ report
included recommendations to better classify dams according to risk hazards. There were
discrepancies in the risk classification of the Lake Delhi dam among agencies, they said. They
also recommended further investigation of the remaining embankment and its foundation soils to
determine how it was originally built and whether it should be part of any reconstruction. They
also called for more education and enforcement to “identify critical dam safety issues and their
impacts to ensure these issues are resolved quickly.” The report came a day after a task force
released its recommendation that the privately owned dam be turned over to public ownership
and, if rebuilt, work should be publically funded. The task force, created by Gov. Chet Culver, said
public ownership would ensure participation in and eligibility for federal disaster aid program. It
also would enable accountable and transparent oversight, according to task force’s report issued
Tuesday. Iowa has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reconsider its decision
that the dam isn’t eligible for disaster aid because it’s owned by a private group.
(I guess there’s some irony in this one. A hydro owner establishes a Trust and then that Trust
funds dam removal!)
$1M grant allows dam removal to begin
BY BRIAN McGILLIVARY record-eagle.com, December 3, 2010
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — A $1 million grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust will allow
Traverse City to begin removal of Brown Bridge Dam on the Boardman River next spring. Brown
Bridge is the first and farthest upstream of three Boardman River dams targeted for removal. The
city already amassed $1.1 million in federal grants for the dams project through the Grand
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, but the project must begin in 2011 to use that
money. "This funding is absolutely critical," said state fisheries biologist Todd Kalish, who chairs a
Traverse City and Grand Traverse County project implementation team. "We definitely want to
show our appreciation for the Fishery Trust to pursue this project, which will enhance the
environmental, economic and social status of the Boardman River watershed for this and future
generations." Removing Brown Bridge Dam will have the greatest impact because it alone will
restore 156 acres of river wetlands, Kalish said. "The removal of the three Boardman River dams
will be the largest dam removal in Michigan's history and the largest wetlands restoration in the
Great Lakes Basin," said Erin McDonough, a Great Lakes Fishery Trust Board trustee who
sponsored the local grant application.
Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison established the Fishery Trust as a means of
compensation for fish kills at a jointly owned facility in Ludington. It's awarded more than $45
million in grants since its inception in 1996. The award follows a $476,000 grant from the Fishery
Trust to help fund an engineering and feasibility study of dam removal that cost almost $3 million,
according to the local grant application. The combined grants should fully fund the removal of
Brown Bridge Dam and allow the city to bypass the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said City
Manager Ben Bifoss. "It's huge," Bifoss said of the grant. "Without it we would still be with the
Corps' process, and the expectation is that it would take four or five years." The other two dams,
Sabin and Boardman, are owned by Grand Traverse County and are slated for removal by the
Corps of Engineers. Kalish said Union Street Dam in Traverse City will require modification, and
the goal is to find grants to address two dams while the Corps of Engineers covers the other two.
Brown Bridge, Sabin, and Boardman all generated electric power until 2006, when Traverse City
Light & Power decided to cease its hydropower operation. Brown Bridge Dam's removal will
replace the 191-acre Brown Bridge Pond, part of the 1,310-acre Brown Bridge Quiet Area, with
about 1.5 miles of river. Bifoss said the process calls for the city to begin draining the pond by
about 15 feet next spring. Water behind the dam stands about 32 feet high, and the initial
reduction would take about 90 days. A temporary, or coffer dam, then would be built downstream
while crews deconstruct Brown Bridge Dam. The coffer dam subsequently would be removed in
stages. The entire process could be completed by 2012, Bifoss said.
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(Long article: Here’s link for full article: http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2010/12/12-0510-01.shtml)
A Big Dam Job
Dam lock repair work starts Friday
Columbia River Barge traffic set to idle for 3 months during lock replacement work
By Matthew Neal, The Dalles Chronicle, December 5, 2010
The Pacific Northwest’s watery highway is heading toward a standstill. But as barge companies
and wheat producers prepare for lean times, The Dalles stands to make economic gains with an
influx of workers. In five days, one of the most vital components of the Pacific Northwest’s
transportation system will become deftly quiet. And inoperable. According to U.S Army Corps of
Engineers spokesman Scott Clemans, the lock navigation systems at The Dalles, John Day and
Lower Monumental dams will all shut down for repairs until mid-March, effectively stopping barge
traffic up and down the Columbia River. --------------------------------------------.
Truckee residents skeptical of dam's safety concerns
sacbee.com, Dec. 05, 2010
TRUCKEE, CA – Amid dark clouds and wind, rain
pummels the Sierra Nevada crest outside this quaint
resort community. Near the airport, water begins to gush
from the base of a big federal dam, undermining its
foundation. Then the earth shudders and the dam gives
way, sending a giant wall of water hurtling down Martis
Creek and the Truckee River Canyon. Pine trees snap
like matchsticks. Bridges are blown out. Downstream,
Reno turns into an inland sea. That is the nightmare
scenario the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers described at
a meeting here last week to discuss the Martis Creek Dam, which the agency calls one of the
riskiest in America. "Frankly, it's not safe to operate in a normal manner," said Matt Allen, leader
of the corps' dam safety study team. Townspeople, though, responded warily, saying they fear
the government is inflating the risk to build support for a new dam that would destroy large
portions of picturesque Martis Valley. "I would bet the driving force behind all of this is politics and
water storage," said Kathleen Eagan, a Truckee resident active in community affairs. "There is no
question in my mind there is a much larger agenda." Corps officials insisted that is not the case,
saying they called the meeting simply to hear from the community as they begin a multi-year
planning process to decide what to do with the dam. Options include building a new structure,
repairing the old one or tearing it down completely. "This is a very preliminary stage," said Allen.
"We don't know if keeping Martis Creek Dam is the right thing to do or not. "We're not
predisposed one way or the other."
Seepage poses danger
One thing, though, is not in dispute: The dam, which is 113 feet high and located three miles east
of town not far from the Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort, is not as rock-solid as it looks. Just two
years ago, for example, corps officials discovered a new earthquake fault running through the left
side of the structure. "This area is seismically active," Allen told residents at the meeting. "There
are magnitude 7 earthquakes or greater within about three miles of the dam." But the biggest
threat, he emphasized, is the porous glacial cobble the dam is built on. That subsurface
bouillabaisse of boulders, that slurry of stones, has naturally carried groundwater down the valley
for centuries, he said. But storing millions of pounds of water on top of it adds energy to the flow,
like turning up the pressure on a garden hose, he said. Each time the corps has started to fill the
reservoir behind Martis Creek Dam, water begins to seep through the base of the big dam itself –
threatening to undermine it. "We need that seepage to stay underground," Allen said. Because of
the danger, the corps stores only 800 acre-feet of water behind the dam, a mere puddle
compared with the 20,400 acre-feet reservoir anticipated when the dam was built, largely for flood
control, in 1971. But corps officials fear Mother Nature could one day fill the reservoir with a
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
torrential deluge – perhaps a warm winter storm on the steep, snow-covered slopes above the
dam. "The amount of water that can come into the reservoir can far exceed what can go through
the gates," Allen said. "We can't guarantee that lake won't rise." If that were to happen, water
could burst like a fire hose through the dam's base and topple it. "In theory, it could completely
wash out the dam," Allen said. "That's the worst-case scenario. That's why the gates are open.
We need to ensure that never happens."
Terror fears restrict info
But how serious is the threat? Would the dam be in danger in a 100-year storm, which has a 1
percent chance of happening in any given year? Or would it take something bigger? Corps
officials say the risk of failure is actually low, despite the picture they're painting of a devastating
flood. But they offered little detailed information at the meeting, frustrating town residents. "I
understand the need to hear from the community early in the process, but the lack of details
makes it very confusing," said Eagan. Corps officials also said little about downstream impacts of
a dam collapse, citing concerns about terrorism. "It's sensitive information that we don't want the
wrong people to get a hold of," said Adam Riley, program manager of the dam safety study effort.
They were vague on other matters, too. Someone asked why the government agency said
nothing about the potential costs of the project. "We hesitate to do that because we know so little
about them at this stage," said Allen. "It could be misleading. … It isn't meaningful." Last week's
meeting comes after years of studies and tests at the dam and is the opening chapter of what
corps officials say will be a final decision-making effort. It will include a risk assessment study and
environmental impact statement that will provide more solid information and guidance. A final
verdict is expected in 2012. Some wonder if the review is worth it, given the low risk of a collapse.
"It may not warrant the attention and the dollars compared to other priorities in our nation," said
Truckee resident Marilyn Disbrow. Others said they fear the planning and study process is a
bureaucratic exercise to build support for a new dam to deliver more water to thirsty communities
downstream. "This is not an opportunity. It's a threat," said John Eaton, a retired neurologist and
Truckee resident. "If they build a dam and store water and it breaks, it will cause a far bigger
catastrophe than not having the dam there in the first place." Allen said the corps is weighing all
of its options. "It may be that the best thing to do might be to remove the dam completely. And we
are considering that seriously," he said. "Or we may have to build a whole new one."
Hydro:
Looking to Kimball dam for power
By Mike Danahey, Nov 29, 2010, couriernews.suntimes.com
ELGIN, IL — At Wednesday’s committee of the
whole session, the city council is set to move
along funding a study on using the Kimball
Street dam to produce hydroelectricity. San
Francisco Bay-area Company ORENCO
Hydropower would conduct an assessment of
the dam and its hydroelectric capabilities, along
with the associated revenue-generating potential
to the city. The base cost for the analysis would
be $25,000, with another $3,750 set aside for
related expenses. Councilman and mayoral
candidate Dave Kaptain said he’s been
discussing the idea for at least a year with ORENCO founder Mark Matousek. Kaptain and
Councilman John Steffen spearhead the Elgin Sustainable Master Plan Committee. The
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
committee’s Alternative Energy Working Group reviewed a project conducted by Illinois Institute
of Technology engineering students and recommended further study of the feasibility of
constructing a hydropower facility at the Kimball Street dam.
According to the preliminary study, a 750-kilowatt hydropower turbine/generator could be added
to the dam that would have the potential to produce about 3,285 megawatt-hours of electricity per
year — about 1 percent of Elgin residential customers’ usage. It also would reduce local carbon
emissions by about 5.5 million pounds per year. As part of the study, ORENCO would seek input
on the project from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Fox River Study Group,
Friends of the Fox River, the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership and the Army Corps of Engineers,
among others. Kaptain said officials at Gail Borden Public Library, whose main building is
adjacent to the site, would like to partner with the city on the project. The Fox River Water
Reclamation District has expressed possible interest in joining the effort, too, Kaptain said.
Kaptain said preliminary indications are the facility would cost about $2.5 million to build and
would take about eight years to pay for itself. Revenue would come from the energy that the city
would either use itself or sell back to the local utility. Other revenues could come from renewable
energy credits, which also can be sold to the local utility company, and the greenhouse gas
emission reduction credits. While there has been talk about removing dams from Illinois rivers,
particularly the Fox, Kaptain said it has been determined in any case that Elgin’s and Aurora’s
dams would remain because they hold back water for their cities, effectively providing reservoirs
for drinking water supplies. City Manager Sean Stegall emphasized Monday that the study would
be to see if the dam would be suitable for producing power, but that actually building a facility
would not be without debate. “There are definitely two sides to it,” Stegall said. From his own
online research, Stegall said, such projects either have been incredibly popular or controversial
because of their potential environmental impact.
(This will be an interesting battle. It could go the route of the Kerr Project (FERC Project # 5) in
Montana which was eventually taken over by the tribe after years of fighting.)
Seneca Indian Nation pursues hydropower license
Associated Press, online.wsj.com, NOVEMBER 30, 2010
SALAMANCA, N.Y. — The Seneca Indian Nation is seeking
control of a northern Pennsylvania hydropower operation in a move
toward economic diversity that Seneca leaders say would also right
a historic wrong. The western New York nation, best known for its
tax-free cigarette sales and three casinos, announced Tuesday
that it has filed a preliminary application with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission for a license to operate the Seneca
Pumped Storage Project at Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River.
The current 50-year license, held by FirstEnergy Corp. of Akron,
Ohio, expires in 2015.
Construction of the dam near the New York-Pennsylvania border in the 1960s displaced more
than 600 Seneca members, who watched as their homes were bulldozed or burned after the U.S.
government took control of 10,000 acres of the Senecas' Allegany reservation. The land had
been granted to the Senecas in a 1794 treaty signed by George Washington. Seneca leaders
were told the dam was needed to protect Pittsburgh and other downriver cities from flooding, but
they were not told of plans for a 450-megawatt hydroelectric plant, Seneca President Robert
Odawi Porter said. The plant has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits since
beginning operation in 1970. "We have not received one penny of these profits," the newly
elected president said at the tribe's administrative building in New York's Southern Tier. "We are
here today to begin the process of correcting this historic injustice." Porter said the nation would
immediately begin seeking an experienced partner to operate the plant. The license application
process will take several years.
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FirstEnergy has filed its intent to apply for renewal of its license, spokesman Mark Durbin said.
FirstEnergy and its predecessor companies have spent tens of millions of dollars on
improvements over the last 40 years and have been the plant's sole operators, he said. The
company also operates another pumped storage hydro facility in New Jersey. "We believe that
makes a pretty strong case that FERC should allow us to get the relicense of the facility," Durbin
said. The Senecas' cite past cultural, “Our application makes the case that the Seneca Nation
has suffered immensely from the operation of the Kinzua Dam and that the continued operation of
the Seneca Pump Storage facility misappropriates Seneca Nation lands and waters in violation of
federal law," Porter said. Seneca member Dave Bova remembers being uprooted at the age of
11, along with his parents and five sisters, and relocated to a subdivision with other Seneca
families. While the new house, with its running water, was more modern, it was heartbreaking, he
said, to see the woods where he'd learned to hunt razed and burned and the houses spray
painted with numbers that signaled their selection for destruction. The land is now under water. "It
was very traumatic," Bova said Tuesday. The Senecas' takeover of the hydropower plant, with its
estimated $13 million in annual profits, also would further diversify the tribe's economy, a goal
that has become more pressing as state and federal legislation has cut into the discount cigarette
sales that fund health and education programs.
(I’m taking bets on this one – will it happen? The news is everything about the Susitna Project)
Is it time to dam Alaska's mighty Susitna River?
Patti Epler | Dec 1, 2010, alaskadispatch.com
The proposed Susitna River hydro project would
involve building the biggest dam in the United
States in 50 years and change the flow of one of
the most loved rivers in the state. In most
places, especially the West, where dams are
being torn down and not put up, building a $4.5
billion, massive concrete wall in the middle of
nowhere would be unthinkable. But this is
Alaska, and the Susitna hydro project is as close
as it's ever been in the 30 years that the state
has been talking about it. Last week, the Alaska
Susitna Dam
Energy Authority released a new report touting
the Susitna River hydro project over other large hydro proposals as the best way to meet energy
needs in the Railbelt, an area stretching from the Kenai Peninsula to Fairbanks. At the same time,
Gov. Sean Parnell said he plans to introduce legislation that would allow AEA to pursue funding
for and ownership of the project. "I just absolutely believe this is a go," said state Sen. Lesil
McGuire, an Anchorage Republican who has been co-chair of the Senate Resources Committee
along with Democratic Sen. Bill Wielechowski. "Having the governor come out and make this a
legacy issue for him, at the top of his agenda, has given it a real chance for success," McGuire
said. A hydroelectric project on the Susitna River about halfway between Anchorage and
Fairbanks was first proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1970s, although
talk of generating power from the Susitna
dates back to the 1950s. Work went on until
1986, when the project was shelved due to
an economic downturn.
Readily available and low-cost natural gas
became the fuel of choice for Southcentral
Alaska as Cook Inlet gas production boomed.
And in 1991, the Bradley Lake hydro project
on the west side of the inlet came on line. But
times have changed, and the Railbelt is
facing skyrocketing gas prices and potential
Bradley Lake Dam
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power shortages, especially in the cold winter months. "What really has changed in the equation
is the cost of power," said Rep. David Guttenberg, a Fairbanks Democrat. "Even cheap hydro
couldn't compete with the cost of gas." Joe Griffith, general manager of the Matanuska Electric
Association and a big proponent of Susitna hydro, said 25 years ago gas cost less than $1 per
thousand cubic feet. Now it is more than $8 per thousand cubic feet, he said. "The time is right
(for Susitna) because cheap gas is gone forever," Griffith said, adding that diversifying the energy
supply is the long-term answer. "But the Big Kahuna is truly something like Susitna."
Sizing up the Susitna dam
The proposed dam is bigger than anything that's been built since the Glen Canyon Dam went up
across the Colorado River in northwest Arizona in 1966 and created Lake Powell. Glen Canyon
Dam is 710 feet high and is capable of producing about 1,300 megawatts. The Susitna project, as
recommended by the AEA, would include a 700-foot-tall dam with a 600-megawatt capacity. In
comparison, the dam at Bradley Lake is 125 feet high and generates 126 megawatts. The Grand
Coulee Dam -- towering 550 feet -- was built in 1942 on the Columbia River and can generate
about 6,800 megawatts. It's considered the nation's largest electric power facility and the fifthlargest in the world. Using about $10 million provided by the Alaska Legislature, the AEA
compared Susitna to the Chakachamna hydro project proposed by TDX Power, a subsidiary of
Tanadgusix Corp., an Aleut village corporation. That project would involve building a 12-mile-long
tunnel from an intake under Lake Chakachamna to a power generation facility on the MacArthur
River. But the study said that even though Chakachamna would cost less to build, it wouldn't
produce nearly as much power and would come with serious environmental and geological
concerns. Neither of the projects has been fully studied, though, and the AEA acknowledges
more work must be done on both. But it's still recommending Susitna as the top priority.
A dam could lower energy prices
A dam on the river about 15 miles above Devil's Canyon
would create a lake reservoir about 40 miles long, the
report said. Salmon migration is not expected to be a
major concern, but some habitat might be lost.
Environmental and other concerns will be the subject of
workshops slated for February. Susitna is also the only
way for the state to achieve 50 percent of its power
generation from renewable or alternative energy sources
by 2025, as required by state law, the AEA said. Susitna
is envisioned to provide about half of Southcentral's
power supply; currently Bradley Lake accounts for about
10 percent to 15 percent of the region's power. But the
project has been highly sought after by Fairbanks and
other Interior communities that see it as a way to lower
high energy prices there, too, or at least keep them from
skyrocketing in the future. "I think it's a project that will
have the single-greatest economic impact on the Railbelt,
there's no doubt in my mind," said Sen. Joe Thomas, a
Fairbanks Democrat who has closely followed the Susitna
project. In fact, Thomas said Wednesday that he wants
the state to consider looking at an expandable project -the one currently being discussed -- called the Low Watana alternative -- can't be expanded and
consists of a single dam, not the two-dam project proposed decades ago. The AEA report said
the expandable version was not chosen as the preferred alternative because of costs and
environmental impacts. Thomas thinks the state would do better for its money if it could double
the power generation for an additional $2 billion in initial capital outlay. He notes that the Railbelt
will grow in the 10 to 15 years it takes to build the project, and large industrial projects like the
proposed Livengood mine will also be coming on line in that time frame. The cost of Susitna
hydro appears not to be as much of a political concern as it was years ago. For starters, the state
has billions of dollars in a savings account of sorts that's been flush with oil tax revenue from high
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crude prices in recent years. And the state hopes to recreate the successful financing scheme
that built Bradley Lake in which the state covered about half of the cost, with the utilities paying it
back.
Its projected $4.5 billion price tag isn't seen as drying up money for other energy projects, either.
Lawmakers say plenty of big-ticket items will still be on the table when the Legislature begins its
session in January, including an in-state gas line (or "bullet line"), other renewable energy
projects and, of course, the large-diameter gas line called for under the Alaska Gasline
Inducement Act. McGuire expects to see the governor propose a financing scheme for Susitna in
his legislation and possibly in his budget. She also intends to pre-file a bill that would create an
"energy project fund" that would be capitalized with $2 billion. McGuire said that money would be
used to leverage more capital to allow for bonding or perhaps building big energy projects in the
state. An in-state gas pipeline could be part of that, she said, adding that a new report is expected
to be released Dec. 15 on the feasibility of an in-state line and the role of the state as an equity
partner in that project. Guttenberg, who agrees the state should invest its own money in
construction of a hydro project like Susitna, also thinks 2011 will be the year the Legislature
makes progress toward resolving Alaska's energy woes. "There are big issues on the table," he
said, many of them being driven by the downturn in the flow of oil through the trans-Alaska
pipeline and the effect that will have on the state's economy. "Susitna is a state-wide energy
issue," he said. "It will move the (electric) grid out of the Railbelt into rural Alaska, maybe out to
Donlin Creek (where a big mine is planned) or into the Kuskokwim area. We can start building out
our state because we have the power."
(This is no surprise. The political pressure drives this decision so the State can pursue their effort
to take over the project.)
State revokes key certificate for Alcoa Power Generating Inc.
By Travis Fain, www2.journalnow.com, December 01, 2010
The state's water quality division is revoking a key certificate for Alcoa Power Generating Inc.,
saying the company shielded information from regulators who were reviewing the certificate
application. This "intentional omission" came to
light during a continuing licensing hearing,
High Rock Dam
when company e-mails were entered into
evidence, according to a statement this
afternoon from the N.C. Division of Water
Quality. "The company intentionally withheld
information on the project’s ability to meet the
state’s water quality standards for dissolved
oxygen," the division said in the statement. The
company denies this and promised to
"immediately challenge" the state's decision
with a "vigorous response," according to its
own statement. "No material information was withheld from the state of North Carolina," the
company said in its statement.
The state certificate is crucial to Alcoa's plan to renew a 50-year federal license on power
generating dams along the Yadkin River. And though the water quality division OK'd the
certificate in 2009, Gov. Bev Perdue has asked the federal government to deny Alcoa's
application so the state can claim the dams. The Yadkin Riverkeeper, an environmental group,
and county commissioners in Stanly County, where much of Alcoa's infrastructure is, challenged
the certificate, with the riverkeeper saying Alcoa has a history of polluting water in the lakes along
the Yadkin. That challenge pushed the issue into administrative hearings that have gone on since
September. Alcoa has been working with state attorneys to defend its certificate against that
challenge, and said Wednesday that it has done so in good faith. "Throughout the 401
(certificate) application process, APGI worked with state officials, supplying information in the
form of monitoring data and other reports to document our approach to meeting water quality
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standards," the company said in its statement. The disagreement deals with dissolved oxygen
levels, which must be maintained for fish and other aquatic wildlife. Alcoa's dams pull water from
deep within manmade lakes, where oxygen levels are lower. That water is discharged
downstream into the river, lowering oxygen levels there, and addressing this issue was part of the
new certification agreement, the state said. Alcoa maintained Wednesday that changes agreed to
in the new certification will address this adequately, and that dissolved oxygen levels already
meet state standards "much of the time." But it is the accusation of misdirection that led to this
revocation. “I was disappointed to learn that APGI intentionally withheld information regarding the
critical matter of dissolved oxygen," Coleen Sullins, the director of the Division of Water Quality,
said in the division's statement Wednesday. “The process of certification relies on applicants
submitting accurate and comprehensive information to the division. When they do not, revocation
is warranted.”
Environment:
(Another benefit of dams – Maybe! Learn something every day. Didn’t know such creatures
existed in fresh water. I bet they’re not as good for a meal as a blue crab.)
New Crab Species Discovered in Costa Rica
www.care2.com/greenliving, Jake Richardson Dec 4, 2010
A new species of freshwater crab has been identified by
biologists at the University of Costa Rica. Named
Allacanthos yawi, it was found last year by Luis
Hernandez Lara Rolie during exploration of land for a
hydropower project. The crab lives in river habitats and
is currently believed to only live in Southern Costa Rica.
The new crabs were found on the banks of the Rio
Vulcan 1,000 meters above sea level. Mr. Rolie and his
associates were surveying the area for a potential
hydropower project. About eighty percent of the nation’s
electricity is generated by hydropower. Costa Rica is a mountainous country with very high
rainfall in some regions and seasonally. One location actually was documented with 359 days of
rainfall in a single year.
The dam project located near the crab’s habitat is called El Diquis and some local people are not
too happy with its potential environmental impacts. In addition, several thousand indigenous and
non-indigenous people may be displaced by the dam and lake that will be created by it. If the 630
megawatt dam is built it will be the largest hydropower project in Central America. “To discover a
new species of river crab for the country isn’t something that happens often,” said Ingo
Wehrtmann a researcher at the University of Costa Rica. (Source: Ticotimes.net) He also said
such river species are threatened by pollution, and this one in particular is also threatened by
proposed expansion of local pineapple farms. The male is 2.8 centimeters wide and 1.6
centimeters long; the female is slightly smaller. There are now 18 species of documented river
crabs in Costa Rica. The crab’s discovery was documented in the journal Zootaxa, in the
September 2010 issue.
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This compilation of articles and other information is provided at no cost for those interested in
hydropower, dams, and water resources issues and development, and should not be used for any
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commercial or other purpose. Any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment
from those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only.
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12/17/2010
Some Dam – Hydro News
aanndd O
Otthheerr S
Sttuuffff
i
Quote of Note: “IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF
LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!” - - Anonymous
“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson
Ron’s wine pick of the week: Raptor Ridge Pinot Gris, 2009 ** Willamette Valley, Ore.
“No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson
Other Stuff:
(Source: California Energy Commission, “Comparative Costs of California Central Station
Electricity Generation.” – Full report: http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CEC-200-2009017/CEC-200-2009-017-SD.PDF - Note: The hydro costs are among the lowest)
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Dams:
(An old argument – who should pay the bills?)
Water storage benefits everyone, so all should pay
By Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Hawaii Cattlemen's Association and Hawaii Farm Bureau
Federation
staradvertiser.com, Dec 06, 2010
Dams and reservoirs across the state serve all of the people of Hawaii in many ways: They
provide drinking water, electricity, agricultural irrigation water, recreation, and perhaps most
important, flood control for public safety. In fact, the dam used to illustrate the Nov. 28 StarAdvertiser article, "Safety costs criticized," is the city's Hoomaluhia Reservoir on Oahu that was
built to protect the Kaneohe/Kailua area after massive floods in the 1960s killed people and
caused significant damage to homes in the area. The project was authorized under the Flood
Control Act of 1970, and is said to have prevented at least $18 million of flood damage in the last
28 years. In addition, the reservoir serves as the focal point for the wonderful botanical garden,
provides recreational opportunities such as picnicking and fishing, and is home to endangered
birds, including the Hawaiian coot. The recently proposed DLNR dam safety rules have drawn
much attention. Although the focus has been on the agricultural use of reservoirs, farmers will not
be alone in bearing the impact of the proposed rules; we are but one of the many users of this
critical piece of island infrastructure. State and county-owned dams and reservoirs, such as
Molokai's Kualapuu Reservoir, will also be affected, as they, too, will be required to comply with
the proposed requirements and fees.
General funds should be used to help support the continued use and safety of dams and
reservoirs because water storage benefits everyone and, especially now, storage is essential to
our islands. The recent drought has affected everyone in Hawaii. In fact, Hawaii is ranked as
being in the most severe drought of the entire country, and this may not end soon. A recent
University of Hawaii study predicts that our normal tradewinds and resulting showers will decline
and be replaced by an alternating pattern of drought and storm events. Water storage capacity
and flood control from our dams and reservoirs will become even more critical as this occurs. The
fees mandated in the proposed rules are unreasonable and excessive, have no caps or other
provision to ensure that they are used only for their intended purpose, and will inadvertently result
in less water storage capacity for all of the islands at a time when more storage capacity is
needed. Furthermore, costs for engineering studies required by DLNR and construction costs to
upgrade and retrofit all reservoirs on DLNR's list will be cost prohibitive for many. This will lead to
a reduction in all of the benefits that dams and reservoirs provide. There is a better way. We
believe that Hawaii needs a comprehensive strategy to ensure the availability of water and the
safety of water infrastructure as we expand our capacity to provide affordable and reliable water
for all users. When it comes to Hawaii's agriculture, it is increasingly recognized that local farming
benefits all of us in so many ways ... from putting fresh food on our tables, to providing us
beautiful productive working landscapes to enjoy, to preventing the introduction of devastating
invasive species that hitch-hike on imported foods. But please remember that without water for
local farms, there will be no sustainability and no food security for Hawaii.
(The things you find on the internet)
http://blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org/inbox/2010/12/06/kinzua-dam-in-song/
Kinzua dam in song
blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org, December 6th, 2010 by David Sommerstein
Last week, we reported on the Seneca Nation's decision to seek the federal license to operate
the Kinzua Dam in northwestern Pennsylvania. It will be a fascinating story to watch because, as
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Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter told me, there's a significant element of revenge at play.
The Army Corps of Engineers built the dam in the 1960s despite strenuous Seneca opposition.
600 Seneca people were forced from their homes; burial grounds and a longhouse were flooded
by the rising waters behind the dam. As anyone involved in the St. Lawrence power dam
relicensing knows, these things take years and require a give and take from dozens of interest
groups and agencies. It's too early to know how seriously the Senecas' bid will be taken. The
Nation at least has the lead in the American songbook. Alert listener Everett of Canton turned me
on to Jim Pepper's "Senecas (As Long as the Grass Shall Grow)". It's the story of the Senecas'
fight against the dam.
(Mine tailings dam – nobody likes them especially dam safety engineers!)
Massive Alaska Dam May Doom Salmon Runs of Bristol Bay
Anchorage : AK : USA | Dec 07, 2010, By BMcPherson, allvoices.com
If a massive open pit dam in Alaska is
allowed to go ahead, it may well spell
doom to the rich salmon runs of Bristol
Bay. Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP)
seeks to exploit the rich deposits of gold,
copper, and molybdenum that lie at the
headwaters of two important salmon
rivers. The unspoiled area has eight
rivers that support some of the last
successful sockeye salmon runs. The
mine, if developed, will be one of the
largest in the world, covering 20 square
miles. It would be located on Alaska
State land. "The dam and 10-squaremile-wide containment pond are
intended to hold between 2.5 billion and
8 billion tons of mine waste that Pebble
would produce over its lifetime. Because the sulfide, or acid-generating, nature of the Pebble ore
body, the waste would require environmental treatment in perpetuity. Any release of mine waste
into the surface or groundwater has the potential to harm Bristol Bay’s salmon runs. "Save Bristol
Bay
According to information on the Save Bristol Bay web site, the dam needed to hold the tailings
pond would be 700 feet high and stretch for miles, all made of earth. There is particular concern
about such a massive earthen dam remaining whole in the highly active earthquake prone region.
Currently a consortium of local villages under the name of Nunamta Culukestai, are having their
day in court with regard to the drill holes that Pebble Ltd. has drilled. The court will explore
whether environmental damage was done by the drilling. Last year Pebble Ltd. made a
settlement of $45 000 for unauthorized withdrawal of water. They self-reported it. This month's
National Geographic magazine has an article about the area in question. They have some money
estimates of the number of jobs created and the wealth that might result from exploiting this
resource. Many of the people in the area rely heavily on the salmon runs to survive. Others have
needs and wants that cannot be satisfied by subsistence living. Gold is fetching record high
prices currently at US$1409 per ounce; copper is selling at nearly US$4 per pound. Both metals
are used in jewelry and in many industrial applications.
East Bay reservoir expansion to begin in spring
By Mike Taugher Contra Costa Times, contracostatimes.com
One of California's newest reservoirs is set to get 60 percent bigger with the award this week of a
Contra Costa Water District construction contract to raise the dam at Los Vaqueros Reservoir by
34 feet. The expansion is meant to better protect the district's 550,000 customers from drought,
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though it also is expected to improve water
quality and give the agency more flexibility to
ease water diversions at environmentally
sensitive times, district officials said. The
Concord-based district, which built the
reservoir in the late 1990s, will continue to be
the sole owner. But district officials are
leaving the door open for other Bay Area
agencies to invest in it later, and possibly
even further enlarge the reservoir. "That's
still a possibility," said Jerry Brown, who was
named general manager in September. "This
expansion does not prevent that from
happening." The district still needs a handful
of environmental permits before it can begin construction in the spring, but Brown said he does
not anticipate problems. Though environmental groups often oppose new dams, opposition to the
Los Vaqueros project has been muted. "Most of the folks who work on Delta water policy are not
anti-dam. We're anti-dumb dam," said David Nesmith, facilitator of the Oakland-based California
Environmental Water Caucus. Nesmith said the Los Vaqueros project is attractive because it has
very effective screens that prevent fish from being drawn out of the Delta and because it is built in
an off-stream valley where it does not have the severe effect on rivers that in-stream dams do,
Nesmith said. Nesmith suggested other East Bay water districts -- particularly the East Bay
Municipal Utility District and Zone 7 Water Agency -- might do well to participate in the
enlargement to boost their water supplies.
The Oakland-based EBMUD is considering raising its 1920s-era dam on the Mokelumne River,
which Nesmith and other environmentalists strongly oppose. EBMUD spokesman Charles Hardy
said there are unanswered questions about the costs and benefits of his district buying into Los
Vaqueros, but he added, "We think it's possible that something could be worked out." Zone 7
spokeswoman Boni Brewer, however, said her district, a water wholesaler that supplies the
Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore area, has sufficient storage in Lake Del Valle and
underground. "We really don't need additional storage at this time," Brewer said. Beginning in
about March, Barnard Construction Company will begin cutting down the 220-foot-high dam to
expose its core, and then begin raising it back up by the end of the year. When they are done,
the dam will be 34 feet higher and the reservoir capacity will be increased 60 percent, from
100,000 acre-feet to 160,000 acre-feet. By comparison, the district's customers use about
120,000 acre-feet in a given year. The expansion will inundate an additional 400 acres, including
an area that may be a migratory corridor for endangered San Joaquin kit fox, though it is
unknown if or when the foxes last used the area. The district expects to purchase about 5,000
acres of habitat for preservation to offset the loss of habitat for kit fox and other species, Brown
said. During construction, fishing will be closed on the northern part of the lake near the dam but
it will mostly remain open on the southern part. However, access to fishing will be limited during a
two- or three-month period when the marina on the south side of the lake is moved. The district
will post updates during construction at its Los Vaqueros website, www.ccwater.com/losvaqueros.
The $35 million construction contract awarded this week is one of several pieces of the overall,
$120 million reservoir enlargement. Planning and environmental studies were paid for by the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation and the state Department of Water Resources, but design and
construction are paid for by the water district. The costs are built into the district's budget and
ratepayers will not see rate increases as a result of the project, Brown said. The reservoir near
Brentwood is one of two regional surface reservoirs built in California during the 1990s. The other
is Diamond Valley Lake in Southern California, which is eight times bigger. In addition, a number
of groundwater storage projects have been developed in recent years in the San Joaquin Valley.
The Los Vaqueros expansion was one of five surface storage projects around California chosen
for evaluation in 2000. The other four projects are either dead or face very iffy prospects on what
remain long roads for them to be built. In 2004, Contra Costa district voters approved plans to
continue exploring the possibility of raising the dam. At the time, the district was looking at
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expansion up to 500,000 acre-feet, plans that would involve outside partners and require
replacing the existing dam. The Los Vaqueros project is expected to be complete in a year,
Brown said.
Olmos Dam gets upgrade
By John W. Gonzalez, mysanantonio.com, December 9, 2010
Before Olmos Dam was completed 82 years ago, flood
after flood inundated downtown San Antonio. The city
finally was spurred into action when an 18-inch rain in
September 1921 left most of the business district
submerged and drowned about 50 residents. The
prescribed remedy was a vertical wall of concrete with
decorative arches, topped with a road that let motorists
cruise between Olmos Park and Alamo Heights over
scenic but boggy Olmos Basin. Completed in 1928, the
dam proved to be one of the city's most enduring
public works, a landmark that helped tame the San
Antonio River and made feasible the River Walk concept. Now Olmos Dam needs a little work —
about $4 million worth.
In a project funded by Bexar County taxpayers, construction has begun to strengthen its bond
with bedrock and improve the spillway. County Judge Nelson Wolff and other dignitaries will visit
the dam today to call attention to the project, funded with flood-control bonds approved by Bexar
County voters in 2007. It's the city-owned dam's first significant upgrade in more than 30 years,
and the first time the county has directed a concrete dam construction project, flood control
manager Art Villarreal said. After months of engineering studies, workers are drilling top-tobottom holes through the dam into the bedrock to install 68 cable tendons that will be tightened
and sealed into place, construction manager Ted Nelson said. He said the work is needed
because the dam is impounding more floodwaters than ever due to increased runoff from North
Side growth areas. “The dam has not outlived its design. It's got more water retention now
because of development, because San Antonio grew,” Nelson said. “When we had rain in
September, there was 28 feet of water behind the dam — and that was not a big rainstorm,”
he said. The concrete structure, nearly 2,000 feet long, is 58 feet high in places, including about
20 feet below ground. The dam stands in the path of waters that naturally merge with the
headwaters of the San Antonio River at the University of the Incarnate Word. Floodwaters
retained by the dam fill the basin rather than swamp downtown. The central city has several other
flood protections in place, including a mammoth underground structure that diverts river water
away from downtown. Still, Olmos Dam is considered crucial, and it's holding up well.
Experts rate it as structurally sound and in no danger of failing in a 100-year flood, but they want
to ensure it performs well in even bigger flood events. Rather than add more costly concrete,
which was the only other option, the county chose to install the cable tendons. During major
storm episodes, the gatehouse over the spillway serves as the nerve center for stormwater operations. “This is their rally point because this is the crown jewel of flooding control for
San Antonio,” Nelson said. The dam got a thorough study in 1974, which resulted in the last big
round of strengthening upgrades, which were done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. By
1981, the dam had a new look: the narrow road atop the dam was closed and replaced with a
domed concrete cap. Also, a concrete slope was added to the dam's downstream side to reduce
structural damage if water ever topped the dam. That hasn't happened yet, but it almost did in the
historic flooding of 1998, and the dam was put to the test again in 2002 flooding. For all the wear
and tear, the dam looks a bit weathered and dingy now, but Nelson said the concrete poured
decades ago still is solid and getting even harder with time. Only a glimpse remains of the dam's
stylish original profile: over the spillway, a few symbolic arches were preserved. And it won't look
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any different when work is completed in July 2011. The structure isn't getting any
cosmetic improvements.
Hydro:
(I guess this falls under the category of – “You gotta be kidding me!” This one just didn’t pass the
smell test.)
FEMA rejects Cedar Rapids’ appeal to get $13.3 million for flood-damaged
hydro plant; Corbett calls it “a disappointment”
December 7, 2010, By Rick Smith/SourceMedia Group News, easterniowagovernment.com
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s regional office in
Kansas City, Mo., has denied a key city appeal of an agency ruling related to the city’s request for
$13.3 million in federal disaster funds for the city’s flood-damaged downtown hydroelectric plant
at the 5-in-1 bridge. In its written denial of the city’s appeal, FEMA states that the city’s
hydroelectric plant was not in active use at the time of the June 2008 flood and, further, the
agency states that the city “incorrectly believes” that having had “possible plans and possible
ideas” of using the plant for future use is sufficient to meet FEMA’s definition of “active use.” The
agency notes that the hydroelectric plant had sustained $1 million in ice damage in January 2007,
and it adds that a subsequent engineering study, “completed” for the city in June 2008, ”focused
on the (city’s) intent to dispose of the facility,” not to reuse it. Awarding the city funds based on
the 2008 flood would be akin to giving a substantial funding award for a flooded vacant lot on
which the city might have had plans to build, the agency’s report states.
Mayor Ron Corbett on Tuesday afternoon called the FEMA denial “a disappointment.” He said the
city would push on appeal to FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. “I felt we had a good case
on this project. We’re just going to have to huddle up and look at our options,” the mayor said.
Greg Eyerly, the city’s flood-recovery director, was more blunt. He said Tuesday
that FEMA’s denial of the city’s appeal” is without technical and factual merit.” “It misstates and
misrepresents the facts as well as the intentions of the City of Cedar Rapids,” Eyerly said. In late
spring of 2010, the city, in consultation with FEMA field staff in Iowa, had high hopes that the city
would secure up to $36.4 million in disaster payments for use on new projects like a new
downtown parking, the Convention Complex, bus depot and NewBo City Market because of flood
damage to the hydroelectric plant and the city-owned former Sinclair and Quality Chef plants in
southeast Cedar Rapids. By July, FEMA ruled that the city was not entitled to any disaster funds
for the three facilities, a ruling which the city then decided to appeal. Bob Josephson, spokesman
for FEMA’s regional office, on Tuesday said the city’s appeal of the Sinclair decision is being
“actively reviewed,” though he said the office had not yet received the city’s appeal from the state
of Iowa on the Quality Chef property. The city had hoped to get up to $21 million for the Sinclair
plant and between $2 million and $3 million for the Quality Chef site. The denial letter of the city’s
appeal is signed by Beth Freeman, who became regional administrator at FEMA in December
2009. Before that, Freeman served as the director of Sen. Tom Harkin’s Cedar Rapids district
office for 19 years, including at the time of Cedar Rapids’ 2008 flood. Josephson noted that the
FEMA regional office had staff not acquainted with the Cedar Rapids hydroelectric plant look at
the city’s appeal about the facility. “We did have staff unfamiliar with the project look at the appeal
to ensure all items presented from the state (of Iowa) and the city were thoroughly considered to
make an accurate decision consistent with FEMA policies and regulations,” Josephson said.
(As we always used to say – hydro people are the only ones that smile when it rains.)
Rain keeps city comptroller smiling
HYDROELECTRIC REVENUE: Wet season means more money from National Grid
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By CRAIG FOX, TIMES STAFF WRITER, DECEMBER 9, 2010, watertowndailytimes.com
In some ways, City Comptroller James E. Mills likes to see it rain. Revenue generated from the
city's (Watertown, NY) hydroelectric plant off Marble Street depends directly on the amount of
rain that goes into the Black River, and it's been an unusually wet fall. So that keeps city officials
happy, especially since revenues from the plant have increased since last summer. Since July,
the plant produced 8,992 megawatt hours — up from 8,609 a year ago for the same time period.
After using the energy from the hydroelectric plant for city buildings, the city sells its excess
power to international energy giant National Grid for 15.49 cents per kilowatt hour. And revenues
are up about $214,000 — to $1,143,571 — from what was projected in the budget, said City
Manager Mary M. Corriveau. The city budgeted $928,989 for July through November and
$3,156,000 for the fiscal year that ends June 30, she said.
While many people may complain about the amount of rainfall we had this fall, Mr. Mills said that
it made him smile when rainfall for September was 2.77 inches above normal and 1.36 inches
above normal for October, according to figures tabulated by weather watchers at the Watertown
International Airport. Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham said he also was glad to see the rain. "Every
morning when I get up, I pray for rain," the mayor joked last week after three consecutive days of
wet weather. He believes that some of the increased revenues can be attributed to a project last
March to use a crane to clear large chunks of wood, metal and other debris from the intake canal
that blocked water from going into the hydroelectric plant. The city is in the middle of a franchise
agreement to sell electricity to National Grid that began in 1991 and expires in 2029, when the
company will pay the city 34.7 cents per kWh. The arrangement to sell the city's excess power to
National Grid came about after the city decided against going into municipal power. The plant's
three turbines can produce 24,000 kilowatt hours annually during optimum conditions. From July
through the end of November, the city has also consumed more power, from 4,422 megawatt
hours for the same period in 2009 to 4,873 in 2010, Mrs. Corriveau said. While consumption and
revenues are up over the past five months, the city had to purchase power during dry periods in
August and September for its usage, so the picture isn't as rosy as it may appear, Mrs. Corriveau
said. That means the actual year-to-date net revenue is $168,417, she said. Noting the city can't
depend on Mother Nature, Mrs. Corriveau said "a lot could happen," stressing that generally most
of the revenue raised by the plant comes during the spring and there's still seven months before
the end of the fiscal year in June. Sometimes, it rains too much in a short amount of time or
there's too much snow-melt during the spring, so the plant can't handle all of it and it isn't turned
into electricity, she said City Comptroller James E. Mills also pays close attention to the city's
rainfall and how much power is generated by the hydro plant. That's because the hydroelectric
plant revenue provides the fourth largest revenues in the city budget, only behind sales taxes,
property taxes and state aid, he said.
(This article was written by someone who is grossly uninformed. The FERC doesn’t recapture
projects, only the Federal Government can do that. The FERC licenses projects and that’s it! And,
good luck getting the new Congress to act. Does this mean that other hydro projects should be
taken over by the State?)
State should control Yadkin River dams
By Journal Editorial Staff | Winston-Salem Journal, www2.journalnow.com, December 10, 2010
In May of 2009, as Gov. Bev Perdue and legislative leaders began their push to take control of
the Yadkin River dams, we said here that they should forge a compromise with the company
that operates the four dams, Alcoa Inc. We called for Alcoa to work harder to keep clean the river,
which provides drinking water for more than a million people in our area, and possibly pay a user
fee to the state. The compromise got nowhere. Pollution problems continued. And last week, the
N.C. Division of Water Quality, saying that the company intentionally withheld environmental
information from regulators, revoked the water-quality certificate that the company needs to
continue operating its power-generating dams along the river. Alcoa, which plans to fight the
certificate revocation, is still operating the dams. But it’s time for the state to control them. The
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should “recapture” the license to operate the four dams
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in counties just below Forsyth and designate the license to the state. That’s allowed by law,
although it’s never been done before, and would require a Congressional vote. Alcoa, which
plans to appeal the state revocation and is pushing for a renewal of its license, has painted the
state’s attempt to control the dams as a government takeover of private business. That’s a vast
exaggeration. Alcoa has held a 50-year license to operate the dams, and the renewal of that
license is now being considered by the commission. The river belongs to the people of North
Carolina, and is protected by the state and federal governments. If the state does prevail over
Alcoa in what’s sure to be a hard-fought battle, it should give the company a fair-market value for
the dams and related infrastructure. The river must receive better care.
It’s the state’s second largest, and provides drinking water for the residents of Winston-Salem
and Forsyth County and many other people. It nurtures much flora and fauna. We’d be naive,
however, if we didn’t recognize that this fight is about money as well. Alcoa grosses about $44
million annually selling the clean, hydroelectric power the dams produce, company officials said
last year, and nets about $8 million of that. If the state is to be a better steward of the river —
which should be its chief goal — and make money in the process, it needs to quickly come up
with a well-defined plan for running the dams, whether it does it itself or contracts with a private
company to do so. One advantage to the latter option is that a private company could share in the
considerable costs of buying up Alcoa’s infrastructure. But first, the state must recapture the
license and prevail in revoking its certificate. State officials said last week that Alcoa, in company
e-mails, intentionally withheld information on the “critical matter of dissolved oxygen” when
it successfully applied for the state certificate it needed to keep operating. Alcoa officials contend
that’s not the case, and say they’re dealing with concerns about oxygen levels in the river. Low
oxygen levels are a threat for fish and other wildlife. Alcoa officials have said their company pays
several million dollars annually in federal, state and local taxes and provides public swimming
areas, boat ramps and land for hunting and hiking. The company’s aluminum-smelting plant in
Badin, which once employed 1,000, has been closed for several years now. Company officials
said they’re rehabilitating the plant in hopes of finding another business to locate there. It’s time
for the state to control the Yadkin River dams. Yadkin Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks and leaders
from Stanly County have done a good job of pointing out the problems with Alcoa’s operation of
them. The regulatory commission should heed the points they’ve raised and deny Alcoa’s
application for license renewal. The state should carefully prepare to take over the job of
operating the dams, and better protection of the river should be its main objective.
(And, then there’s the other hydro in NC. If you live in other states, you can’t count hydro as a
renewable)
BRIEF: Hydro puts plants in renewables mix
Dec 10, 2010 (The News & Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX),
tradingmarkets.com -- Duke Energy has become the first electric utility in the state to include
hydroelectric power in its renewables mix under the state's 2007 law requiring alternative energy.
Charlotte-based Duke, the state's biggest power company, registered four small hydroelectric
plants, including two in North Carolina, with the N.C. Utilities Commission. Even though the hydro
plants are decades old, they count toward Duke's green energy targets under an exception in
state law. The registration will allow Duke to claim renewable credits for the clean electricity
generated at those facilities toward meeting the state's renewables mandate. A 2000 state law
requires that 12.5 percent of all retail electricity sold by utilities in this state come from
renewables, such as solar power, and from energy conservation projects .
Environment:
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Removal of Simkins Dam will help to open 175 miles of Patapsco to fish
The structure is the second of four that will be removed from the waterway under NOAA/
American Rivers initiative
By Rona Kobell, bayjournal.com
This holiday season, the fish that call the Patapsco
River home will receive a gift for which they can truly
be thankful - the removal of a dam that has restricted
their movements for more than a century. Officials
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration have breached the Simkins Dam, a
structure across the Patapsco in the Ellicott City, MD,
area that is 10 feet high and 200 feet long. The dam
was built to provide power to the Simkins Mill, which
recycled cardboard, but hasn't been used in decades,
according to NOAA engineer Mary Andrews. "It really
has no useful life at this point for the industry. What it
has really become for the industry is a liability,"
Andrews said. The Simkins Dam removal project is part of an initiative between NOAA and
American Rivers to restore the Patapsco River by removing all of its dams, which have restricted
the mobility of river herring, eel and shad for decades. The dams also affected some freshwater
mussel larvae, which must attach themselves to eels during part of that life cycle; if the eels can't
pass, the mussels are stuck, too. Officials with the project estimate that the work on Simkins
Dam will be completed by January. Already, the backhoes have taken away Union Dam. In 2012,
they hope to remove Bloede Dam, and after that, the Daniels Dam. When all four are removed,
Andrews said, the fish will have 175 miles of the river available for swimming and spawning. And,
the concrete from the dams will be used as substrate for oyster reefs. Dam removal varies in cost
- Simkins will run just shy of $1 million. NOAA received funds for the projects through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Since the Bay Program began in the 1980s, the success with fish passages has been one of the
few bright spots in restoration progress. From 1988 through 2005, the Bay Program restored
1,838 miles of fish passage, surpassing the original goal. The program's managers increased the
fish passage restoration goal to 2,807 miles by 2014. During the first three years, they have
gotten 81 percent of the way there. Fish elevators have been placed in many of the blockage
spots. But those do not help all species, and evidence shows that a species can get past one
blockage but get caught in the next one, according to Serena McClain, director of river restoration
at American Rivers. Also, leaving dams can be dangerous for swimmers; several people have
drowned at Bloede, which is in a popular swimming area at Patapsco Valley State Park. In many
cases, the companies that own the dams no longer maintain them. McClain and Andrews were
excited to work together on the Patapsco because the project involves not only removing these
barriers, but restoring a whole river system. "We still have a way to go here. There are still
thousands of blockages throughout the Bay," McClain said. "We really want to make sure it
continues to be a priority for the Bay Program and the Bay states. These are very much
multipurpose projects."
(Oh oh, now what? Those darn sea lions better not be eating the sturgeon they serve at Jake’s
Seafood Restaurant.)
Sea lions killing sturgeon in lower Columbia River
It's not just Chinook salmon that sea lions are picking off in the lower Columbia River near
the Bonneville Dam, it's sturgeon, including the larger spawning fish.
The Associated Press, seattletimes.nwsource.com, December 9, 2010
VANCOUVER, Wash. — It's not just Chinook salmon that sea lions are picking off in the lower
Columbia River near the Bonneville Dam, it's sturgeon, including the larger spawning fish.
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The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department estimates nearly 11,000 sturgeon will be killed in
2011 by sea lions while the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department estimates the figure will be
closer to 7,000. The Columbian reports sea lion predation was discussed at a joint WashingtonOregon sturgeon meeting Monday at Longview. Washington sturgeon program manager Brad
James says nearly all the sturgeon are taken by Steller sea lions, which are larger and more rare
than California sea lions and protected under the Endangered Species Act.
(Is it the dam’s fault there’s so much garbage? Ever wonder where all that garbage used to go
that’s trapped by the dam?)
78,000 tonnes of garbage collected from Three Gorges Dam
sify.com/news, 2010-12-12
Beijing, China, Dec 12 (IANS) Sanitation workers have collected 78,000 tonnes of garbage from
China's Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydro-power project on the Yangtze river in the
country's southeast. More than 68,000 workers and 21,000 boats were used to collect the
garbage, Xinhua reported. The surface area of the water in the dam has increased after the
water-level was raised to its maximum level of 175 meters in October. It also increased garbage
collectors' workload, with about 60 percent more garbage appearing. The cleanup operation
helped ensure the water quality of the dam and its navigability. The water-level was raised so it
can carry out its full flood-control, power-generation, navigational and water-supply roles, said
Wang Yuankai, Chongqing municipal work administrator.
(It’s getting down to dirty politics in NC)
Bingham Sicks EPA on Alcoa
Published by Bane Windlow, carolinapoliticsonline.com
Thursday, December 9, 2010 — DENTON, N.C. Senator Stan Bingham (R-Davidson County) has
formally requested that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigate Alcoa Power
Generating, Inc., a subsidiary of Alcoa, Inc., for violations against the Clean Water Act relating to
that company’s pollution of the Yadkin River. A recent tip from an anonymous current employee
alleges that for years Alcoa has been knowingly releasing large quantities of raw hydraulic oil and
mechanical grease through the dams at its hydroelectric turbines at the Yadkin Hydroelectric
Project, which incorporates four reservoirs on the Yadkin River. Senator Bingham sent a letter to
EPA Criminal Investigations in Atlanta on November 24th after a whistleblower spoke to
investigative reporter Keith Barber at the Triad publication Yes! Weekly. The source alleged that
Alcoa’s antiquated hydroelectric equipment at the dams, possibly including leaky turbine seals,
was the likely cause of this long-standing and still ongoing release of environmental contaminants
into the River. When questioned about the claim, Alcoa refused to answer.
Full article at: The Stanley News & Press
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This compilation of articles and other information is provided at no cost for those interested in
hydropower, dams, and water resources issues and development, and should not be used for any
commercial or other purpose. Any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment
from those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only.
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12/24/2010
Some Dam – Hydro News
aanndd O
Otthheerr S
Sttuuffff
i
Quote of Note: “Experience is something you get just after you need it.” --Anonymous
Happy Holidays And
Happy New Year to All
“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson
Ron’s wine pick of the week: Anne Amie "Cuvée A" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2008
“No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson
Other Stuff:
(Something to think about. It’s curious that most people who advocate electric cars don’t think
about the fact that coal produces most of the electric energy. It is ironic. Again, the left hand
doesn’t know what the right is doing or vice versa.)
Electric cars a shock to the grid
othellooutlook.com, By Don C. Brunell, President, Association of Washington Business, December 14th, 2010
Electric cars are the new wave in automobile technology. Many see them as the way to cut
greenhouse gas emissions because they plug in rather than fuel up. Nissan’s Leaf and
Chevrolet’s Volt are coming to car showrooms, the first in what is expected to be a wide variety of
electric vehicles. To promote the use of electric cars, Congress authorized a $7,500 federal tax
credit for the purchase of an electric car and the state of Washington exempts electric cars and
most hybrids from the state’s sales tax. Our state also received $1.32 million in federal stimulus
money to install electric vehicle charging stations along Interstate 5, part of a $100 million
program from the Department of Energy. Gov. Chris Gregoire envisions a network of plug-in
electric outlets along I-5 from Vancouver, B.C., to Eugene, Ore., where drivers will pull off the
interstate, swipe their credit cards for a shot of electricity and be on their way to the next outlet.
Other states are picking up the electric car initiative as well. In fact, California wants to put a
million electric cars on the road by 2020. But there’s a problem. Electric cars use electricity — lots
of it. In fact, the Edison Electric Institute estimates driving 10,000 miles in an electric car will use
about 2,500 kilowatt-hours, 20 percent more than the average home uses in a year. So, while
electric cars reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they increase the need for electricity. That
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electricity must come from power plants. As electric cars begin to replace conventional gas- and
diesel-powered engines, electric utilities are scrambling to build new power lines, substations and
generating facilities, whether they are wind turbines, biomass boilers, solar panels, dams, natural
gas, nuclear or coal-fired power plants. However, in the Northwest, some of the same activists
who promote electric cars are working to constrict the generation of electricity. For example, they
want to shut down the TransAlta coal-fired plant in Centralia that supplies 10 percent of the
state’s electricity and provides 600 jobs in Lewis County that pay an average of $88,520
annually. It, incidentally, supplies enough electricity to heat and light over 1.1 million homes.
Instead, the activists want electricity produced only by renewable energy. But there’s another
problem. Wind farms are meeting resistance because more and more people don’t want them
blocking their panoramic views. Biomass plants could add to our power production; yet under I937, our state’s renewable energy requirement, biomass plants using pulping liquors as part of
their biofuels mix do not qualify as renewable energy. Consequently, that energy is being sold
outside the state. In addition, restrictive new emissions rules being implemented by EPA will kill
many biomass plants in rural northwest communities. Some of those same activists also shunned
hydropower, which supplies 70 percent of our state’s electricity. When they wrote I-937, they
excluded hydropower as a renewable energy.
Ironically, the electric car industry is directly benefitting from that very same hydropower. SGL
Group (The Carbon Company) and the German automaker BMW are spending hundreds of
millions to build plants in Moses Lake to spin fine carbon fibers to be used in BMW’s new electric
Megacity commuter car. BMW came to Moses Lake because of its abundant supply of reliable
and affordable hydropower. There is another serious glitch. Currently, taxes on gasoline and
diesel pay to build and maintain roads and streets. Electric car owners pay nothing. As cars have
become more fuel efficient, gas tax revenues have fallen; electric cars will worsen that revenue
shortfall. There is little doubt electric cars are the wave of the future, particularly in urban areas
and in temperate climates. But they are not a panacea and we must carefully evaluate the pros
and cons. There are trade-offs many today either overlook or dismiss. Failing to deal with those
trade-offs will only compound our growing problem of supplying adequate electricity to our
factories, hospitals, businesses and homes — and cars.
Dams:
(Interesting real estate advice in Massachusetts. I had a simpler approach – buy a house on a hill
overlooking the dam.)
Dam Concerns When Buying Or Selling A Home
michaelsewardrealtor.blogspot.com, December 14, 2010
When buying or selling a home there are many potential pitfalls that could jam up a deal.
Structural or mechanical issues, financing issues, cold feet, and, in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, a failed septic system under Title V can halt a closing. Home sellers and home
buyers should also be cognizant of the presence of a dam on a property as well. The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a law on the books known as the Dam Safety Statute. It
was passed in 2002 and revised in 2005. According to the Massachusetts Department of
Recreation and Conservations’ Office of Dam Safety website, dams need to be registered with
the State and recorded with the Registry of Deeds. Further, if a property is to change hands, an
updated dam certificate must also be obtained. While simply registering a dam is seemingly a
benign hurdle to get a property with a dam sold, the law also requires the inspection of dams.
Here are the classifications as specified by the Office of Dam Safety:
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•
High Hazard Potential dam refers to dams located where failure will likely cause loss of
life and serious damage to home(s), industrial or commercial facilities, important public
utilities, main highway(s) or railroad(s).
• Significant Hazard Potential dam refers to dams located where failure may cause loss of
life and damage home(s), industrial or commercial facilities, secondary highway(s) or
railroad(s) or cause interruption of use or service of relatively important facilities.
• Low Hazard Potential dam refers to dams located where failure may cause minimal
property damage to others. Loss of life is not expected.
A high hazard dam needs to be inspected every two years, a significant hazard potential dam
needs to be inspected every 5 years, and a low hazard potential dam needs to be inspected
every 10 years. If an inspection demonstrates that the dam is unsafe, a Certificate of NonCompliance could be issued. Estimates to repair an unsafe dam may make removal of the dam a
more cost effective solution, however, in some cases the lake-like feature behind the dam (known
as an impoundment), may be a popular recreational destination making it a less desirable
solution for those living upriver. An example of such a situation can be found on the Swift River in
Western Massachusetts. The Upper Bondsville Dam is located down river from the Quabbin
Reservoir. It is a masonry dam that the Commonwealth has deemed unsafe. It is currently owned
by the Belchertown Land Trust who acquired the property that included the dam for the land
which includes picturesque walking trails along the Swift River. While the less expensive solution
is to remove the dam, the Swift River is a popular recreational destination because of the 5 mile
long impoundment that the dam has created. Homes located along the impoundment would also
be adversely affected by the removal of the dam as the flow of the river would change
dramatically. Moreover, the land trust doesn’t have the money to remove the dam or to repair it,
which is well over $300,000 for either option. So while a property with a dam on it may create an
idyllic setting with the waterfall and beauty, it can also be a liability that a home seller may need to
mitigate and that a home buyer may wish to avoid.
(Better be careful or you’ll give the dam removal crowd ammunition for not needing the dams.)
Three dams shut down for replacement
KNDU-TV, 12/15/2010, msnbc.msn.com
KAHLOTUS, Wash. -- Three dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers are officially closed for a
project to repair locks and replace gates. But when they are part of the largest wheat exporting
operation in the country, it's a big deal. Two years of planning has gone into the replacement of
the lock gates and not it is time, considering the gate at Lower Monumental was installed back in
1969. The dam just outside of Kahlotus is where U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla and
Portland Districts will replace the downstream gate and repair concrete on the sides of the lock. It
is a $13.6 dollar project, with money coming from the American Recovery and Investment Act.
However, considering that it is the largest wheat export gateway in the world, how will the area
operate without it? Project Manager, Steve Hartman says, "you would be forced to find alternative
measures quickly to move that commerce in other ways that has significant financial impacts."
That means many goods will be transported by truck or train, creating possible gas price spikes.
However, the shutdown has been planned for almost two years. A Pacific NW Waterways
Association representative says, it means they're prepared. "We've had roughly a year and a half
to prepare not only grain growers and shippers here in our country, but also our large buyers of
northwest grain overseas," Kristin Meira, Pacific NW Waterways Association. The Dalles, John
Day Dam, and Lower Monumental Dam are all shut down until March 18th. Four others will close
starting January.
FERC approves Condit Dam removal
December 16, 2010, ecotrope.opb.org
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepted the surrender of Pacific Power’s license
on Condit Dam today, clearing the company to remove the dam on Washington’s White Salmon
River as planned. The commission found the benefits of dam removal to fish, wildlife and
whitewater recreation outweigh the costs of removing the dam, which can generate 14 megawatts
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of electricity (tiny compared with Bonneville’s 1,100 megawatts, and the like). Condit dam has
been targeted for removal for more than a decade; it has blocked the White Salmon River about
three miles upstream from its confluence with the Columbia River since 1913. Portland-based
Pacific Power decided to remove the aging dam rather than pay for the upgrades needed to
relicense it. The state of Washington signed off on the dam removal in October, clearing the way
for FERC to weigh in with a final approval.
Hydro:
Colorado State University, Applegate Group Collaborate on State Grant to
Investigate Hydropower in Irrigation Canals
For Immediate Release,
www.news.colostate.edu, December 15, 2010
FORT COLLINS, CO - Three million acres of
irrigated land in Colorado could be an untapped
source of hydropower and a revenue source for
irrigation companies. A Colorado State University
engineering professor is collaborating with an
engineering firm, Applegate Group Inc., to review
the potential power that could be generated by
“low-head” turbines in irrigation canals. Lindsay
George, water resource engineer in the
Glenwood Springs offices of Applegate, and Dan
Fort Bent Canal
Zimmerle, a research scientist and adjunct
mechanical engineering professor at Colorado State, received a $50,000 grant this year from the
Colorado Department of Agriculture to study canals in Colorado. The grant is part of the
Advancing Colorado's Renewable Energy (ACRE) Program to promote energy-related projects
beneficial to Colorado's agriculture industry. Water in irrigation canals moves fast enough to
produce anywhere from 100 kilowatts to two megawatts of power. Two megawatts of power is
enough energy to supply power to about 850 typical homes. In the study, the researchers are
examining turbines that could generate power from an elevation drop in an irrigation channel of
five feet to 30 feet such as water diversion structures or chutes. They’re also investigating how to
connect that power to the traditional electric grid. Zimmerle and George are now conducting an
inventory of irrigation canals in Colorado and surveying roughly 250 ditch companies and
individual ditch operators around the state. The survey is available to ditch operators at
http://www.applegategroup.com/news/low-head-hydropower-survey-available.
Zimmerle will speak about the project on Feb. 16 in Berthoud at a full-day workshop, “Low Head
Hydroelectric Opportunities for Ditch and Reservoir Companies,” sponsored by the Ditch and
Reservoir Company Alliance. DARCA is a resource for networking, information exchange and
advocacy among mutual ditch and reservoir companies throughout Colorado.
“DARCA is very much interested in projects that will enhance the financial viability of its member
ditch companies,” Executive Director John McKenzie said. “The introduction of these types of
distributed power projects will help develop additional revenue streams for Colorado ditch
companies.” “That type of infrastructure allows for the potential of low-head hydropower,”
Zimmerle said. “There are extensive irrigation systems in Colorado, so we’re identifying where
hydropower could be applied in those irrigation channels. “A large part of the cost for small
generating plants is the cost of running a distribution line to generating plants,” he said. “There
are good places in the irrigation system that will generate significant amounts of power. But we
need to explore this issue with utilities – the approval process, interconnection standards and
potential revenue.” Hydropower generated from irrigation ditches is known as low-head
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hydropower or hydrokinetic power – what the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
defines as projects that “generate electricity from waves or directly from the flow of water in ocean
currents, tides or inland waterways.” Interest is growing in that type of power because technology
is improving, George said: “FERC has a Memorandum of Understanding with the state of
Colorado to streamline the permitting process for low-impact hydropower projects in existing
canals. “Hydrokinetic turbines produce a small amount of power and are going to be practical in
certain situations,” she said. “With our study, we expect to report a total amount of power that
could be produced using low-head and hydrokinetic turbines in our irrigation canals that should
help irrigation districts in planning their projects. “New low-head technologies have potential at
sites previously considered unfeasible for hydro development because of a lack of significant
elevation drop,” George said. “Irrigation canal drop and check structures, as well as existing
diversion dams and outflows, may provide the drop necessary to implement these new low-head
hydro technologies.” Applegate Group, with offices in Denver and Glenwood Springs, is an
engineering and consulting firm with expertise in water planning, water rights engineering, water
policy and development of water infrastructure.
PSE starts building new Baker River powerhouse
The Associated Press, December 17, 2010, seattlepi.com
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Puget Sound Energy has started construction on a new powerhouse at its
Lower Baker Dam in northwest Washington. The private utility says the $75 million project will
increase flows on the Baker River to aid salmon runs, while providing 30 megawatts of electricity.
It also is expected to create about 40 construction jobs near the town of Concrete. The project will
boost the output of the company's two dams on the Baker River to 200 megawatts, enough to
power about 150,000 homes. PSE serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly
750,000 natural gas customers in 11 western and central Washington counties.
(Excerpts about a few hydro project’s demise)
PPL finalizes sale of remaining hydroelectric assets for $24MM
pennenergy.com, December 20, 2010
Source: PPL Corporation - PPL Corporation announced that it has completed the sale of its
remaining three hydroelectric generating facilities in Maine to the Penobscot River Restoration
Trust for approximately $24 million. This sale culminates an agreement reached in 2004 by PPL
and a coalition of environmental groups and governmental agencies to facilitate the removal or
bypassing of the three generating facilities to restore runs of Atlantic salmon and other migratory
fish to Maine's Penobscot River. In addition to its sale proceeds from the trust, PPL also has
received $14 million in contingent consideration from Black Bear Hydro Partners, LLC, an affiliate
of ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC. As previously announced, this additional compensation is
related to the rights to increase output at certain other hydroelectric facilities in Maine that PPL
sold to Black Bear in late 2009. These contingent expansion rights, as well as associated
obligations, were part of PPL's original agreement with the coalition, and were transferred to
Black Bear as part of the 2009 sale transaction. --------------------------.
New owner of hydroelectric project in Marquette County
uppermichiganssource.com, December 20, 2010
MARQUETTE COUNTY, MI -- An agreement has been reached concerning the Cataract
Hydroelectric Project in Marquette County. According to the Upper Peninsula Power Company,
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Operating License has been sold. The new owner
is U.P. Hydro, a subsidiary of North American Hydro. The terms of the sale have not been
disclosed. The transaction should be closed in the first quarter of 2011. The Cataract facility is
located on the Escanaba River near Gwinn.
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Water:
(Here’s an interesting article about Niagara Falls – Go to web site below :)
The day Niagara Falls ran dry: Newly-discovered photos show the moment
the iconic waterfall came to a standstill
By Graham Smith, 16th December 2010
It's taken 41 years, but a previously unseen set of photos of the mighty Niagara Falls reduced to
nothing more than a barren cliff-top have finally surfaced. The stark images reveal North
America's iconic - and most powerful - waterfall to be almost as dry as a desert. In June 1969,
U.S. engineers ----------------------.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1338793/Niagara-Falls-ran-dry-Photos-moment-iconicwaterfall-came-standstilll.html
Effort Falters on San Francisco Bay Delta
By FELICITY BARRINGER, nytimes.com, December 14, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO — A high-stakes effort
to remake the San Francisco Bay Delta,
the West Coast’s largest estuary, is
looking as fragile as the degraded delta
itself these days. Four years into the
effort, the distance between competing
water constituencies has only been
widening as self-imposed deadlines come
and go. Farmers and cities in Southern
California are pressing for a return to the
abundant supply of water delivered
through the 1,000-square-mile delta
before a drought and legal rulings to
protect endangered fish led to constraints
two years ago. Environmentalists want
ironclad guarantees that threatened fish like the minnow-size delta smelt will not be wiped out for
want of water.
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan, a federal and state
initiative, would re-engineer the delta to make it safe for
native species and would establish a framework for water
distribution for the next 50 years. The delta, where
California’s two largest rivers come together, supplies
about one-quarter of the freshwater used by about 23
million Californians. The goals of the plan are to keep
vegetables and fruit trees growing in the Central Valley,
taps running in Southern California and native fish
swimming in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and
in the briny western reaches of the delta, which the rivers
feed and give it its formal name.
But the Westlands Water District, which serves some of the wealthiest and most powerful
agricultural interests, has pulled out of the negotiations, saying it doubts it will get the water
deliveries it had expected. “The original purpose was to restore our water supply,” said Tom
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Birmingham, the general manager of the district, which snakes along the western edge of the
Central Valley and serves 600 farms, according to its Web site. The route the water takes is not
without risks. Because of 160 years of farming and the construction of 1,100 miles of levees,
delta lands have sunk and are now 3 to 20 feet below sea level. Mindful of how Hurricane Katrina
devastated New Orleans in 2005, planners are also focusing on the possibility that a big
earthquake or storm could break crucial levees and allow saltwater from the bay to inundate the
delta, which could shut off a large source of the freshwater supply for months.
Among the proposed solutions to the environmental and engineering issues is a $13 billion tunnel
that would tap into the Sacramento River farther upstream and divert water around the delta. The
tunnel, which could be 33 feet in diameter and 33 miles long, would be designed to be more
resilient to earthquakes. It could also eliminate the springtime problem of newly hatched young
smelt being sucked into giant pumps south of the delta that pull the river water into the distribution
system. Another proposal calls for a canal system to serve the same purpose. And a third calls
for installing gates to isolate one of the northernmost channels of the San Joaquin River, setting
aside a permanent habitat for fish. Both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and the
incoming Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, support the twin goals of making the supply of water
running through the delta reliable and protecting the species that have dwindled. As Spreck
Rosekrans, a delta expert for the Environmental Defense Fund, said, “The reliability of our water
systems is key to California’s economy.” But Mr. Birmingham said that no agency contracting for
water from federal or state projects “is going to spend billions of dollars on the implementation of
a program that isn’t going to provide benefits to them.” While he did not specify what water
deliveries would be adequate, Mr. Birmingham and other Westlands officials had expressed
comfort with the option most closely studied, which could ensure that the district gets more than
70 percent of the maximum flows that it contracts for. In 2009, that flow was reduced to 10
percent of the contracted amount; a political outcry ensued. The district originally joined in the
conservation effort partly to win exemptions from some provisions of the Endangered Species
Act. The premise is that helping to create or restore habitat for a species can outweigh the harm
imposed by another activity — in this case, transporting water south through the federal and state
systems. The precise relationship between flows of river water and fish mortality is not clear. Still,
environmentalists and fishermen note that the years of abundant water for farmers and Southern
California cities corresponded to years when fish populations crashed — in the case of the smelt,
almost to the vanishing point. (Judge Oliver W. Wanger of Federal District Court ruled Tuesday
that the 2008 federal plan to protect the smelt was critically flawed and sent it back to the Fish
and Wildlife Service for reconsideration.) The work on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan had
nonetheless been moving in a direction favorable to Westlands interests for much of the past
year, with most of the attention devoted to a set of flow-related criteria that would assure the
district of supplies they considered sufficient. Then, federal and state biologists reported in
September that those criteria could deprive the smelt of crucial water flow.
In November, David Hayes, the Interior Department’s No. 2 official, made it clear that the finding
meant that other formulas, which would probably mean less water for farmers, would have to be
studied as well. Westlands officials were furious.
“We were sold a bill of goods once again by the federal government,” said Westland’s president,
Jean Sagouspe. In an interview, he said the scientific process had been “politicized,” and he went
so far as to call Mr. Hayes a “liar.” Mr. Sagouspe predicted that the loss of Westlands financial
support, which has covered more than a third of the planning costs so far, would doom the
project. “Nothing will get built if we’re out,” he said. In an interview, Mr. Hayes played down the
district’s move. “I would turn my attention not to talking to them but to continuing the work we’re
doing,” he said, adding that the other major water users are “still at the table.” New actions and
announcements from both state and federal officials are possible at any moment. By agreement
and by state law, Westlands had been sharing the cost of the plans with the Kern County Water
Agency, which represents wealthy farmers and investors and growing communities to the west of
the southern Sierra Nevada, and with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
These two agencies might now have to bear future costs with only the help of whatever money
can come from the financially squeezed state and federal agencies. So far the planning costs are
expected to exceed $226 million, however, and more than half of that has already been spent.
“The costs go up significantly if major parties are dropping out,” said Jeff Kightlinger, the chief
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executive of the Southern California district. “While we have not been necessarily as vocal as
Westlands, we share the same frustrations.” If the planning process falls apart, Mr. Kightlinger
said, the water users might “limp along without a big grand fix but a number of patches.”
Environmentalists warn that inaction on the delta ecosystem could imperil aquatic life. At the
same time, many acknowledge the need for a solution that also adequately addresses the needs
of farms and cities. “The theatrics of people leaving the negotiating table is just that, it’s theatric,”
said Jon Rosenfield, a biologist with the nonprofit Bay Institute and a member of the restoration
plan’s steering committee. “There has to be a conservation and restoration plan for the delta,” Mr.
Rosenfield said, “that improves the status of the species and provides better water supply
reliability for the water users.”
Environment:
(Another benefit of hydro. I also know someone who lives in the area that can guide you to a
good steak dinner.)
Hydroelectric Plant Near Lexington Offers Eagle Watching Opportunities
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District will once again provide eagle-watching
opportunities to the public this winter.
News Release, 1011now.com, Dec 15, 2010
From the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District:
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District will once again provide eagle-watching
opportunities to the public this winter. Central's eagle-viewing facilities at the Johnson No. 2 (J-2)
hydroelectric plant near Lexington and in a freestanding building below Kingsley Dam will be
open on Sunday, Dec. 26 and Sunday, Jan. 2. Thereafter, the facilities will be open each
weekend through mid-February. J-2 will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2
p.m., CST. The hydro plant is located south of Lexington near the intersection of county roads
749 and 750. The Kingsley Dam facility at Lake McConaughy will be open on Saturdays and
Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., MST. A limited number of binoculars are available at the facilities,
but visitors are encouraged to bring their own viewing equipment.
Central has been providing eagle-viewing opportunities at J-2 since 1988 and at Kingsley Dam
since 1990. The eagles are attracted to feed on fish in the open water below the plants,
particularly when rivers and lakes in the area are covered with ice. Several factors influence the
number of eagles seen from the facilities on any given day, including climatic conditions, ice
coverage on area bodies of water, how many eagles are wintering in the area, and whether the
hydro plants are on-line. The best viewing time is normally earlier in the day. There is no charge
to visit the facilities. For more information about eagles and viewing opportunities, visit Central's
Web page at www.cnppid.com.
i
This compilation of articles and other information is provided at no cost for those interested in
hydropower, dams, and water resources issues and development, and should not be used for any
commercial or other purpose. Any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment
from those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only.
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12/31/2010
Some Dam – Hydro News
aanndd O
Otthheerr S
Sttuuffff
i
Quote of Note: “Happiness is not so much in having or sharing. We make a living by what
we get, but we make a life by what we give." -- Sir Norman Duckworth Kerr MacEwen,
British Royal Air Force officer
“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson
Ron’s wine pick of the week: Bonterra Mendocino-Lake Counties Cabernet Organic 2008
“No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson
(Courtesy of Marshall K.)
B.C .
Other Stuff:
(Interesting!)
Clean Energy State Rankings
Posted by Eric de Place, 12/22/2010, daily.sightline.org
How does the Northwest stack up?
I've been trying to get a handle on how the Northwest states really fare when it comes to clean
energy. Is it true that Oregon and Washington are leaders, or is it just a story we tell ourselves?
To try to answer the question, I canvassed the inter-webs for credible rankings of states. The
answer, as far as I can tell, turns out to be "a little of both." In most categories, the Northwest
makes a respectable showing -- and in some cases a very respectable showing -- but there's still
plenty of room for improvement relative to other states. In particular, California is the state to
beat.
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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
Energy efficiency. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACCEE) handed out
a 2010 roster with its "State Energy Efficiency Scorecard," and it gives the coastal Northwest
states high marks. Oregon ranked #3 and Washington ranked #6. (California claimed the top
spot.) Other states in the region did less well: Idaho was #26, Montana was #33, and Alaska was
#37.
Renewable energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published a 2008
ranking of renewable energy production by state. Most of the data are for 2006.
• For non-hydro renewable energy production, Washington was #10, and Oregon was #16.
(California earned the top spot in this category.) If you include hydropower in the
equation, Washington is easily the #1 state by volume.
• Where the Northwest really shines in the NREL report is for total renewable generation
(including hydro) per gross state product. Ranked this way, Montana was #1, Washington
was #2, Oregon was #3, and Idaho was #4.
• For biomass generation, the Northwest states are unexceptional. Washington led the
region with the #15 spot; Oregon was #20, and Idaho was #26.
• For distributed photovoltaic generation Oregon tied for #10, while Washington pulled in at
#14, and Montana was at #23. (California was #1 for distributed PV.)
• For wind generation, Washington was #7, Oregon was #9, Montana was #13, and Idaho
was #19. (Texas was #1 for wind energy production.)
•
Solar energy. An industry analysis of state solar energy policy factored in a variety of dimensions
-- including incentives, utility policies, net metering, and inter-connection -- to produce scores and
rankings. Oregon was #6 (with a score of 92 out of 100) while Washington was #17 (with a score
of 65).
Clean energy leadership. A very recent 2010 ranking by Clean Edge took a comprehensive look
at states' green energy economies and policies. Oregon landed the #2 spot while Washington
netted the #4 position. (California got top honors once again.) Are there other important rankings
I've missed? If so, send 'em my way and I'll tally them up here.
Dams:
(The danger of failure is over, but the dam does look a little less safe from the effects of the flood
– slumping on downstream face)
Flooding fears draw attention to privately-owned dams
December 21st, 2010, ksl.com, By Sarah Dallof
ROCKVILLE, UT -- The feared failure of South Creek
Dam on the Trees Ranch Reservoir due to flooding
Tuesday has drawn attention to privately-owned dams
and how they are regulated. South Creek is one of
several privately-owned dams across the state. In
Utah, these dams are regulated just as any
government-owned dam -- the frequency of their
inspection depends on their hazard rating. The dam
was completed in 1998 -- initially purchased by an
out-of state investor and now managed by his trust.
According to the Utah Division of Water Rights, it's
one of the larger individually-owned dams in the state. Safety engineers like Bret Dixon oversee
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all dams in the state. "We have roughly 600 for a ballpark figure," Dixon said. "Two-hundred of
those are low-hazard dams, 200 are moderate-hazard dams and 200 are high hazard."
Trees Ranch falls into the high-hazard category, which Dixon says does not mean the dam is at
risk for breaking. Instead, high-hazard indicates there could be significant property damage or
people killed if it was to break. "For high-hazard dams, they are inspected on an annual basis," he
said. The South Creek Dam was last inspected in April of this year. Officials found no major
problems, but directed caretakers to get rid of some brush and continue taking some specific flow
measurements. They also thank caretakers on their updating of the dam's Emergency Action
Plan. The majority of these dams -- including South Creek -- are used for agricultural purposes.
There are three other high-hazard dams in the same area as South Creek.
Hydro:
Grant funding extension for hydropower part of tax package heading to
Obama's desk
By Matt Hopf Herald-Whig Staff Writer, The Associated Press contributed to this story, whig.com
The massive bipartisan tax package that went to President Barack Obama's desk also includes a
one-year extension of 1603 grant funding which the city of Quincy hopes to leverage so that it can
develop hydropower at Lock and Dam 21. The extension could make a big difference in
developing energy on the Mississippi River as the funding could provide a 30 percent tax credit to
the project, which could mean $30 million for a project that is expected to cost $100 million.
Now signed into law, the city must spend 5 percent of the project's estimated cost by Dec. 31,
2011, to meet the requirement to qualify for the federal grant. "Well, we'll have to make it," Quincy
Mayor John Spring said. "Sure I'd love to have a two-year extension, but one-year is what we
got."
Spring also lauded the support of lobbyist services procured by the city. The city used the
services of Michael Alexander and Associates LLC to secure the extension. The city hired the
lobbyist firm in March to secure federal permits and licenses and to seek grants for the facilities at
a cost of $5,000 a month for up to 12 months. Spring expects the extension of the 1603 funding
to help the city obtain an equity partner. Joe Duesterhaus, attorney for the city's hydropower
corporation, is working on a letter of intent to be approved and signed by the end of the month.
The letter of intent would summarize the proposed transaction between the two sides,
acknowledging the sides will negotiate and look to sign a final written contract within 60 to 90
days. The license application was turned into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in July.
"We're going to be pushing hard to make sure we get the license as quickly as we can," Spring
said. "The original timeline, which we had gotten on a little bit of a fast track with FERC, was July
to August of 2011. So hopefully we can stay true to that. We'll do everything we can to make that
doable so we have a little flex time before the grant would expire."
(From the land of Hydropower)
Canada’s untapped hydro-power potential: plenty of clean energy for the
US and Canada
powerlinebc.net
(The following is a reprint of a recent article
in the online journal,
renewableENERGYworld.com. The author is
Russell Ray, Sr. associate editor. The article
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was edited for space purposes. The full article can be found here.)
Canada is already the world’s second-largest hydropower producer behind China. But Canada is
bent on producing more, driven by its vast potential for hydropower generation and demands for
more clean energy in the U.S. It’s a major element of Canada’s plan to boost its economy, as
lawmakers attempt to wean the country off coal-fired power through landmark legislation that
encourages the development of renewable energy, especially hydropower. “The federal
government is intending to introduce legislation to reduce emissions pretty significantly from coalfired plants,” said Colin Clark, chairman of the Canadian
Hydropower Association. “I think that creates an opportunity
for hydropower.” In the U.S., where restrictions on carbon
emissions are anticipated and demand is growing, there’s a
big market for Canada’s hydropower resources. A handful of
deals to export that power to the U.S. have already been made
and more are looming. “The U.S. is constrained in how it can
develop its own generation systems because of uncertainty
around carbon,” said Dan McCarthy, president and chief
executive officer of Black & Veatch Water. “Canadian hydro
companies have an opportunity to take advantage of that
uncertainty and get some power purchase agreements in place.”
For example, Hydro-Quebec recently reached long-term agreements to export hydropower
supplies to Vermont and New England. Hydro-Quebec and Public Service of New Hampshire
plan to build a 140-mile transmission line that will bring more than 1,200 MW of Canadian
hydropower to central New Hampshire. In another agreement, Hydro-Quebec will provide up to
225 MW of hydropower to two Vermont utilities, Central Vermont Public Service and Green
Mountain Power, for 26 years beginning in 2012. Canada, home to about 475 hydroelectric plants
with a capacity of 70,000 MW, produces about 355 terawatt-hours of hydropower each year. But
Canada’s untapped potential is far greater. According to a study commissioned by the Canadian
Hydropower Association, Canada has 163,000 MW of untapped hydropower potential, more than
twice the country’s existing hydropower capacity. Already, hydropower accounts for 60 percent of
Canada’s electricity consumption. That number is sure to rise as construction of several new
hydropower plants near completion while more coal-fired plants are shuttered in the name of
clean air. There has been “a very significant increase in the number of references to hydropower
by the federal government,” Clark said. “It shows that the politicians are strongly supportive of the
hydropower development in Canada and policies that will encourage development. “The proof is
in the actual progress and execution of projects,” he said. “That is happening now. It’s more than
just proposals and talk.” The following provides details about some of the project activity in
Canada and key legislative actions designed to encourage hydropower development across the
nation.
British Columbia Passes Clean Energy Act
Earlier this year, British Columbia approved an aggressive plan known as the Clean Energy Act
to create jobs and reduce carbon emissions through the development and export of new
hydropower capacity. Among other things, the measure establishes a goal of energy selfsufficiency by 2016, requires the province to generate a whopping 93 percent of its power from
renewable resources such as hydro, and raises the standard for meeting incremental power
demand through conservation and efficiency improvements from 50 percent to 66 percent by
2020. In addition, the bill authorizes significant public investments in expansions at BC Hydro’s
Mica and Revelstoke projects. Another chief objective of the act is to make BC Hydro a net
exporter of electricity. Under the measure, BC Hydro will be able to secure long-term export
power sales contracts with other jurisdictions, something that was prohibited before the law was
passed. “We want British Columbia to become a leading North American supplier of clean,
reliable, low-carbon electricity and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while
strengthening our economy in every region,” said British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell.
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Toba-Montrose Project Now Online
After three years of construction, Plutonic Power
recently completed the $663 million Toba-Montrose runof-river project, the largest source of privately generated
renewable power in British Columbia. The 196-MW
project began selling power to BC Hydro in August. The
project includes a 73-MW run-of river facility on
Montrose Creek and a 123-MW facility on the East Toba
River. A 93-mile transmission line that connects both
facilities to BC Hydro’s grid was part of the project. The
power is being sold to BC Hydro under a 35-year
agreement. The 123-MW plant on the East Toba River is the largest run-of-river facility in British
Columbia. The Toba-Montrose project, north of Vancouver, is expected to provide 726,000
megawatt-hours of clean power per year to BC Hydro customers. The Toba-Montrose project is
part of British Columbia’s plan to generate 93 percent of its power from clean domestic resources
by 2016. But Plutonic’s plans for the Toba Valley don’t end there. The Vancouver-based
developer of independent power and its partner, GE Energy Financial Services, plan to build two
more run-of-river facilities in the Upper Toba Valley, which would add another 120 MW of
generating capacity under a 40-year electricity purchase agreement with BC Hydro. Transmission
lines and other necessary infrastructure are already in place for the Upper Toba Valley Project,
which has received its environmental assessment certificate from the province.
Fortis to Build 335-MW Waneta Project
Fortis Inc., in partnership with Columbia Power Corp. and
Columbia Basin Trust, says it will construct a 335-MW
hydropower project at an estimated cost of C$900 million
near Waneta Dam on British Columbia’s Pend d’Oreille
River. Construction of the second powerhouse is subject to
negotiation and completion of definitive agreements, Fortis
said. The project also calls for the construction of a 6.2-mile
transmission line, which will run parallel to a high voltage
line from Waneta to a nearby substation. Fortis will own 51
percent of the Waneta Expansion and will operate and maintain the non-regulated facility when it
comes into service, which is expected in spring 2015. Federal and provincial environmental
assessment approvals are in place for the project. “Fortis is excited about this opportunity to grow
our non-regulated hydroelectric generation business in British Columbia, where we have wellestablished regulated utility operations at FortisBC and Terasen Gas,” said Stan Marshall,
president and chief executive officer of Fortis. The Waneta Expansion will become part of the
Canal Plant Agreement and will receive fixed energy and capacity entitlements based upon longterm average water flows, thereby significantly reducing hydrologic risk associated with the
project. The power will be sold to BC Hydro under a long-term power purchase agreement at
prices comparable to those for projects recently accepted by BC Hydro under its 2008 Clean
Power Call.
Wuskwatim Project to start power production in 2011
The Wuskwatim Project, a 200-MW run-of-river
generating station under construction on the Burntwood
River in northern Manitoba, will begin generating power
late in 2011, officials at Manitoba Hydro said.
Construction of the C$1.3 billion project began in
August 2006 and includes an earthen dam, a three-unit
powerhouse, spillway, transmission lines, and a 30-
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mile access road. The general contractor in charge of general civil construction is the O’ConnellNeilson-EBC Partnership, which was awarded a $289 million contract in 2008. The project stems
from nearly a decade of planning, studies and negotiations between Manitoba Hydro and the
Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation. The low-head design of the dam will create less than one half of a
square kilometer of flooding, the least amount of flooding of any hydro project in northern
Manitoba.
Mica Project Cleared for Expansion
BC Hydro is adding two 500-MW generators to the
powerhouse at Mica Dam at a cost of about C$1 billion.
Regulators approved the environmental assessment for
the expansion in April after a two-and-a-half-year review.
Preliminary construction began in October. The
additional units will boost the plant’s capacity 55 percent
to 2,085 MW. The Mica project, one of the largest
earthfill dams in the world, began generating power in
1977.
Quebec Targets U.S. Market with Hydropower Expansions
After budgeting C$25 billion to add 4,500 MW of generation capacity through the construction of
more hydropower projects and transmission lines by 2015, Quebec has decided to spend another
C$32 billion by 2035 to boost power production and sales to the U.S. At the center of Quebec’s
plan to boost export capacity to the U.S. is a 1,550-MW hydropower complex under construction
on the Romaine River. The C$6.5 billion La Romaine project along Quebec’s Lower North Shore
is expected to be up and running by 2020. In August, Hydro-Quebec signed an agreement with
two Vermont utilities, Green Mountain Power Corp. and Central Vermont Public Service Corp., to
sell up to 225 MW of power each year for 26 years beginning in 2012.
Legislation Encourages Development in Ontario
Enacted in September 2009, Ontario’s Green Energy Act has led to a surge of new interest in
building renewable energy projects throughout the province. The act includes a feed-in-tariff (FIT)
program, which provides price supports for renewable-energy producers serving Ontario. The FIT
program is a major part of the province’s aggressive plan to eliminate coal-fired power. Under the
FIT program, the Ontario Power (OPA) Authority has offered contracts to 184 projects with a
capacity exceeding 500 kW each. Altogether, those projects are expected to add nearly 2,500
MW of new capacity. Of the 184 projects, 46 are hydropower projects. “This transition to cleaner
power is well underway,” said Colin Anderson, chief executive officer of OPA. “In 2009, more than
80 percent of the province’s electricity came from non-emitting sources of power such as nuclear,
water, wind, solar and biomass. Coal-fired generation will be eliminated in Ontario by the end of
2014.” The FIT program guarantees a stable price for the producers of renewable energy. Under
the program, hydropower producers are paid 13.1 cents per kilowatt-hour for up to 10 MW. The
rate is 12.2 cents for 10 to 50 MW. In addition, the length of the contract is 40 years, well above
the 20-year contract for wind and solar. “Ontario’s far north holds significant waterpower potential
and there are a number of communities actively pursuing development opportunities,” said Paul
Norris, president of the Ontario Waterpower Association.
Alcoa moves to gain support for NC dam operation
wral.com, 12/21/2010
RALEIGH, N.C. — Executives with one of the world’s largest
producers of aluminum are going on the road in an effort to
gain support for the company to continue operating
hydroelectric dams along North Carolina’s Yadkin River.
According to the state Department of Commerce, the four
dams generate an estimated $20 million to $100 million a year
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in profits for Alcoa, which once employed hundreds in an aluminum plant near the river. North
Carolina officials, including Gov. Bev Perdue, oppose Alcoa’s operation of the dams, saying the
company makes a profit while the state receives no benefit. They want to regain control over
the dams and the electricity they produce. Alcoa’s chief sustainability officer, Kevin Anton, is
traveling the state, meeting with groups and officials to create what he calls a win-win for
everyone. He says Alcoa is committed to better water quality, investing millions into the
hydroelectric dams and redeveloping its old plant site into an industrial complex. “We're
invested in it heavily. We think – we know – we’re the right operator of this asset,” Anton said.
“We've got a great story to tell. We've got one person to convince (Perdue), in addition to the
rest of the state.” This month, the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources
revoked a key certification needed for Alcoa to operate the dams for up to 50 more years.
Regulators said the company failed to detail the project's ability to meet the state's water quality
standards. Anton disagrees. “I think we're pretty confident that material information wasn't
withheld from the state, and that's what we intend to show them over the coming days and
weeks,” Anton said. A withdrawal of North Carolina's certification would essentially block Alcoa
from getting federal approval. Federal regulators were expected to make a decision on Alcoa's
application in 2011, but the timeframe is now unclear since the state revoked the certification.
New Winchester Dam hydroelectric project proposed
kmtr.com, by: Chris McKee, 12/21/10
Winchester, Ore. (KMTR) -- An iconic dam in Douglas County
is being eyed for a new hydroelectric project, but it’s much to
the surprise of some local governments and even protest of
some agencies. A Canadian energy company called Coastal
Hydropower has submitted a proposal for a feasibility study,
looking at putting hydroelectric water turbines in the
Winchester Dam, north of Roseburg along the North Umpqua
River. The proposal is now under the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) review. According to
submitted documents, Coastal Hydropower wants to study the
idea of putting 5 “fish friendly” hydroelectric water turbines in
at the Winchester Dam. The company says the turbines would
generate 2.5 megawatts of power, enough energy to power
about 2,500 homes. Coastal Hydropower submitted its feasibility study request to FERC in
February 2010, but many local agencies only recently found out about it in the fall. The dam’s
ownership group, the Winchester Water Control District, also the Douglas County Planning
Department had not heard about the project until October 2010.
“It was unexpected,” says Keith Cubic, Director of the Douglas County Planning Department.
“Generally speaking, someone comes into our community and wants to do a significant
development project, one of the places they come early on is the planning department to find out
what the governing land use regulations are and what the permitting process is,” says Cubic.
“That didn't happen in this case.” “It would seem to me that the local governments and the
property owners involved would be fully informed though before an application made with the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission... But that's not the case, that's not what their (FERC)
law provides,” Cubic. The Winchester Dam has been operating since 1890, but hydropower has
been missing from it since 1985. Two previous hydropower projects were removed after officials
determined they had a negative environmental impact on fish populations. There are also several
Oregon laws in place right now, blocking hydroelectric projects on the stretch of the North
Umpqua River that the Winchester Dam sits at. Several groups have filed motions to “intervene”
in the project. On the conservation side, North Umpqua Foundation, the Steamboaters,
WaterWatch of Oregon, Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands have all submitted intervention
notices. Three state agencies and one federal agency have also filed to intervene, including the
Oregon Water Resources Board, The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality and the NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. FERC
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is still in the process of reviewing the application to study the dam for the project. There is no set
decision date.
(Here’s a guy who thinks big and has a name to match it!)
Aaron Million tweaks his water project
By Bobby Magill • coloradoan.com• December 24, 2010
Fort Collins, CO entrepreneur Aaron Million says he has big plans in 2011 for reshaping his
proposed Regional Watershed Supply Project, possibly focusing the project not just on supplying
water to Front Range communities, but turning the pipeline into a major hydroelectric power
project. Million, founder of the Million Conservation Resource Group, is the driving force and
financier behind the proposal for a 500-mile, $3 billion water pipeline that would traverse the
Continental Divide as it stretches from the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir in
southwest Wyoming to the Front Range. It would supply farmers and communities with 250,000
acre-feet of Colorado River Basin water annually. Million's project is founded on the idea that
Colorado has a right to the water because the Green River briefly loops from Utah into Colorado
in Moffat County before it returns to Utah and eventually flows into the Colorado River.
So far, only a handful of water suppliers have been revealed to the public, but Million said
Wednesday "there's some significant major interest from nationally recognized entities in the
project." He declined to identify them or say whether or not they might be revealed next year.
Regardless, Million is convinced 2011 will be a significant year in shaping the plans for the
pipeline, which is under environmental review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "What you
should expect is a major expansion of the alternative energy, the hydropower for the project," he
said. That's hydropower to the amperage of 1,000 megawatts that would be generated as the
water in the pipeline falls from Laramie to Fort Collins, he said. "One thousand megawatts would
be one of the biggest hydro projects in the country," he said. The Hoover Dam, by comparison,
produces just over 2,000 megawatts of electricity, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Whether those ideas will be incorporated into the final pipeline proposal is something that might
not be known for at least five years. A draft of the environmental review being prepared by the
Army Corps of Engineers won't be complete until 2016, and the final version likely won't be
released until 2018, said Rena Brand, the corps' environmental impact statement project
manager.
Environment:
(If the Judge doesn’t rule against, it will be a first. He hates dams.)
Feds file last round in fight over salmon and dams
The last scheduled round of legal briefs has been filed in the long-running battle over
making the Columbia Basin's federal hydroelectric dams safer for endangered salmon.
The Associated Press, seattletimes.nwsource.com, December 23, 2010
PORTLAND, Ore. — The last scheduled round of legal briefs has been filed in the long-running
battle over making the Columbia Basin's federal hydroelectric dams safer for endangered salmon.
NOAA Fisheries Service filed briefs Thursday in U.S. District Court in Portland arguing its plan,
known as a biological opinion, should be upheld because its improvements to dams and dam
operations are building on good ocean conditions to produce strong salmon returns. Judge
James Redden is expected to rule next year. The last filing from salmon advocates argued that
the Obama administration's dam operations plan is little different from the Bush administration's
2008 plan, which Redden ruled violated the Endangered Species Act.
(What now? Do we shoot the birds?)
Study shows dam improvements help fish
8
Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu
BY HERALD STAFF, thenewstribune.com, 12/23/10
Improvements at all eight federal Snake and lower Columbia River dams boosted the safe
migration of juvenile salmon and steelhead last year, according to a federal study. Army Corps of
Engineers officials said completion of passage improvements such as spillway weirs, also called
fish slides, help speed young fish downstream past dams by keeping them near the water
surface, where they naturally migrate. For example, tests at Little Goose Dam on the Snake River
found that 99.4 percent of yearling chinook, 99.8 percent of steelhead and 95.2 percent of subyearling chinook passed the dam safely. "Almost all of the fish are coming through the dam safely
now and we're on track to meet passage standards at all of the other projects," said Corps official
Witt Anderson. The assessment report says in-river survival of juvenile Snake River steelhead
migrating to the ocean in 2009 reached its highest level in 12 years, a sign the fish are benefiting
from improved surface passage.
The report describes the second year of progress by the Corps, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and
Bonneville Power Administration in implementing NOAA-Fisheries' biological opinion for the
federal Columbia River power system. The so-called bi-op outlines protections for fish affected by
the federal dams. According to the assessment, the agencies in 2009 reopened nearly 265 miles
of spawning and other salmon and steelhead habitat that had been blocked by impassible
culverts, diversions or other obstacles. Since 2005 the agencies have restored access to a total
of 845 miles of habitat. "Fish are returning in numbers we haven't seen in decades and to places
they haven't been for decades," said Lorri Bodi of the Bonneville Power Administration. The
report also says the agencies in 2009 restored water to salmon and steelhead streams that
otherwise dwindle or run dry when fish are returning to spawn. The 190 cubic feet per second of
flow restored to streams in the Columbia River Basin last year exceeds the average amount of
water consumed by Portland and nearby cities, and the amount of water restored since 2005
totals more than three times the average water use of Seattle and Portland combined. The report
also says efforts to redistribute a large colony of Caspian terns in the Columbia River estuary
helped reduce their predation on juvenile salmon and steelhead from about 15 million fish in 1999
to 6.4 million in 2009. However, it says double-crested cormorant predation on the fish is a
growing concern. Together cormorants and terns ate 17.5 million juvenile salmon and steelhead
in 2009, about 15 percent of all those that reached the estuary.
i
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9
Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu