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Home , Hells Canyon Dam

Using Wi-Fi in to Disseminate Real Time and Future Stream Flow Information

David Blew – Hydrologist Albert Pittman – Control Equipment Technician “Hells Canyon is a formidable section of the mighty , stretching from remote northward for 75 miles along the border between northeastern and western . Hells Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America, and largely inaccessible except by river craft.” Sheri Hughes, Recreation.gov, Spotlight: Hells Canyon Powerboat Permits

Annually 40,000 – 50,000 people boat the river. Including commercial power, private power private float and commercial float. Final EIS Hells Canyon Electric Project Idaho/Oregon, August 2007 How can provide information on changing flows to recreationist on the river? Idaho Power

• Established 100 years ago in 1916

• Service Territory encompasses approximately 24,000 square miles in southern Idaho and Oregon

• The population of our service territory is approximately 1,000,000 people Idaho Power - Generation

• Company owned generation is provided by hydropower, natural gas, wind, and coal

• Generation fluctuates yearly with approximately 50% of our total power needs met from hydropower resources.

• Idaho Power owns and operates 17 hydroelectric generating plants on the Snake River and its tributaries.

Hells Canyon Complex and Reservoir The Hells Canyon Complex is the largest source of hydropower production for Idaho Power.

Oxbow Dam and Reservoir

Hells Canyon Dam and Reservoir •The 32.5 miles from Hells Canyon Dam to Pittsburg Landing is classified as Wild.

•The 34.4 miles below Pittsburg Landing is classified as Scenic.

Scenic

Wild

Hells Canyon Dam Rapid Class Cliff Mountain Rapids II Rocky Point Rapids II Wild Sheep Rapids IV Granite Rapids IV Three Creek Rapids II+ Upper Bernard Creek Rapids II+ Lower Bernard Creek Rapids III+ Waterspout Rapids III+ Bills Creek Rapids II+ Sluice Creek Rapids II Rush Creek Rapids III+ Sheep Creek Rapids II+ Middle Kirby Rapids II+

Flows Below Hells Canyon Dam

Hells Canyon Flows - 15 Minute Time Steps 24000

22000

20000

18000 CFS 16000

14000

12000

10000 Flows Below Hells Canyon Dam

Hells Canyon Flows - 15 Minute Time Steps 24000 Current Hells Canyon license allows a 10,000 cfs daily change in flow below 22000 Hells Canyon Dam.

20000

18000 CFS 16000

14000

12000

10000 The challenge is to get flow information from here…… To here, in real time One of the remotest locations in the Pacific Northwest? Stationary Flow Monitors • First installed in 2007 • Data provided through satellite telemetry • Provides basic information on past, current and forecasted flow • Built to withstand extreme temperatures in excess of 130 degrees • To withstand the extreme temperatures, monochrome screens were installed. Hells Canyon Flow Monitors Upgrade the Delivery of Data - 2013

• Desire to provide flow information for additional locations in Hells Canyon • Make use of color graphics for data clarity • Make the data easily accessible • Make the data accessible from the river • Deliver data to the user on a common device • Must be a robust system requiring minimum maintenance. Provide a Wi-Fi Signal Make Use of the Technology that Many People Already Carry

“Nearly two-thirds of Americans are now smartphone owners, and for many these devices are a key entry point to the online world.” Smith, Aaron, 2015. U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015. Pew Research Center, April 1, 2015. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us- smartphone-use-in-2015/ Technical Challenges for Wi-Fi

• “Off the shelf” or custom made device?

• How much power will they use given the potentially limited supply (solar panels and batteries)?

• Data displays must work across a wide range of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops. Technical Challenges for Wi-Fi

• “ Off the shelf” or custom made device? – Custom device allowed for piggy backing on the existing stationary flow monitors. • How much power will they use given the potentially limited supply (solar panels and batteries)? – Custom devices were designed to consume small amounts of power. • Data displays must work across a wide range of devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops. – Custom devices allowed for formatting across a wide range of devices. Phased Development of Wi-Fi Phased Development of Wi-Fi How the Wi-Fi System Works

The Wi-Fi system DOES NOT provide access to the Web. Each “hotspot” broadcasts only data contained on an internal embedded computer.

Data is update hourly

The system is designed to allow Hells Canyon users to connect to the Wi-Fi signal. Stream Gage Once connected the opening of any

Boise browser should default to the river flow information. Phase I Deployment of Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Antenna Satellite Modem Phase I was to install the Wi-Fi systems to deliver the same Solar Panel data as the stationary flow monitors.

Stationary Monitor Development and testing Battery Box occurred in 2013 with field deployment in the spring of 2014.

Flow is updated every hour with a data download through satellite communications. Phase I Deployment in 2014 •Installed Wi-Fi at •Hells Canyon Visitor Center •Pittsburg Landing •Cache Creek Stationary •Heller Bar Wi-Fi •Useable signal could be accessed up to one mile with a direct line of site to station. •Provided use instructions to several boaters to test system. •Outfitted two Idaho Power boats with tablet computers to test system. Phase II

• Remedy any issues discovered during field testing in Phase I. – Minor technical issues were rectified – Addressed some power issues at some sites. • Add Wi-Fi to the Johnson Bar stream gage managed by Idaho Power. • Develop techniques for forecasting flows at three points on the river and add to Wi-Fi data stream. – Johnson Bar – Pittsburg Landing – McDuff Rapids • Provide a larger public relations campaign to publicize the addition of the Wi-Fi data service. Phase II - Johnson Bar Wi-Fi

•Compliance gage maintained by Idaho Power

•Gage house allowed for installation of hardware to supply Wi-Fi signal

•Wi -Fi added at the site in June of 2015 Phase ll Forecasting Flows In Hells Canyon • More appropriately called routed flows • Mathematical calculation using Muskingum Channel routing techniques • Required an additional “push” of data to the flow monitors. – Idaho Power Johnson Bar Gage – USGS McDuff Rapids at China Gardens, ID • Routing calculations are performed on each flow monitor. Forecasting Flows In Hells Canyon Phase ll Publicizing the new Wi-Fi System

•Completed a mass emailing to numerous whitewater organizations, tribes, government agencies, and individuals including instructions for accessing the data.

•Met with individual boaters and organizations and discussed the new Wi-Fi system.

•Published instructions for using the Wi-Fi system on the company’s website.

•Designed the systems to record button hits on the stationary flow monitors and data access on the Wi-Fi system. Wi-Fi Data Display Wi-Fi Data Display Wi-Fi Data Display Wi-Fi Data Display Wi-Fi Data Display Wi-Fi Data Display Flow Monitor Use in 2015

Forest Service Hells Gate Marina Stationary Monitor -12 Stationary Monitor- 5

Heller Bar Stationary Monitor -182 Wi-Fi System - 457 Pittsburg Landing Cache Creek Stationary Monitor -677 Stationary Monitor -303 Wi-Fi System – 220 Wi-Fi System – 3463*

Johnson Bar Wi-Fi System – 87 Hells Canyon Visitor Center *A caretaker at the Cache Creek Stationary Monitor -375 facility thought the Wi-Fi system Wi-Fi System – 1088 was pretty cool! Cost of Materials

Stationary Flow Monitors Housing Custom in-house fabrications $800 Screens $1,200 Wx Board Custom in-house fabrications $150 Skywave Satellite Modem $800 Solar Panel $150 Sub-Total $3,100 Wi-Fi Flow Monitors Embedded Computers $50 Wi-Fi Card $30 Antenna $70 Sub-Total $150 Total $3,250 Problems with the Wi-Fi System

• Droids connected to the system easily but we had problems getting iPhone® products connected. • Operated with minimal maintenance through most of 2014 and 2015, but most of the systems had crashed by early 2016. – Analysis showed that in low power conditions due to prolonged cloudy days and low light winter conditions, resulted in corruption of SD cards on the embedded computer – All system are back up and running but we are changing out the embedded computers. Problems with the Wi-Fi System

• New generation smartphones may require users to navigate specifically to idahopower.com. • Due to the remote location, it can be difficult to determine if the Wi-Fi systems are up and running. • The remote location can complicate maintenance. Responsibility of Individuals Who Use the Flow Monitor Information

• Users must recognize that all information on flow is provisional and has not been reviewed. • This data is for informational purposes and individuals must make decisions on safe navigation based on their level of experience. • The system is not a substitute for “reading the river”. • The Snake River in Hells Canyon is a formidable river requiring advanced technical skill by power boat pilots and whitewater rafters and kayakers. Other Applications of the Wi-Fi System

No Satellite Communication • Provide historical, cultural, or natural resources information at kiosks or information centers in remote locations. • Provide travel or landuse information in remote locations. • Provide remote services for downloading maps, brochures, or other information. With Satellite Communication • Provide real time weather or emergency (fire) information in remote locations. Questions?