3/28/2014

Some Dam – Hydro News TM And Other Stuff i

Quote of Note: “It is better to have useless knowledge than to know nothing.” —

SenecaSome Dam - Hydro News Newsletter Archive for Back Issues and Search http://npdp.stanford.edu/ Click on Link (Some Dam - Hydro News) Bottom Right - Under Perspectives

“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson Ron’s wine pick of the week: 2011 Sebastiani US Red Blend "Gravel Bed Red" “ No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap. ” - - Thomas Jefferson

Dams: (The fix is on!) Contractor hired to evaluate dam status, drilling scheduled for today March 13, 2014, By NICOLE KLAUSS staff writer | dailyrecordnews.com

The Grant County Public Utility District has hired a contractor to begin investigative drilling into a cracked Wanapum Dam spillway pillar. Drilling is scheduled to begin today if all goes as planned. It will start at the top of the dam and will go all the way down to the fracture in the spillway pillar.

Grant PUD will work with Spokane-based contractor Kuney-Goebel JV and other subcontractors. Kuney-Goebel JV has done work for Grant PUD in the past and also has resources in the state that could easily be mobilized if needed, Grant PUD spokesperson Chuck Allen said. The drilling is part of the investigation into the 2-inch, 65-foot long crack that was discovered underwater in one of the Wanapum Dam spillway pillars in February. “The idea for the drilling is to give us a good idea of the reach of the fracture,” Allen said. “It would be done to give us a good idea of the depth of the fracture.” The drilling project is estimated to take about nine days to complete and is part of an evaluation to help determine the cause of the crack, how far it reaches into the structure, and the fracture’s geometry. Echo-imaging technology and ground-penetrating radar will be used during the analysis. Grant PUD said no additional damage to the dam has been discovered other than some minor surface damage on the two spillways neighboring the pillar. 1 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu Repair options A team of Grant PUD engineers, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission officials, and a board of consultants will use the data from the evaluation to figure out the best way to repair the pillar. They will also look into the possibility of raising the Wanapum reservoir to an intermediate level while repairs occur. Although the exact geometry and shape of the fracture in the spillway pillar has not yet been determined, Grant PUD has already started investigating possible repair options. Grant PUD is considering using steel strand anchors that are drilled from the top of the dam through the concrete spillway pillar No. 4 all the way down into the bedrock. The anchors would be set in place using a high-strength grout. “That’s a step a little further down the road,” Allen said. “It’s a possible thing we can do to shore up the structure. It’s just one of the ideas we’re looking at right now.” The current evaluation that includes the drilling, radar and echo imaging will help determine whether the steel strand anchors are the best option. Any repair plan would be evaluated by the independent board of consultants and FERC before action is taken by Grant PUD.

Drawdown effects Grant PUD has been working with engineers, biologists and other stakeholders to come up with plans to modify the fish ladders at the dam. With the Wanapum reservoir 26 feet lower than normal, there have been concerns that adult salmon and steelhead would not be able to pass by the dam as they swim upstream during migration season from April to mid-November. Modifications will include installing a pumping system and creating temporary slides at the top of the fish ladders so adult fish can safely pass the dam into the reservoir. Grant PUD is also working with 11 irrigators along the Columbia River who take water from the reservoir. With the drawdown, many of the pump systems haven’t been able to reach the water. Some have pumps up the shore with an intake pipe going into the water and others have submersible pumps right at the water level. Any change to the irrigators’ intake systems would require a permit. “We’re working with them to help them secure any permits or modifications that they need from the Washington Department of Ecology to make sure they can make changes they need to make to the pumps to ensure they have water,” Allen said.

(Let’s hope it changed for the good! When all else fails, you must have an EAP!) How has dam safety changed since Kaloko’s deadly breach? By Gina Mangieri, March 14, 2014, khon2.com

In 2006, exactly eight years ago, the Kaloko dam burst on Kauai, sending a wall of water into Kilauea town. Seven people were killed, including a child and a pregnant woman. The land owner, Jimmy Pflueger, pled no contest to reckless endangering, but the state was also blamed for the disaster for failing to check the dams on a regular basis. KHON2 found that safety protocols and inspections have come a long way statewide, but there’s still much to be done to close the loop on repairs and procedures dam owners have to put in place. KHON2 compiled years of dam inspection data to make sure the state has been on-pace with checking out Hawaii’s 140 regulated dams and reservoirs, especially how often they are keeping tabs on the biggest and high-hazard ones. “The higher the dam is the more energy when that water comes down, or if there’s more volume of water obviously that has the potential to kill people, too,” explained Carty Chang, chief engineer of the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources. After revamping the approach to overseeing owners on dam safety in the wake of Kaloko, the state has gotten to just about every regulated dam and reservoir just about every 2 years. DLNR chairman William Aila says the public is much safer now than eight years ago. “We have a baseline, we have regular inspections,” Aila said. “We could always improve upon that with additional funding, but definitely the dams and reservoirs of the state of Hawaii are safer today.” The state has not done any official enforcement actions in the years reviewed besides some late-fee follow-ups, but officials say they have issued many letters of deficiency. However, none of those letters are easily accessible to the public.

2 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu When asked if there is a better way to track and share data about deficiencies, Edwin Matsuda, head of the Dam Safety Program, said, “We’re looking at ways that we can incorporate it into our database so it can flag up on a schedule.” Meanwhile officials say the every-two-year cycle will also catch any follow-ups that could fall through the cracks. They recently did return visits to check up on several sites that needed work, and said they’ll press owners who are late with emergency response plans, like what they’d do if their dam breached. Dam safety officials admit they do not yet have an Emergency Action Plan from every regulated dam and reservoir. “There are still a handful that are out,” Matsuda said. “We just sent out some notices last week and we gave them 30 days to come in.” Three of the state’s five largest dams have Emergency Action Plans that are still due for updating. There are just a handful of inspectors and available spending for their work depends on fees collected from the owners of a shrinking number of regulation-size dams. State taxes used to back the division, but general funds were cut off several years ago in budget tightening. “Perhaps the governor will support, as we go forward into better economic times, the request for additional general funds,” Aila said, “because that’s really a way that we can ensure compliance in a much more efficient and much quicker fashion.”

All dams big enough to be regulated will soon have to carry a certificate that most have already applied for that checks out their operational and maintenance manuals, emergency plans and clearance of deficiencies. “There is not a deadline per se in statute,” Matsuda said, “but we do want to get them out as soon as we can because that assists our program in doing a better job.” There is a side-effect beyond safety that could impact every resident. The number of dams and reservoirs is shrinking in part because the regulations, fees and fix-it requirements are mounting costs for the owners, many of whom are shutting them down or dropping the water below regulated levels. “Now that we’re requiring annual fees of owners, they’re a little more motivated to take these structures off their books and reduce their liabilities,” Matsuda said. The trend is a problem for farmers and sustainability plans that rely on more, not less, water, especially since the state has less stored surface water than eight years ago. “We have less, but our goal through making financing available is to increase that,” Aila said. The department is again trying to get a constitutional amendment vote on the ballot to let dam owners get state bond funding. It first has to clear the legislature (SB 2876). “The one place that you should really care is when you go to the supermarket,” Aila said. “With adequate surface-water supplies that are held safely, we can keep the cost of food down in Hawaii.” To read SB 2876 in its entirety, click here: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2876&year=2014

(It must be an effort to put a return address on an envelope! The after photo would look better if it was taken the same time of year.) Rapidly changing,’ Quasky no longer ‘Friendliest Town by a Dam Site’ March 15, 2014, bulletinjournal.com Before Quasqueton, Iowa– The Buchanan County town of Quasqueton is “rapidly” changing, and can no longer be considered the “Friendliest Town by a Dam Site.” Oh… the residents are still friendly all right, but the iconic Quasqueton Dam is visible no more. Approximately 45 days ago, the long-awaited Quasqueton Dam project got underway, and the former low-head dam is currently being transformed into arch rapids- a series of descending, u-shaped, rocky-weirs that are supposed to improve public safety and fish passage, once completed. Project contractor, Jim Gallery of Gallery Excavation out of Winthrop is in charge of the project. “At first, some residents were pretty upset, even hostile about the change,” Gallery said, “but, now that the rapids are starting to take shape and water is flowing once again, they’ve become a little more accepting of project.” Quasqueton Mayor Chad Staton also commented, saying, “It’s really going

3 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu to be pretty when it is all done. If you stand on the bridge and look up river, you can really get a sense of what it is going to look like when completed.”

During the 19th and 20th centuries, many low After head dams, like the Quasqueton Dam were constructed on rivers for water supply, ice harvesting, recreation, navigation and power supply. Little consideration was given to fish passage and public safety. Now, with the significant development of designated “water trails” along an increasing number of Iowa rivers and streams, plus environmental concerns about fish passage, many of these low head dams are being transformed in rock arch rapids. In regard to public safety, low head dams (usually less than 15-ft high) pose little or no threat under most flow conditions. At other times however, these aging structures can become a real safety hazard creating dangerous undertows that can lead to potential drowning, despite posted warnings along most designated water trails and in the vicinity of low-head dams. In addition, creating a better habitat for fish and other aquatic species has become a major area of concentration for wildlife biologists and natural resource management.

The Wapsipinicon River is one of Iowa’s most treasured natural resources. It also happens to be the longest and one of the most scenic stretches of river in the state. A diverse mussel community resides within its banks, and low-head dams, such as the Quasqueton Dam, impede the movement of native fish that are host to several endangered species of mussel, like the Higgins’ Eye Pearly mussel, within the watershed. Thanks to recent innovations, rock arch rapids are now similar to those occurring naturally in nature. These manmade “rapids” can address both public safety and create additional habitat for fish and aquatic wildlife. When completed, the Quasqueton Rock-Arch Rapids will have nine (possibly even 10) U-shaped weirs, with the center of the “U’s” pointing upstream. For the full story see the 03/15/2014 issue of the Independence Bulletin Journal.

(Hold down the ctrl key and click on the underlined title below to see the model.) Corps tests new Isabella Lake Dam model - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXTvvKkSxpo o By SacramentoDistrict · o Added Mar 03, 2014 Take a tour of the Sacramento District's new Isabella Lake Dam scale model at Utah State University's Water Research Laboratory in Logan, Utah. Engineers ... (There should be more of this! An EAP is an important part of a good dam safety program!) What if a dam breaks upstream from Eugene? kval.com, 3/18/14, by Chris Liedle Springfield, Ore. - A catastrophic dam failure in Lane County is unlikely - but not out of the question. And the question is of keen interest in Lane County, home to 9 major dams. The US Army Corps of Engineers shared dam failure inundation maps with the media and county and city emergency response officials. Scott Clemans with the Army Corps said the maps show the results of a catastrophic dam failure, not a 100-year flood. "We are talking in these maps about a worst-case scenario," Clemans said. "We're talking about a widespread and rapid dam failure." He said there's a 1 in 10,000 chance per year of a catastrophic event - small odds with severe consequences. For example, if Hills Creek Dam failed, Oakridge residents will have to act fast. "About a 40 foot increase in about four hours," he said. Closer to downtown Eugene, you'd have more time to react. "Water would start to increase in about 9 hours and 15 minutes after the dam failed," Clemans said. In 14 hours, the water could top out at 454 feet above sea level - about 42 feet above the streets of downtown Eugene.

4 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu There are a number of reason a dam could break, but the flooding that would follow is not necessarily affected by why the dams breaks. The key factor would be how much water is in the reservoir above the dam. The inundation maps look at both high pool - a normal water level in the reservoir - and maximum, the scenario where there is a flood upstream of the dam and then the dam breaks. The maps are intended for emergency personnel and city officials, who need to be prepared for the unlikely event of a dam failure. "If they know that in four hours the water level in Oakridge is going to rise 40 feet, who do they need to get out of the way? What routes are they going to take? Who needs to be notified?" Clemans said. The Army Corps is hosting five closed- door meetings in Lane County in the next several weeks for public officials and the over 500 residents who expressed interest in the maps to Lane County Emergency Management.

(Time to fix an old dam!) Trinchera Irrigation Company is looking to rehab the dam at Mountain Home Reservoir From the Valley Courier (Ruth Heide): coyotegulch.wordpress.com, 3/18/14

A project currently proposed by the Trinchera Irrigation Company, CO would improve Mountain Home Reservoir for all those who enjoy it for recreation and depend on it for irrigation. Constructed in 1908, the dam at Mountain Home in Costilla County is showing its age, according to Trinchera Ditch Superintendent Wayne Schwab who presented a preliminary request for $25,000 from the Rio Grande Roundtable local funding source to perform a feasibility study regarding dam improvements . The irrigation company and Colorado Parks & Wildlife are providing $12,000 in matching funds as well, Schwab said.

He explained that Mountain Home is a popular fishing and wildlife area, so Parks & Wildlife is interested in improving the reservoir. The 47 shareholders in the Trinchera Irrigation Company are also invested in improving the reservoir, which serves as the main water source for the Trinchera Creek drainage. Smith Reservoir is another water source, primarily for folks below the Trinchera drainage, Schwab explained to the Roundtable this week. “Along with supplying irrigation water, the Smith and Mountain Home are State Wildlife Areas, and Mountain Home is a popular fishing area,” Schwab said. There are three gates at the Mountain Home dam, but only one is currently in use, Schwab explained, with the other two not used for decades. The irrigation company’s hope is to put at least one of the other gates back into service. Schwab said the state engineer is strongly recommending the other two gates become operational again, and the irrigation company would like to contract a feasibility study to see how best to do that and improve the reservoir’s efficiency. If the dam was operating more efficiently, water storage levels could be maintained both for irrigators and for Parks & Wildlife to maintain a strong conservation pool for fishing. Schwab said the feasibility study will involve underwater inspections of conduits, valves and valve gates. The engineer performing the study will then provide a few alternatives for improving the dam, which will help establish reliable reservoir elevation levels and water storage. With a stronger conservation pool, Parks & Wildlife can keep fish in the reservoir. Schwab said Parks & Wildlife is looking at ways to improve the area around the reservoir and increase recreational benefits in Costilla County, which has very little public land compared to other counties in the San Luis Valley. Only 2 percent of the county is public land, he said, and the county is one of the poorest counties in the state, so anything that can help generate tourism and revenue would be helpful. In addition to Parks & Wildlife, Trout Unlimited is involved in this 5 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu project, Schwab said, and is interested in ways to improve fishing at the reservoir. Schwab said the groups involved would like to see the project begun next summer. The Roundtable will likely vote on the funding request during its April meeting.

(Some dam cooperation!) Dams to control runoff to keep river low for Wanapum by Russ Hemphill, March 20, 2014, wenatcheeworld.com

NCW — Dam operators along the Columbia River will coordinate flows to keep spring runoff under control and the river low behind Wanapum Dam’s partially fractured spillway. North Central Washington’s late-winter storms have filled the mountains with enough snowpack to produce an estimated runoff season that is slightly above average, the Grant County PUD announced Tuesday in a news release.

(This looks bad. This is awful. The latest reports say they can’t locate 176 people and there are 16 fatalities. They are also cocerned about more slides. Saw a video of a dramatic rescue of a 4 year old boy. Not exactly the kind of dam this Newsletter is about!) Huge Washington Landslide Kills Three and Dams a River By Elisha Fieldstadt, nbcnews.com, 3/22/14

Three people were killed and eight injured in a mile-long landslide north of Seattle that demolished at least six houses Saturday morning, blocked roads and dammed a river, bringing fears of a major flood, officials said. “First responders heard someone inside screaming for help” as the landslide swept a house onto a road in the community of Oso in Snohomish County at approximately 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET) Saturday, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Mark Francis. Among the injured was a 6-month-old in critical condition, according to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The hospital was also treating a 37-year-old male and an 81-year-old man both in critical condition and a 58-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman in serious condition, said spokeswoman Susan Gregg. Another man brought to Harborview died of his injuries, Gregg said. The search for survivors continued into the night. Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said at a news briefing late Saturday that people were still yelling for help, NBC station KING5 of Seattle reported. Earlier, the search involved the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Washington Department of Transportation, and Army Corps of Engineers. The Department of Emergency Management, U.S. Navy and local fire departments were also involved in the search, the DOT said. Portions of State Route 530 were shut down, and the monster mudslide “diverted part of a local river, which started a flood in the area,” Francis said.

6 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu "Very high potential for fast upstream, downstream flooding. Prep now in case you have to leave quickly," the Snohomish County Government warned in a tweet four hours after the initial slide. Officials said reverse 911 calls were sent warning residents of the danger of flooding from the North Fork Stillaguamish River upstream from the slide, as well as the possibility of flooding 12 miles downstream to Arlington should there be a catastrophic breach by the river. Snohomish County officials said in a tweet that hundreds of people could be at risk in the flood plain. "Anyone along the flood plain of the Stillaguamish between Oso and Stanwood should leave," Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement that offered condolences to the victims' families. The commander of the Snohomish County Search & Rescue team told NBC affiliate KING5 that the slide is the largest he's seen in the area in 30 years. The cause of the slide appears to be that the ground was oversaturated by heavy rainfall, the government statement said. Francis said Snohomish County rainfall accumulations have broken records for the month of March. Aerial photos showed a huge chunk of hillside had let loose, falling hundreds of yards into the valley.

Before slide After Slide

Hydro: (Hope they don’t regret this!) FERC goes away Decommissioning of Morris Sheppard Dam approved 03/14/2014, lakecountrysun.com

Thursday, the Brazos River Authority advised that it received notice from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that, effective March 12, surrender of its FERC hydroelectric generation license at Possum Kingdom Lake is complete. The process required decommissioning of the existing hydroelectric generating facility. Decommissioning involved nearly three years of construction to permanently disable the 73-year-old plant’s hydroelectric functions, and required maintaining the ability to provide for water supply releases from the dam. The decommissioning process was initiated in December 2011 with a written application to FERC requesting authorization to permanently cease hydroelectric generation operations at the facility. To meet FERC requirements for surrender, the BRA was directed to permanently disable generation capability. This was accomplished by dismantling the project’s two penstocks (large water pipes) 7 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu that conveyed water from the reservoir to the turbines located inside the powerhouse. In addition, two 6,900-volt circuits which connected the project’s generators to the electrical distribution grid were removed. In accordance with the FERC approved decommissioning process, these actions rendered the facility permanently incapable of generating or delivering power. Included in the decommissioning project was installation of a controlled outlet conduit. This conduit is an 86-inch diameter pipe that allows BRA to release water from the reservoir without the necessity of opening the dam’s floodgates in order to provide water for beneficial uses throughout the basin.

The facility, put into service in 1941, ceased power production in 2007 lakecountrysun.com after evaluation by several engineering firms identified safety issues with the electric generating infrastructure. In light of the extensive upgrades necessary to restore the aging facility for future use, BRA began evaluating the feasibility of maintaining the hydroelectric capability. Ultimately, the BRA Board of Directors voted to apply for decommissioning after conducting extensive economic analysis which concluded that the required renovation, re-licensing and continued operation of the facility was no longer viable.

(Looks like they only develop if they get free tax money! If they end all tax credits hydro will do better.) Hydro plant idea for Chattachoochee shelved by Lance Griffin, March 17, 2014, dothaneagle.com

More than a year of study into the possibility of a hydroelectric power plant on the Chattahoochee River at Andrews Lock and Dam has prompted a local power authority to shelve the idea. Fred Clark, president of the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, told the Dothan Eagle that the authority has decided that the construction of a hydro plant would not be cost effective. “We wanted to give it a little more time but after we looked at this further, we just felt like this would be too costly,” Clark said Friday.

AMEA received a permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2012 to conduct preliminary studies on the project through the end of 2013. Clark said the studies indicated the construction would not be cost effective for three reasons: Lack of availability or uncertainty over renewable energy tax credits. Companies that generate electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar or water are eligible for tax credits that typically amount to a few cents per kilowatt hour for a certain time period in the life of the facility. “Over the last several years, we have come to learn those credits would not be available for the life of the project,” Clark said. “Economically the only way the project would work would be in some sort of a federal subsidy such as using renewable energy credits or other type of energy credits. Uncertainty over water flow issues related to the ongoing water wars between Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The greater the flow of water at the potential plant site, the more potential energy that can be generated. Clark said the uncertainty of the issue made it impossible to predict water flows with any real confidence. Construction costs. In 2012, Clark estimated the cost of the project to be between $30 million and $40 million. “We are looking for resources that are better economically for our customers, not worse,” Clark said. “Thus far, we have not found a renewable product – solar, wind, or hydro -- that we have found to be economical.”

AMEA provides power for several municipalities throughout Alabama, including Dothan. It obtains electricity from several sources, including nuclear (25 percent), coal (45 percent) and a mix of natural gas and hydro for the rest. “We have had the good fortune to have an excellent mix of resources. I believe in time we will have less coal and more natural gas,” Clark said. AMEA’s decision to pass on the project has not dissuaded another firm from looking into the possibility of constructing a hydro plant at Andrews Lock and Dam. Mid-Atlantic Hydro, LLC, based in Chevy Chase, Md., has received a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to study construction of a 12 megawatt plant.

(People talking about this but there are not enough pumped storage built! Why?) 8 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu Pumped hydro offers storage solution for renewables Mar 18, 2014, phys.org

UNSW water engineers are urging the NSW government to consider pumped hydro storage as a way of storing renewable energy to meet the state's future power demands. Pumped storage requires two connected reservoirs. Water is pumped to an elevated reservoir using renewable energy and released during peak demand times, when those renewables are offline, to drive a turbine and rapidly generate hydroelectricity. The UNSW Water Research Laboratory has authored a preliminary report outlining the feasibility of pump storage and identifying various locations across NSW where such installations make sense. They have also built a lab-scale prototype to demonstrate the technology.

"Pumped storage is a proven, cost-effective solution for storing renewable energy and we recommend that the potential for hydroelectric storage in NSW be assessed as a matter of priority," says Associate Professor Bill Peirson, Director of the Water Research Lab. Two major pumped storage facilities in NSW (Tumut 3 Power Station in the Snowy Mountains and the Kangaroo Valley Power Station) have been operating for approximately four decades. "Though well-understood and extensively developed in foreign energy markets, pumped storage is largely under-used in NSW and the Australian Energy Market," says Peirson. However, recent major flooding events in eastern Australia have prompted calls for better flood mitigation infrastructure. If dam infrastructure is upgraded there could be an opportunity to incorporate pumped storage.

Peirson says it will enable the storage of significant reserves of renewable energy, provide resilience to the grid and will enable active use of flood mitigation infrastructure that would otherwise sit idle between major flooding events. The main objections to pumped storage facilities are that land will be intermittently flooded and increased reservoir surface areas will lead to greater water losses due to evaporation. But Peirson says the impacted land will be in river valleys that already experience impacts from existing dam infrastructure, and argues that significant technological advances have been made to reduce evaporation. Furthermore, the principal environmental impacts of existing major dams can be significantly reduced. Major improvements to river fish passage and water quality will be possible if reservoir water levels can be modified by pumped storage. And while hydroelectric storage installations have high up-front costs to construct, they have lifespans exceeding 50 years and operating costs of a few cents per kWhr.

(This could affect every privately-owned hydro project in the country! It’s all about the money.) Vernon, Bellows Falls dam disputes headed to mediation By Mike Faher / Reformer Staff, 03/20/2014, reformer.com

Vernon -- Settlement talks are planned in a complex, long-running dispute over the value of two local hydroelectric stations. Representatives of Vernon, Rockingham and energy giant TransCanada will engage in a mediation session -- possibly in May -- in an attempt to avoid an expensive, time- consuming trial to resolve big differences in appraisals of the Vernon and Bellows Falls dams.

While a TransCanada spokesman said the company hopes for "a mutually agreeable resolution," an attorney representing Vernon said he was "not optimistic" for such an outcome. "We will see what happens at mediation," attorney Richard Coutant said. "I don't know how flexible the company is going to be in terms of a settlement, but we'll find out." TransCanada Hydro Northeast is appealing an "increase in property taxes" on four Vermont generating stations 9 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu -- Bellows Falls, Vernon, Comerford and McIndoes, said Davis Sheremata, a spokesman for the Calgary, Alberta-based company. "The appeals are on similar schedules and raise similar issues because each appeal relates to the values assessed by the towns as of April 1, 2012, and because each of the towns rely on the same appraisal report prepared for the state of Vermont," Sheremata said. Coutant summed it up this way: "Their value and the town's are very different." For the Vernon dam, the town/state appraisal is $39.78 million, while TransCanada thinks the facility should be worth $20.9 million, Coutant said. The Bellows Falls station's numbers are much bigger but similarly far apart: A state appraisal set the value at $108 million in 2012, but TransCanada is arguing for a $62 million value, said Montpelier-based attorney Richard Saudek, who represents Rockingham in the appeal. "The dam that goes across at Bellows Falls is mostly in New Hampshire," Saudek said. "But the lion's share of that generating station is in Vermont. And that's one reason that it's critical to Rockingham, because it's such an expensive piece of property." The appeal also is of no small consequence in Vernon, where TransCanada's tax bill is $448,374, according to the town listers' office. In 2012, after mediation, Vernon and TransCanada reached a tax agreement for the 2011 tax year -- but the company never has agreed with the town's appraisal of the property. "TransCanada is paying in a timely fashion all taxes assessed by the towns while the court actions proceed," Sheremata said. "Recently, TransCanada resolved a property tax dispute with the town of Vernon via mediation." He added that "TransCanada is cooperating with the parties in a mediation process related to pending appeals and hopes a mutually agreeable resolution can be achieved." That's a reference to a planned sit-down that may involve Vernon, Rockingham and also the town of Barnet. Coutant initially had said the session might happen next month, but that's now been pushed to late May -- and no firm date has been set.

Saudek said mediation -- or some sort of alternative dispute resolution -- is "required as a precondition of going to trial in most civil cases." And Coutant said it makes sense to have as many parties as possible involved in the court-ordered meeting with TransCanada and an independent mediator. "We're trying to combine as much of this as possible to keep the expense down," Coutant said. "It doesn't make any sense to have three or more separate mediations with the same attorneys and the same people involved on the same issues." A meeting of the minds, however, does not necessarily mean a resolution of their differences. Coutant told Vernon Selectboard members that TransCanada "has never been terribly flexible or terribly cooperative. So I'm not optimistic that it's going to get settled in mediation for a reasonable value." Vernon Selectboard member Janet Rasmussen was selected to attend the mediation. A member of the listers' office also is expected to participate. "If there is a tentative agreement reached at the mediation, everybody understands that that agreement is not binding unless it's ratified by the full Selectboard," Coutant said. If the matter is not resolved in mediation, however, Coutant expects a date to be set later this year for a trial in Windham Superior Court Civil Division. He added that the state-hired appraiser who set the dams' values -- New Hampshire-based George Sansoucy -- "has been appraising these facilities for a long time" and "feels pretty comfortable that his value is a reasonable, conservative value that will stand up in court."

(CA should be so lucky!) Seattle may get avalanche of cash from renewed snowpack March 19, 2014 | By Joel Connelly, blog.seattlepi.com

The Northwest’s electrical utilities were singing the weather blues two months ago, in the midst of a dry January with the mountain snowpack at less than half its normal level through much of the Cascades and neighboring mountain ranges.

After record mountain snows in February, however, Seattle City Light is looking at green in all the white stuff, namely a healthy runoff that will allow the city- 10 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu owned utility to sell as much as $19 million worth of power. Spring runoff in Northwest streams is the sound of money. The region has power to sell, much of it — as former Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus wonderfully puts it — so Californians can “run their air conditioners and heat all those hot tubs.” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, he of more conventional expression, said Wednesday: “Seattle is fortunate to have a well-run, publicly owned electrical utility where improvements in the bottom line are shared directly with all customer owners.” In plain English, that means no surcharge on Seattle customers.

What a late winter it has been, a dank, cold December that arrived in February and early March. As of mid-February, the snowpack at Snoqualmie Pass was 72 percent of normal; by this week, it stood at 108 percent. Utilities measure the snow. It is the source for the region’s low-cost hydroelectric power, water for the Columbia and Yakima irrigation districts, and river flow to speed young salmon past dams in the Columbia-Snake River system and out into the Pacific Ocean. Remote, 6,198-foot Harts Pass sits at the Cascade Crest above the Methow Valley. The snow melt flowing west finds its way into City Light’s hydroelectric system on the Skagit River. The melt headed east eventually passes through nine dams on the Columbia River. The Harts Pass snowpack, as of Wednesday, was 118 percent of normal. At remote Beaver Pass in the North Cascades National Park, a divide between two streams that drain into Ross Lake, the snowpack is at 114 percent of normal. The snowpack in northeast Washington and northern Idaho is well above normal. While it enjoys a much lower profile than 505-foot-high Ross Dam, Boundary Dam on the Pend Oreille River is actually City Light’s largest generator of electricity. It is located at the far northeast corner of the state, just south of the U.S.-Canada border. “While any forecast can and will change based on how much electricity we can produce and the price we can get for that power, we are in a much better position than we were earlier in the year,” said Seattle City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco.

Water:

Environment: (Guess it’s something to gawk at. Let’s hope they fix it soon!) Deputies Patrol Wanapum Dam Reservoir Shoreline Mar 15, 2014, Jane Sander, Reporter, kulr8.com

Vantage, WA - The crack in Wanapum Dam is attracting a lot of curious people who want to take a look at the shockingly low water levels. But deputies will now patrol the area to keep people away from the reservoir's exposed shoreline. Visitors taking in the site of the extremely low water levels along the Wanapum Dam reservoir shoreline should know to stay back. Patrols are underway to 11 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu enforces laws prohibiting people from trespassing. Deputies from Grant, Kittitas, Douglas and Chelan counties, along with officers from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are now under contract with the Grant PUD to patrol the shoreline. They want to remind people public- access boat launches, recreation sites and beaches are all closed.

There were several people on Friday at the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Interpretive Center lookout point. They made the drive from locations across the region to take in the sight. "Once in a lifetime experience because just he water being down so low. I don't think I'll ever get to see this again," said Andy Kroll, who drove from the Tri-Cities. "They've got it pretty much blocked off. You can't go down there any more to look around. Just be interesting to see what's out here," said Charlie Robertson, who made the trip from Ellensburg. Grant PUD wants people to use lookout points to view the impressive sight rather than going down to the shoreline. Officials say the shoreline is too dangerous at this time for the public. Some other areas open to view the site are Priest Rapids Recreation Area, Buckshot Recreation and Wildlife Area and the Wanapum Dam Overlook.

(Don’t know if this is interesting but at least the mafia wasn’t involved like a reservoir find in New England.) HUMAN BONES FOUND BEHIND WANAPUM DAM MAR 14, 2014 | occupyilluminati.com

There has been a second set of bones found behind the Wanapum Dam in central Washington State. Last month the dam had concerning damage come to light, currently that is still the issue. Near Vantage, Wash. — Contractors are now on top of the Wanapum Dam near Vantage. They are drilling into a concrete pier next to a spillway, trying to figure out what caused a 65-foot-long crack in that pier. They are also trying to figure out how to fix it. These remains were found by people exploring the area behind the dam. This is the second set of bones since the dam’s repair process, likely as old as the first set unearthed. After the first set of bones was found, Coroner Craig Morrison said they were different from modern people’s bones. He noted the shape and wear-pattern on the teeth, which he said, might indicate that the person who died was eating a completely different diet from modern humans. Source- Yakima .Herald

While bones do churn up in such situations, the find is spiking questions of their history and concerns for the remains. In the conclusion so far, due to the observation of wear pattern and tooth shape, is said that these are not remains of modern humans. This news will likely bring up the discussion, the site already becoming more and more popular, and conclusions linking the remains too such as the Clovis and Ainu people. Similarly and in Namesake is the Kennewick man’s remains which were found nearly 20 years ago on the banks of the Columbia River. They are named from the location of Kennewick, Washington, which is downriver from the Vantage, Wash. damn area. These remain under an ongoing study. The first set of bones are male, the second, still unknown. As far as the rest of the information about the remains, and same as the first set of bones, these are expected to be released to the Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation As of now there are patrols in the area, consisting miles of coverage, protecting the Wanapum Dam’s dig site. River guards and Native Americans are trying to educate ever- increasing numbers of gawkers and explorers that tampering with Native American or historical sites is against the law, and disrupting a gravesite is a felony.

(Fixing the dam is the priority! This complicates it.) Wanapum Dam Crack: With Spring Chinook On the Way Upstream Fish Passage High Priority Columbia Basin Bulletin, thedalleschronicle.com, March 15, 2014

Fish protections, irrigator access and hydro power generation are chief among the concerns at the mid-Columbia River’s Wanapum Dam, where on Feb. 27 a 65-foot long horizontal crack was discovered at one of the facility’s 12 spillways. Grant County Public Utility District, the dam’s owner, opted for a steep drawdown of the reservoir behind the hydro project to reduce pressure 12 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu on the damaged spill structure. The utility reported last week that steep drawdown to, at minimum, 541 feet elevation has served to stabilize the cracked spillway pier monolith. The Wanapum Dam forebay elevation had been maintaining at an average elevation of 568 feet through February. The drawdown is the steepest ever since the dam when into operation in 1964. The resulting reduced “head” has cut the dam’s hydro production capabilities in half. Water pressure drives the turbines. “There isn’t as much force, potential energy, above the dam,” said Grant spokesman Chuck Allen.

At the current reservoir level, the gravity fed fish ladders are left high and dry, and even if they weren’t salmon would now have a long drop once exiting the top of the ladders. Fish biologists, engineers, and stakeholders are developing plans to modify the two fish ladders at Wanapum Dam to allow migrating salmon and steelhead to safely pass the dam when the adult spring Chinook salmon run begins in mid-April. Over the course of the spring, summer and fall, Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon, steelhead, bull trout, lamprey, shad and other fish species pass over the dam. Wild spring Chinook and steelhead stocks, as well as bull trout, are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Such ladder fixes could include the installation of a water pumping system to feed the ladders and potentially some sort of slide to ease the fishes’ exit into the Wanapum pool. The utility is also evaluating plans for capturing and transporting adult fish around the reservoir. Even at current reservoir levels, downstream juvenile fish passage will occur as it has in the past. If the Wanapum pool is drawn down for any length of time, it could cause problems for spawning salmon and steelhead that need access to Rock Island fish ladders. Rock Island, owned by Chelan PUD, is the next project upstream from Wanapum. Grant is collaborating with other PUD and federal dam operators to assure adequate flows down through the system. The Hanford Reach below Grant’s Priest Rapids Dam will not likely be greatly affected, though Wanapum reservoir’s limited storage capabilities has been called on to make sure flows downstream were adequate to keep fall Chinook salmon eggs covered with water, and also protect fry that emerge from those eggs. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Bill Tweit called Wanapum pool “a 24-hour storage tool” that has been called on in the past to supplement downstream flows. The most utilized tool is Grand Coulee Dam 200 miles upstream. Its reservoir, Lake Roosevelt, has the most storage capacity in the mid-Columbia. Grand Coulee is operating throughout the winter and early spring to provide water to cover Hanford Reach, as well as chum eggs farther downstream. Because of spring chinook returns that are imminent, “upstream passage is our first priority,” Tweit told the Northwest Power and Conservation Council on Wednesday. He filled the Council in on fish return projections for 2014. Trapping and hauling fish, particularly late in the summer season, is likely not a top option, Tweit said. Sockeye salmon spawners, which migrate in summer toward the Okanogan and Wenatchee river basins, in particular are known often to be negatively affected by overhandling.

An evaluation of Wanapum Dam’s spillway pier monolith No. 4 is under way, with Grant PUD and contractors conducting studies to determine the fracture’s geometry, according to a Grant PUD press release. The evaluation is expected to continue through next week. Once complete, the utility, along with an independent board of consultants and officials from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, will use the data to determine the best way to begin repairing the dam and raising the level of the reservoir. Grant PUD is working in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Ecology to ensure that irrigators with land-use authorizations for surface- water withdrawals from the Wanapum reservoir have information and technical assistance they need to prepare for the upcoming irrigation season. The 11 orchard irrigators affected by the reservoir drawdown have been contacted individually by Grant PUD. Affected irrigators can access information from the Department of Ecology on a web page devoted to the situation at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/dams/wanapum.html. Grant PUD continues working with the sheriff’s offices of Grant, Chelan, Douglas and Kittitas counties to enforce the closure of the Wanapum reservoir shoreline to the public. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has also closed its public-access sites on the shoreline and has increased patrol efforts. Sections of the shoreline, including the riverbank and mud flats are extremely unstable and have proven to be a serious safety hazard. The Wanapum Lower Boat Launch, Wanapum Heritage Center and day- use park remain closed. Facilitating safe public recreation on the reservoir is one of Grant PUD’s goals as it moves forward in its response to the situation at Wanapum Dam. The utility has 13 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu reopened public-access sites on the Priest Rapids reservoir, including the Priest Rapids Recreation Area at Desert Aire and the Buckshot Recreation and Wildlife Area. The Wanapum Dam Overlook is also open.

Methods used during the analysis of the fracture include precise drilling into the monolith, ground- penetrating radar and echo-imaging technology. Utilizing each form of technology allows the utility to determine the location and geometry of the fracture, according to Grant PUD. Experts from the utility, a board of independent consultants and officials from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will use the data from the investigation to determine how best to move forward to repair the structure and possibly raise the elevation of the Wanapum reservoir to an intermediate level during the restoration phase. Allen said that a boost of the reservoir level up to 560 feet would make the fish ladders operable. No additional damage to the dam was found during a thorough inspection, other than some minor surface damage on spillways neighboring monolith No. 4. To repair spillway pier No. 4, Grant PUD is exploring the possibility of using steel strand anchors that are drilled from the top of the dam through the concrete structure into bedrock. The steel strand anchors would be set into place with a specialized, high-strength grout, the utility says. Data from the ongoing evaluation of the structure will help determine if this process would be an effective way to repair the spillway pier. The independent board of consultants and FERC will also evaluate the data and must approve any action before it is implemented by Grant PUD. The utility is also working with Chelan PUD and other dam operators on the Columbia River, along with federal, state and local agencies, as well as tribes and other stakeholders impacted by the drawdown.

(What will think of next? Does that thing make caviar?) MIT's robot fish is nearly as speedy and squishy as the real thing By Jon Fingas, March 13th, 2014, engadget.com

Robot fish are typically pale imitations at best -- even when they move quickly, they don't move all that gracefully. MIT's new soft robotic fish should be much closer to the real animal, however. Instead of relying on rigid joints and motors to swim, the new fish wiggles its tail fin by inflating a channel with carbon dioxide. The switch to pressure- based power results in not just more natural-looking movement, but the kind of explosive energy that you'd expect from an undersea critter; a strong CO2 blast will turn the robot 100 degrees in an instant. The current design is built more for speed than longevity, but MIT's researchers foresee a longer-lasting model that could follow schools of real fish and study them without drawing attention. See the video: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/13/mit-soft-robotic- fish/?ncid=rss_truncated

(The big deal gets more complicated each day! Let’s add global warming and make it more complex) Tribes talk salmon, dams as Columbia River Treaty renewal looms By Becky Kramer The Spokesman-Review, March 19, 2014 in Idaho, spokesman.com

Northwest tribes and their Canadian counterparts are meeting in Historic runs Spokane this week to discuss engineering solutions for getting salmon over Grand Coulee Dam. Returning chinook, sockeye The Upper Columbia River was and steelhead to the upper Columbia River is a long-standing once home to prolific salmon dream for indigenous people on both sides of the border. When and steelhead runs, with some fish traveling 1,300 miles to the 550-foot-tall dam began operation in 1942 without fish spawn in the river’s headwaters. 14 The annual harvest from the Upper Columbia once numbered Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program:between http://npdp.stanford.edu 980,000 and 1.6 million fish. ladders, it cut off access to hundreds of miles of upstream habitat, delivering the final blow to a fishery already weakened by overharvest on the lower river. “We all know that our biggest challenge is Grand Coulee, because it’s such a big dam,” said Paul Lumley, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission in Portland. But it’s a worthy challenge, Lumley told 120 people gathered for the three-day technical workshop at Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, which kicked off Tuesday. “I certainly hope to see (the salmon return) in my lifetime,” he said. “It’s not just about tribal culture, it’s for all citizens of the Columbia Basin. We all care about the fish.”

Renegotiation of the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the U.S. and Canada created the opening for discussing fish passage over Grand Coulee. Federal agencies, Northwest states and 16 Indian tribes favor amending the treaty to address ecosystem functions, such as salmon and climate change. The treaty, which governs flood control and hydropower generation on the Columbia, is up for possible renegotiation beginning this fall. The tribes and Canada’s First Nations are pushing for fish passage at Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams on the Columbia, and at three Canadian dams: Hugh Keenleyside, Brilliant and Waneta. They favor pilot-scale reintroductions of fish and said identifying funding for the work should be discussed by the U.S. and Canada during treaty negotiations. Innovative engineering for getting salmon over high dams is already occurring in smaller watersheds in the basin, said D.R. Michel, executive director for the Upper Columbia United Tribes. Tuesday’s session featured discussions of trapping and transporting fish around dams, as well as methods for getting them safely through dams. Speakers also discussed where good salmon habitat remains upstream of Grand Coulee. With the climate projected to warm, returning salmon to historical spawning grounds in British Columbia becomes critical, said Bill Green, director of the Canadian Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission.

Under climate change modeling, precipitation becomes more uncertain and stream temperatures are expected to warm, Green said. But British Columbia will continue to have glacier-fed streams that will provide cold water for spawning, he said. The Upper Columbia River was once home to prolific salmon and steelhead runs, with some fish traveling 1,300 miles to spawn in the river’s headwaters. The annual harvest from the Upper Columbia once numbered between 980,000 and 1.6 million fish, said Sheri Sears, a policy analyst for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Salmon was a daily part of tribal members’ diets and integral to culture and religion. “Without an opportunity to catch salmon, tradition skills and knowledge associated with the harvest, preparation, and use of the fish … is being lost,” the tribes and First Nations wrote in a recent policy paper. The potential for restoring salmon over Grand Coulee also raises the possibility of salmon returning to the Spokane River, said Matt Wynne, a Spokane tribal council member. The Spokanes once trapped salmon at Little Falls by building rock barriers partway across the river and spearing fish caught in weirs. They also fished at the Spokane River’s confluence with the Little Spokane and Latah Creek. However, three dams owned by Avista Utilities blocked fish passage on the lower Spokane River even before Grand Coulee was built. The tribe is starting to analyze what it would take to restore salmon to the Spokane River system, Wynne said. The Little Spokane River in particular still has good habitat, he said. Fish Experts Plan A Salmon Water Slide On Cracked Wanapum Dam By Anna King, Northwest News Network | March 20, 2014, opb.org

The ongoing issue with the cracked Wanapum Dam in central Washington is now creating a problem for migrating salmon. The drawdown of water between the Wanapum and the Rock Island dams to relieve pressure on the crack means the water levels are down about 25 feet at the base of both dams. That leaves fish ladders high and dry. Now, government fish scientists and engineers are trying to figure out just how to get adult 15 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu salmon by both hulking concrete structures. At Wanapum, engineers plan to pump water into the fish ladder and create a sort of waterslide for salmon. Russell Langshaw, a fisheries scientist with Grant County utility district that owns and operates Wanapum, says record numbers of fish are headed that way, so they have to get it figured out by mid-April. “We have a lot of fish coming back this year, and we agree it’s an absolute necessity that we have safe and effective passage at both Wanapum and Rock Island dams.” Langshaw says the smaller, juvenile fish are expected to be fine. They’re going downstream, and can move through the spillways and turbines.

  Other Stuff: (No one knows how to fix. They aren’t a power company! It’s a hospital!) Veterans Affairs wind turbine, built for $2.3 million, stands dormant By Tom Steward, March 20, 2014, watchdog.org

St. Cloud, Minn. – A $2.3 million federal stimulus project at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud is giving green energy initiatives a bad name. A 600-kilowatt wind turbine -- some 245 foot tall -- stands on the wintry VA grounds, frozen in time and temperature, essentially inoperable for the past 1 1/2 years. No one is working to fix it, though many attempts were made to repair the turbine, once billed as a model green energy project.

"The St. Cloud VA is a hospital, and our focus is on our patients and we like to think that we treat our veterans very well here," said Barry Venable, a public affairs officer for the VA in St. Cloud. "We're embarrassed that this turbine does not operate as advertised." That's quite the about-face from the buildup in December 2009 over the announcement of the central Minnesota turbine, the lone Department of Veterans Affairs project included in the White House document touting President Obama's executive order for federal agencies to lead the way on renewable energy. "Throughout the Federal Government, agencies are already leading by example toward building a clean energy economy. This document outlines some examples of projects, many of which leverage Recovery Act funding, that will drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and create new private-sector clean energy jobs," states an administration document called "E.O. 13514: Agencies Leading by Example." Today, critics call the solo St. Cloud wind turbine a leading example of something else -- the failure of federal stimulus spending to deliver on renewable energy initiatives. "It's another example of stimulus money going after bad projects that make no economic sense. The VA in St. Cloud shouldn't be in the electricity business," said Peter Nelson, director of public policy at the Center of the American Experiment. "We already have utilities in Minnesota who are in the utilities business who know the best areas in Minnesota for setting up wind turbines and know how to maintain them."

16 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu 17 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu 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.