Upper Pitt River Water Power Project

Project Description

Upper Pitt River Water Power Project

Project Description

Submitted to:

BC Environmental Assessment Office 2nd Floor 836 Yates Street Victoria, BC V8W 9V1

February 9 2007

Pitt River Power Project

Proponent Information

The proponent for the Upper Pitt River Project is:

Northwest Cascade Power Ltd. 202-4882 Delta Street Delta, BC V4K 2T8 Tel. 604-946-9232 Fax. 604-946-9250

Northwest Cascade Power Ltd. (NWCP) is incorporated in and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Run of River Power Inc. Run of River Power Inc. is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ROR. Run of River Power Inc. owns Rockford Energy Corp., which owns and operates the 7.6 MW Brandywine Hydro facility near Whistler, BC.

The proponent’s lead contact is R.G. “Jako” Krushnisky at the above address and phone number and at [email protected]. The proponent’s regulatory contact for the application is Iain Cuthbert (Barkley Project Group Ltd.) at 250-390-2627 and at [email protected].

Page 1 Pitt River Power Project

General Background Information

The proposed project consists of seven run-of-the-river water power projects with a combined capacity of 161 MW (see Table 1). Electricity generated by the seven projects will be interconnected through a common substation and transferred to the BCTC electrical grid via a 138 kV or 230 kV transmission line (the “Transmission Line”). The combined capacity of the project exceeds the 50 MW environmental threshold for a reviewable project as specified under Part 4 of the Reviewable Projects Regulation.

The project will generate clean, ‘green’, renewable energy, for which there is a growing demand in British Columbia and North America. The power will be sold into the electricity market, primarily to BC Hydro, who is seeking independent power producers to generate and supply electrical energy to help meet growing demands in the Province.

The project streams are adjacent tributaries to the Upper Pitt River, located approximately 35 km north of in Area F of the Regional District (Figure 1). The geographic centre of the project is approximately 49o40’12”N; 122 o41’45”W.

Page 2 Pitt River Power Project

Project Overview

The project entails development of seven run-of-river water power projects on tributaries to the Upper Pitt River. The tributaries proposed for development (listed from north to south on the west side of the valley) are Bucklin Creek, Steve Creek, Pinecone Creek, Homer Creek and Boise Creek. On the east side of the valley Shale Creek and Corbold Creek have been proposed for development. Corbold Creek will have two intakes, including one on the mainstem and one on the main tributary, East Corbold Creek (not gazetted).

A map of the hydropower project locations and transmission route options is provided in Figure 1; Figure 2 shows the proposed projects in a watershed context. Preliminary estimates of project hydrology and power characteristics are summarized in Table 1. A summary of preliminary project arrangements is provided in Table 2. Photographs are provided in Appendix I.

Table 1. Upper Pitt River Project Preliminary Hydrology & Power Summary.

Stream Intake MAD Design Q Capacity (MW) Energy (m3/s) (m3/s) (GWh/yr) Bucklin 4.3 8.0 35 119 Steve 1.2 2.5 16 49 Pinecone 2.6 4.5 23 82 Homer 1.6 3.0 15 48 Boise 7.7 12.2 26 83 Shale 1.9 3.6 16 55 Corbold 6.4 9.4 15 61 East Corbold 2.2 3.4 15 57 (ZZ) Total 161 554

Table 2. Upper Pitt River Project Preliminary Arrangement Summary.

Stream Intake Powerhouse Powerhouse Penstock Penstock Elevation Elevation (m) Location Location Length (m) (m) Bucklin 733 140 LB LB 4524 Steve 1010 110 LB LB 3300 Pinecone 785 100 LB LB 3632 Homer 770 90 LB LB 3678 Boise 353 61 LB LB 3368 Shale 844 240 LB LB 3558 Corbold 282 67 RB RB 3055 East 660 67 Uses Corbold LB, Crosses 5682 Corbold powerhouse Corbold Cr. (ZZ) at 45 m elevation LB = left bank; RB = right bank.

Page 3 Pitt River Power Project

Project Components

The high elevation intake/diversion works at each creek will consist of a reinforced concrete weir and sluiceway; earth flanks with rock armouring, trash racks and screens. Intakes will be screened using a Coanda-style wedge wire screen with a 1 mm to 2 mm spacing.

Access roads and penstock routes will make the best possible use of the existing forest road infrastructure throughout the watershed. Some new road construction, road upgrades and a road use agreement with the forest licensee, the Teal-Jones Group will be required.

The penstocks for the seven projects total approximately 30.8 km in length and will be buried where practicable. Penstock segments will be constructed of HDPE plastic, fiberglass reinforced plastic, iron ductile and steel pipe based on pressure rating and location as required by the Project Engineer.

Pelton turbines will be used to generate electricity. Powerhouses will be located adjacent to the tributary streams and situated above the 200 year flood plain level of the Pitt River. The discharge from the powerhouse will be returned directly to the stream of origin via an open, rock lined tailrace channel to ensure total gas pressure equilibration occurs before returning to the stream. Powerhouses and switchyard sites will occupy approximately 1 ha to 1.5 ha at each site or 7 ha to 10.5 ha in total.

Two Transmission Line route options are currently under study: the preferred option is to be selected by the end of February, 2007. Option 1 is for the individual projects to connect into a common electrical sub-station located at Steve Creek via approximately 20.2 km of 25 kV transmission line running along the forestry mainline road.

Option 2 is for the individual projects to connect into a common electrical sub- station located at Corbold Creek via approximately 10.1 km of 25 kV transmission line, joining into 10.5 km of 69 kV transmission line. With Option 2 the transmission lines would run along the forestry mainline road.

The electricity will be connected to the power grid through one of two Transmission Line route options: (1) traveling west 42.3 km to connect with the Cheekye sub-station in Squamish, or (2) traveling south 53.9 km to connect with the Coast Meridian substation near . Each of these options is currently the subject of an electrical engineering feasibility study, which includes consultations with BC Hydro and the British Columbia Transmission Corporation.

Transmission Line Option 1 entails 8.6 km of new transmission right of way, 44 km of transmission along existing forest roads and 9.9 km adjacent to the BCTC

Page 4 Pitt River Power Project

5L45 500 kV transmission line. The alignment includes a 4.3 km crossing of Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, requiring a park boundary amendment.

Transmission Line Option 2 entails 0.7 km of new transmission right of way across land, 32.2 km of new transmission right of way across water, 31.2 km of transmission along existing forest roads and 11.5 km adjacent to the BCTC 500 kV transmission line. The alignment includes 32.2 km of submarine cable along Pitt River and , and a 5.2 km crossing of Pinecone Burke Provincial Park adjacent to the BCTC 500 kV transmission line, where widening of the right of way (ROW) would require a park boundary amendment. In general, widening along existing transmission line right of way would entail clearing an additional 30 m to 40 m.

Both transmission route options include crossings of fish-bearing streams, including two crossings of the upper Pitt River. Most of the Option 2 route would entail submarine cable and a Fisheries Act authorization would likely be required for the cable landings.

Project Construction

The projects will require approximately $330M capital investment and are expected to be constructed sequentially during 2009 to 2015.

Due to the remote location of the project and lack of road access, temporary lodging arrangements will be made to accommodate project personnel. Local residents and commercial tourism operators have expressed an interest in helping to provide lodgings.

The Provincial Input Output Model was used to estimate the economic benefits associated with the project. Estimated direct, indirect and induced benefits include 1,950 person years of direct and indirect employment, $129M GDP, $14.8M Provincial tax revenues and $12M federal tax revenues.

A detailed Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be prepared containing routine and site-specific environmental impact mitigation measures and emergency preparedness and response plans. Construction in environmentally sensitive areas will be overseen by a qualified environmental monitor.

Potential Impacts

Detailed fish, wildlife and terrain stability studies commenced in 2006 and are ongoing. The projects are expected to have low environmental impacts and are to be certified as ‘green’ power projects under the Environment Canada sanctioned EcologoTM brand.

Page 5 Pitt River Power Project

The Upper Pitt River supports stocks of all five species of Pacific salmon as well as coastal cutthroat, rainbow and steelhead trout. The system also supports populations of Dolly Varden and bull trout (char) and hybrids of the two species. Non-salmonid species that may occur in the watershed Upper Pitt River include white sturgeon, longfin pygmy smelt and mountain whitefish.

Of the seven proposed projects only Boise Creek has fish (hybrid Dolly Varden/bull trout) present at the intake location and throughout the diversion reach. The intake structure at Boise Creek will occupy approximately 100 m2 of fish habitat, and will include a fish ladder or similar design feature to enable resident fish to migrate past the weir. The intake weir and related in-stream works at Boise Creek will require authorization under the Federal Fisheries Act. Fish conservation release flows necessary to support fish populations will be provided in diversion reaches, and will be determined based on applicable provincial instream flow standards.

In five of the eight streams the diversion reach will overlap with fish habitat. The final powerhouse locations are presently under study. All of the projects propose to situate the powerhouse close to (within 471 m) or upstream of the limits of anadromous fish bearing waters. Fish species whose distribution may overlap with the lower diversion reaches include Dolly Varden, bull trout, rainbow trout, steelhead, coho, and possibly sockeye salmon. Fish conservation releases based on detailed instream flow studies will be established to ensure that sufficient flows are provided to maintain aquatic productivity in diversion reaches.

Anadromous Fish Anadromous Stream Powerhouse Location Habitat / Diversion Fish Barrier Reach Overlap (m) Distance upstream from Pitt River (m) Boise 1571 1100 471 Bucklin 350 230 120 Corbold 1068 1150 0 East Corbold* N/A N/A 0 Homer 625 528 97 Pinecone 520 100 420 Shale 1013 1080 0 Steve 317 240 77 total 1185 average 148 * tributary to Corbold Creek. No fish.

Photographs showing general stream and riparian habitat conditions, fish barriers, and portions of transmission line route Option 1 in Pinecone Burke Park are provided under separate cover in Appendix I.

Page 6 Pitt River Power Project

The project area contains diverse terrestrial ecosystems, habitats and species. Several Provincially red and blue listed species have been identified that have the potential to occur in the project area. Many of the blue and red listed wildlife species are common and actually yellow listed; it is only particular sub-species that have the higher (red or blue) rankings. In most cases it is not known whether it is the common species or the relatively rare sub-species which occur in the project area, and the scope of the wildlife studies does not include attempting to collect DNA samples for these determinations.

For the most part, the blue listed species that have been documented in the course of project studies are generally common and widely distributed throughout the region. These include coastal tailed frog, red-legged frog, coastal cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden char, bull trout, barn swallow, Western screech owl (depending on sub-species), green heron, great blue heron (depending on sub- species), band-tailed pigeon and Roosevelt elk. Wolverine and grizzly bear are blue listed but not common.

Red-listed species documented in the study area include white sturgeon (the lower population is red listed), pygmy longfin smelt (Pitt Lake), marbled murrelet, peregrine falcon (depending on sub-species), Northern goshawk (depending on sub-species), and spotted owl.

Species that have been reported or observed in the project area that are listed in Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) include marbled murrelet, peregrine falcon (depending on sub-species), spotted owl (reported in Garibaldi Park), Western screech owl (depending on sub-species), great blue heron (depending on sub-species), coastal tailed frog and monarch butterfly. It is not known whether the sub-species listed in SARA Schedule 1 are present.

Field surveys have not confirmed the presence of red and blue listed plant species or vegetation communities: additional surveys are scheduled for late spring and early summer 2007.

Preliminary indications are that impacts to terrestrial wildlife will be limited to disturbance during construction and some permanent loss of terrestrial habitats where project infrastructure is constructed.

Land Use Setting

The project streams are adjacent tributaries to the Upper Pitt River, located approximately 35 km north of Pitt Meadows in Area F of the Fraser Valley Regional District (Figure 1). The Pitt River lies primarily within the traditional territory of the Katzie First Nation, although other First Nations have overlapping territorial land claims.

Page 7 Pitt River Power Project

There is no road access to the upper Pitt River; access is by boat or by air. A boat launch is situated at Grant Narrows at the south end of Pitt Lake. It is 25 km by boat from Grant Narrows to the north end of the lake where a barge landing facility is operated by The Teal-Jones Group. A logging road runs north on the east side of the river, providing access to local residences and recreational lots, the Pitt River Lodge and the Teal-Jones logging camp. It is approximately 9 km north from the head of the lake to Corbold Creek, the southernmost of the seven hydropower projects. All streams except Homer Creek have logging road access to the powerhouse site, though road improvements are needed.

From a navigational perspective, the project streams are not known to be used for kayaking due to in part the sites remote location and lack of access. In general, most diversion reaches are not navigable, due to confined steep canyon walls, numerous high waterfalls and debris jams and other natural hazards to navigation.

There are two ways in which a project can be reviewed and processed under the federal Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA). The ‘Work Assessment’ process is used for exceptions made under Subsection 5(2) of the Act for works that “do not substantially interfere with navigation”, whereas ‘Formal Approval’ applies to all other works under Subsection 5(1) of the NWPA. Preliminary field investigations and consideration of local uses indicate that the proposed works do not substantially interfere with navigation and will require a ‘Work Assessment’ approval. Additional studies to verify initial findings are concurrently being undertaken. Project construction will entail use of existing and possibly new bridges in the watershed, and the barge landing facilities at Pitt Lake.

Forest harvesting is the primary industrial activity in the valley and most of the watershed in the vicinity of the project streams has been logged. The town of Alvin was established on DL 3174 at the turn of the 20th century. In 1955 BC Forest Products moved the town to DL 2573 and constructed a log sort at DL 3174. In the 1980’s the town was replaced with a logging camp by Fletcher Challenge, and in 1993 Teal-Jones acquired the forestry licenses for the area.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a parcel of land at the mouth of Corbold Creek where a fish hatchery is located. The hatchery is no longer operating, but there is a side channel that uses licensed water withdrawal from the creek. This use will not be affected by the proposed hydropower project at Corbold Creek.

Mineral claims are present at Corbold and Boise creeks, and there is a no- staking reserve at the fish hatchery site at Corbold Creek. There is one licensed trapper for the watershed, and the Pitt River Lodge is the licensed fishing guide outfitter for the area. The Pitt River Lodge is a recreational destination facility providing fishing, hiking and rafting tours. There are several private lots in the vicinity of the lodge and Pitt Lake.

Page 8 Pitt River Power Project

Consultation Activities

Initial consultations with First Nations, local governments, stakeholders and the public commenced in 2006 and are ongoing. Consultation with the Katzie First Nation included an introductory meeting in August 2006 and a formal presentation to Chief and Council in November 2006. The general scope of the project has been discussed with the Chief of the Squamish First Nation. Discussions have been initiated with the Katzie and Squamish First Nations in regard to creating a Protocol and Public Consultation Process outline. All First Nations whose traditional territory claims may include any portion of the project area have been contacted and provided with project summary information. Bands that have been contacted include Katzie, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Sto:Lo, In- SHUCK-ch, Tsawassen and Douglas Band.

Meetings to introduce the project and establish communications with local governments were held with the District of Pitt Meadows, the Fraser Valley Regional District and the District of Squamish, and meetings have been scheduled with other local governments. Initial discussions have been held with representatives of BC Parks, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, BC Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office.

Public information open house sessions were advertised in local media and held in Pitt Meadows and Squamish, and were attended by representatives of First Nations, local governments, non-government organizations (NGO’s) and the public. Upper Pitt River local residents were invited to a special information session, and a meeting was held with the Pitt River Lodge owners to share project information and hear the concerns of the key tourism industry operator in the upper valley.

NWCP has established an internet web site, available at the following address: www.runofriverpower.com/projects/pitt.shtml. The site has been created to provide ongoing information to stakeholders and the public. The web site includes a Comment Form and a Request for Information Form for interested parties to submit their comments and request additional information.

Ongoing public information sessions are being planned to provide additional opportunities for the public and interested stakeholders to comment on the proposed development. A second round of public information sessions is planned for April or May 2007. A series of workshops are being scheduled with local interest groups to provide additional opportunities for input and to discuss potential project impacts and mitigation strategies.

Page 9 Pitt River Power Project

Proposed Development Schedule

NWCP expects to submit the final study Terms of Reference to the Environmental Assessment Office in April 2007, and the Project Application in July 2007.

NWCP plans to sell power generated by the proposed projects to BC Hydro in response to the utility’s anticipated Call for Power in fall, 2007.

Construction is expected to commence in 2009; projects will be constructed sequentially and are expected to be completed in 2015.

Required Permits and Approvals

Several permits and approvals will be sought concurrent to the BCEAA Project Certificate. Both transmission line route options cross Pinecone Burke Provincial Park and will require a park boundary amendment.

Key Federal approvals will include:

Fisheries Act – Authorization under Section 35 Navigable Waters Protection Act – Authorization.

Various Provincial and local government permits and approvals will be required for construction, and will be sought at the appropriate times.

Concurrent permitting will be sought for the following key Provincial licenses and tenures:

Water Act – Water Licenses Land Act – Land Tenures

Page 10