DOCSLIB.ORG

(COE1) Comments/Responsens/Attachments U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
(COE1) Comments/Responsens/Attachments U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Idaho Power Company Responses to Comments U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS—COE1 Hells Canyon Complex Page 1 Responses to Comments Idaho Power Company U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—COE1 Page 2 Hells Canyon Complex Idaho Power Company Responses to Comments U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—COE1 Hells Canyon Complex Page 3 Responses to Comments Idaho Power Company U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—COE1 Page 4 Hells Canyon Complex Idaho Power Company Responses to Comments RESPONSE TO COMMENT COE1-1 Comment noted. Please see Exhibit B for more information regarding IPC’s proposal for flood control requirements in the license application. RESPONSE TO COMMENT COE1-2 The flood control routine incorporated into the CHEOPS operations model uses the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s (ACOE) 1998 modified procedure. This methodology is presented in Exhibit B. The flood control target elevations calculated by the model are based on observed flows through the HCC, providing a theoretical drawdown of Brownlee Reservoir during this period. This theoretical drawdown is not influenced by day-to-day influences or human intervention. By establishing this theoretical operation, other reservoir operation scenario comparisons can be made on a consistent basis. It is not IPC’s intention to change the general flood control requirements for the HCC in the new license. IPC is currently working with Chan Modini of the ACOE’s Hydrologic Engineering Branch (in Portland, OR) to develop an updated flood control article for the new license. The article would be based on the 1998 modified procedure for determining the flood control draft at Brownlee Reservoir. The modified procedure generally maintains the same level of flood control that is in the current license. In recent discussions with the ACOE about their HCC DLA comments, the ACOE indicated that winter flood control would be needed infrequently, if at all; would best be handled on a case-by-case basis; and would not necessarily need to be part of the license article. If language for a flood control article is completed before submittal of the FLA, it will be included therein. RESPONSE TO COMMENT COE1-3 In the summer of 1988, the ACOE agreed that 6,500 cfs was the safe flow for navigation on the Hells Canyon reach of the Snake River. Although 5,000 cfs is the license minimum flow at Johnson Bar, IPC has voluntarily maintained a minimum flow of 6,500 cfs since 1988, except for a few very short periods for adverse operating conditions and special relicensing-related flow studies. IPC proposed a normal minimum operating flow of 6,500 cfs in the DLA, which until just recently was considered safe for navigation by the ACOE. In Section VI–Water Control Plan from the ACOE’s Water Control Manual (revised 1993) for the HCC, the ACOE stated: 6.06 OPERATION FOR NAVIGATION. River Flows Required For Navigation. The Corps of Engineers has interviewed most river boat operators using the Snake River above Lewiston, Idaho, to gain the benefit of their navigation experience in establishing the reasonably safe, minimum navigable flow for the reaches above and below the mouth of Salmon River. Engineering personnel familiar with open-river navigation have accompanied the mail boat operator from Lewiston to Johnson’s Bar Landing to observe the operating conditions experienced with various river discharges. The July 1988 field investigation indicated that more optimum jet boat operating conditions are experienced when the minimum navigable flow is limited to Hells Canyon Complex Page 5 Responses to Comments Idaho Power Company 6,500 cfs for the Snake River above its confluence with the Salmon River. However, more experienced jet boat operators can navigate the river, if necessary, when the flow at Johnson’s Bar is 5,000 cfs. Article 43 of the Federal Power Commission license allows Idaho Power Company to reduce the river flow at Johnson’s Bar to 5,000 cfs during periods of low flow or for normal minimum plant operations. When it becomes apparent that minimum flows must be reduced below requirements for safe navigation, the Idaho Power Company will advise the Corps of Engineers and downstream interests as far in advance as possible. In order to maintain navigable flows below Johnson’s Bar Landing for as much of the time as possible, releases for power will be coordinated with navigation schedules during low flows. This will be accomplished so that navigable flows can be maintained for certain days of the week, most desirable for navigation interests, as determined from time to time, with less than navigable flows for the other days of the week. The Corps of Engineers Reservoir Control Center (RCC) will confer with the Idaho Power Company and navigation interests in formulating and coordinating such schedules. Due to the recent low flow conditions, IPC had requested a variance from the13,000 cfs Lime Point license flow requirement. In 2001 and 2002, IPC, in cooperation with the ACOE and the Northwest Professional Passenger Vessel Association (NWPPVA), developed and coordinated minimum flow release schedules that were in the best interest of power generation and navigation. The minimum flow schedules consisted of providing timed releases of 8,500 cfs. These timed pulses met upstream and downstream needs for the commercial navigation community, while still maintaining the normal operating minimum flow of 6,500 cfs and allowing IPC to retain as much inflow as possible to use for generating electricity during heavy load periods. While these flow schedules did put constraints on the operation of the HCC, the ACOE agreed with IPC that these timed flow pulses were an effective balance between the need for power generation and navigation and did not greatly harm the overall public interest. IPC has worked with the ACOE and the commercial navigation community to provide increased flows during certain hours of the day when the commercial traffic on the river is at its highest. It is critical that IPC have the lowest minimum flow possible during light load periods in order to conserve Brownlee Reservoir storage for as long as possible—especially in low-flow years—for use during the highest demand periods. Congress established the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (HCNRA) in 1975. At the time the HCNRA Act was passed, the HCC license contained essentially the same restrictions (minimum flow and ramp rate) on Snake River flows that are proposed in the DLA. In the HCNRA Act, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) was charged with maintaining the quality of the recreational experience that made the HCNRA special. Since 1975, the USFS has allowed many commercial outfitters to add and operate boats larger than any used in 1975. The largest commercial boats currently operating on the Hells Canyon reach of the Snake River—some measuring 44 feet long with a 12-foot-wide bottom—began to appear in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since their inception, these large boats have been able to operate successfully with the 6,500-cfs minimum flow, as evidenced by their continuous operation. However, over the past two low-flow years, the commercial operators have not been comfortable Page 6 Hells Canyon Complex Idaho Power Company Responses to Comments operating with a minimum flow of 6,500 cfs. IPC believes that this is due in part to the size of the boats that are presently being built and the insufficient skill level of some of the boat pilots. Based on discussions that IPC has had with commercial boaters, there are plans to construct even larger boats than are currently in operation. If there is a problem associated with very large boats and navigation, it is not due to changes in operations by IPC. IPC maintains that the USFS did not fulfill its congressional mandate of maintaining the recreational experience. The increase in the number of larger boats has introduced navigation issues that did not exist in the recreational experience that Congress mandated the USFS to maintain. Higher minimum flow requirements for recreational navigation should be prohibited under the FPA because the FERC and the ACOE are without authority to impose indirectly that which has been directly prohibited by Congress in the HCNRA Act, such as establishing a “flow requirement of any kind” or a rule which “limits, constricts or conflicts” with existing uses of the river for power purposes. See Appendix 2 for further discussion of the HCNRA Act. IPC is currently working with Ed Kim in the ACOE’s Walla Walla District, the Northwest Professional Passenger Vessel Association, and other interested parties to determine the new navigation criteria for the FLA. If language for a navigation article is completed before submittal of the FLA, it will be included therein. RESPONSE TO COMMENT COE1-4 IPC provides data transmittal of Brownlee Reservoir inflow, Hells Canyon outflow, and Brownlee Reservoir elevation via the ACOE’s CROHMS system each weekday. Every effort is made to transmit the data by 06:30 Pacific Standard Time, although there are some instances when the data is unavailable to IPC personnel by that time. IPC provides expected Brownlee Reservoir elevation and a daily average Hells Canyon outflow forecast for five days into the future on both its website and through its toll-free recreation phone number. This forecast is updated each weekday afternoon. The toll-free recreation number is (800) 422-3143. The web address is http://www.IdahoPower.com. IPC will work with the ACOE to provide additional project data electronically. RESPONSE TO COMMENT COE1-5 Hourly temperature and TDG data from the forebay of Brownlee Dam and the Hells Canyon Dam tailrace are not available for real-time reporting at this time.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Recreational Use Associated with the Snake River in the Hells Canyon
    5HFUHDWLRQDO 8VH $VVRFLDWHG ZLWK WKH 6QDNH 5LYHU LQ WKH +HOOV &DQ\RQ 1DWLRQDO 5HFUHDWLRQ $UHD Hh uhyy7 Srp rhvSr pr6hy 7HFKQLFDO 5HSRUW $SSHQGL[ ( Ari h !! 5HYLVHG-XO\ Cryy8h8yr A@S8I (& &RS\ULJKWE\,GDKR3RZHU&RPSDQ\ Idaho Power Company Recreational Use Associated with the Snake River TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. i List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures................................................................................................................................ iii List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ vii Abstract............................................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................3 1.1. Associated Studies and Technical Reports ........................................................................3 1.2. USFS–HCNRA Boating-Related Regulations...................................................................4 1.2.1. Types of Watercraft Allowed in the HCNRA...........................................................4 1.2.2. Boating Regulation
    [Show full text]
  • View Annual Report
    Stepping Forward Entering a new era for energy. 2009 Annual Report $2.64 $2.51 $2.17 $1.86 IDACORP is stepping forward on $1.50 all fronts ensuring your company is positioned to succeed in a new era for energy. 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Earnings Per Share (Diluted) Current Annual Dividend $1.20 2009 Highlights Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts 2009 2008 % Change 9.5% 8.9% 7.5% 6.8% Electric Utility Revenues $1,045,996 $956,076 9.4 6.2% Other Revenue $3,804 $4,338 <12.3> Total Operating Revenues $1,049,800 $960,414 9.3 Net Income $124,350 $98,414 26.4 Earnings Per Diluted Common Share $2.64 $2.17 21.7 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Dividends Paid Per Common Share $1.20 $1.20 -- Return on Total Assets $4,238,727 $4,022,845 5.4 Year-End Equity Number of Employees (full time) 1,994 2,073 <3.8> 36.4% 20.8% IDACORP, Inc.—Boise, Idaho-based and formed in 1998—is a holding 16.5% 16.1% 13.6% company comprised of Idaho Power Company, a regulated electric 10.7% utility; IDACORP Financial, a holder of affordable housing projects and other real estate investments; and Ida-West Energy, an operator of small hydroelectric generation projects that satisfy the requirements 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. IDACORP’s origins -0.1% -5.6% -13.0% lie with Idaho Power and operations beginning in 1916. Today, Idaho Power employs 1,994 people to serve a 24,000 square-mile service area -25.9% in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon.
    [Show full text]
  • FORM 10-K (Mark One)
    Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One) X ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from ................... to ................................................................. Exact name of registrants as specified in Commission their charters, address of principal executive IRS Employer File Number offices, zip code and telephone number Identification Number 1-14465 IDACORP, Inc. 82-0505802 1-3198 Idaho Power Company 82-0130980 1221 W. Idaho Street Boise, ID 83702-5627 (208) 388-2200 State of incorporation: Idaho Name of exchange on SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT: which registered IDACORP, Inc.: Common Stock, without par value New York Stock Exchange SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT: Idaho Power Company: Preferred Stock Indicate by check mark whether the registrants are well-known seasoned issuers, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. IDACORP, Inc. Yes (X) No ( ) Idaho Power Company Yes ( ) No (X) Indicate by check mark if the registrants are not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. IDACORP, Inc. Yes ( ) No (X) Idaho Power Company Yes ( ) No (X) Indicate by check mark whether the registrants (1) have filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
    [Show full text]
  • Q4 2020 Investor Information
    Bank of America Power, Gas, & Solar Leadership Conference Q4 2020 Investor Information March 2-3, 2021 Forward-Looking Statements In addition to the historical information contained in this presentation, this presentation contains (and oral communications made by IDACORP, Inc. and Idaho Power Company may contain) statements, including, without limitation, earnings guidance and estimated key operating and financial metrics, that relate to future events and expectations and, as such, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, outlook, assumptions, or future events or performance, often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “guidance,” “intends,” “potential,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “targets,” or similar expressions, are not statements of historical facts and may be forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve estimates, assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Actual results, performance, or outcomes may differ materially from the results discussed in the statements. In addition to any assumptions and other factors and matters referred to specifically in connection with such forward-looking statements, factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements
    [Show full text]
  • Hells Canyon Complex Total Dissolved Gas Study
    Hells Canyon Complex Total Dissolved Gas Study Ralph Myers Project Limnologist Sharon E. Parkinson Principal Engineer Technical Report Appendix E.2.2-4 March 2002 Revised July 2003 Hells Canyon Complex FERC No. 1971 Copyright © 2003 by Idaho Power Company Idaho Power Company Hells Canyon Complex Total Dissolved Gas Study TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. i List of Tables...................................................................................................................................ii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................ii List of Appendices .........................................................................................................................iii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2 2. Study Area.................................................................................................................................. 3 3. Plant Operations ......................................................................................................................... 4 4. Methods.....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the 1984 Swan Falls Settlement
    UNDERSTANDING THE 1984 SWAN FALLS SETTLEMENT CLIVE J. STRONG & MICHAEL C. ORR FULL CITATION: Clive J. Strong & Michael C. Orr, Understanding the 1984 Swan Falls Settlement, 52 IDAHO L. REV. 223 (2016). This article Copyright © 2016 Idaho Law Review. Except as otherwise expressly provided, permission is hereby granted to photocopy this article for classroom use, provided that: (1) Copies are distributed at or below cost; (2) The author of the article and the Idaho Law Review are properly identified; (3) Proper notice of the copyright is affixed to each copy; and (4) Notice of the use is given to the Idaho Law Review. UNDERSTANDING THE 1984 SWAN FALLS SETTLEMENT CLIVE J. STRONG & MICHAEL C. ORR TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 224 II. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................ 226 III. THE SWAN FALLS CONTROVERSY AND SETTLEMENT ....................... 230 A. The Lawsuits ............................................................................................ 231 B. The Legislative Subordination Battle ....................................................... 234 C. The Negotiations ...................................................................................... 235 D. The Settlement “Framework” ................................................................... 237 E. The “Trust” Concept ................................................................................. 239
    [Show full text]
  • Idaho Falls Power
    INTRODUCTION The first public utility in America began over Although Idaho Falls was not the first community to own and 120 years ago. The efforts of the early electrical operate its municipal utility, it is one of the oldest public power pioneers have allowed the nation’s municipal utilities communities in the Northwest. The city of Idaho Falls is to give inexpensive, reliable electric power to millions celebrating the past 100 years of providing its residents of Americans in the twentieth century. Today municipal ownership in its electric power system. This report municipal utilities give over 2,000 communities a will provide some interesting facts about the pioneers who sense of energy independence and autonomy they can installed a tiny electric generator on an irrigation canal in the carry into the twenty-first century. fall of 1900, establishing the beginning of the Idaho Falls municipal utility. Lucille Keefer pictured in front of the falls, is one of the more endearing images of Idaho Falls’ hydroelectric history. The Pennsylvania-born school teacher was the wife of the project’s construction superintendent. THE CANAL ERA The original 1900 power plant generated electricity from the water tumbling out of an irrigation ditch. When the Utah and Northern Railroad extended its tracks During the 1880s and 1890s, lumberyards, flourmills, to the rapids on the Snake River in 1879, the small town livestock auction houses, newspapers, banks, and clothing of Eagle Rock (now Idaho Falls) was established. The stores sprouted up along the railroad tracks. Population turn of the century not only brought more people to the surged as merchants and professionals flocked to the city to newly formed community but new developments as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Swan Falls Project Consultation Appendix
    Idaho Power Company Consultation Technical Appendix CONSULTATION SUMMARY, RELATED CHARTS, AND CORRESPONDENCE APPLICATION FOR NEW LICENSE SWAN FALLS PROJECT FERC NO. 503 Narrative Summary of Idaho Power Company’s Consultation Efforts New License Application for the Swan Falls Hydroelectric Project Consultation Appendix Swan Falls Project June 2008 FERC No. 503 © 2008 Idaho Power Idaho Power Company Consultation Appendix TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. i Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Consultation Overview ....................................................................................................................1 Informal Consultation ......................................................................................................................2 First Stage Formal Consultation Pursuant to 18 CFR § 16.8...........................................................5 Formal Consultation Package, Including Study Recommendations—March 2005 ..................5 Aquatic Resources ...............................................................................................................5 Wildlife Resources...............................................................................................................6 Botanical Resources.............................................................................................................6
    [Show full text]
  • American Falls Reservoir Is the Largest Reservoir of the Project
    Finding of No Significant Impact Final Environmental Assessment Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Spillway and Dam Structures at American Falls Dam, Minidoka Project, Power County, Idaho U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Pacific Northwest Region Snake River Area Office PN FONSI # 19-4 Introduction The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to comply with the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This document briefly describes the proposed action, other alternatives considered, the scoping process, Reclamation’s consultation and coordination activities, mitigation, and Reclamation’s finding. The Final Environmental Assessment (EA) fully documents the analyses of the potential environmental effects of implementing the changes proposed. Location and Background The Minidoka Project (Project) was authorized by the Secretary of the Interior in 1904 and was the first Reclamation project constructed in Idaho. It is located in the Snake River Basin in the southeastern part of the state. American Falls Dam, completed in 1927, is a 94-foot-high composite concrete and earth gravity-type dam on river mile 714.7 of the Snake River near American Falls, Idaho. With a storage capacity of 1,700,000 acre-feet, American Falls Reservoir is the largest reservoir of the Project. The dam itself is located in Power County, Idaho, but the reservoir stretches northeast into both Bingham and Bannock Counties. American Falls Dam and Reservoir comprise a multi-purpose facility from which principle benefits include irrigation, power generation (through a powerplant owned and operated by Idaho Power), flood control, fish and wildlife resources, and recreation.
    [Show full text]
  • (E.3.2-35) Ice Formation on Brownlee Reservoir and Potential Effects on Big Game Populations
    Ice Formation on Brownlee Reservoir and Potential Effects on Big Game Populations R. Ryel Ryel and Associates North Logan, UT N. Mesner Dept. of Geography & Earth Resources Utah State University S. Jensen White Horse Associates Smithfield, UT Technical Report Appendix E.3.2-35 December 2001 Revised July 2003 (Minor Typographical Changes) Hells Canyon Complex FERC No. 1971 Copyright © 2003 by Idaho Power Company Ice Formation on Brownlee Reservoir and Potential Effects on Big Game Populations Technical Report Appendix E.3.2-35 Final Draft December 2001 Prepared for: Idaho Power Company Boise, Idaho Prepared by: R. Ryel Ryel and Associates North Logan, Utah N. Mesner Department of Geography and Earth Resources Utah State University Logan, Utah S. Jensen White Horse Associates Smithfield, Utah Brownlee Reservoir Ice—Effects on Big Game Table of Contents Table of Contents...................................................................................................i List of Tables.........................................................................................................ii List of Figures........................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................... 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 2 1.1. Background .............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Greenpower Energy
    Idaho Power’s Green Power Product Content Label This label is part of our Green-e Energy certification and is provided to participants each year. The label shows the anticipated sources of Green Power for 2019. 2019 Prospective Product Content Label 1 100% Green-e Energy Certified New2 Renewables Generation facilities’ location: Idaho, Oregon, or Washington Energy Resource Mix: 50% Solar, 50% Wind 1. These figures reflect the renewables that we plan to provide. Actual figures may vary according to resource availability. Before August 1 of next year, we will provide a Historical Product Content Label to report the actual resource mix of the green power purchased for the previous calendar year. 2. New Renewables come from generation facilities that first began commercial operation within the past 15 years. How does Green Power compare to the standard energy mix? Hydro 46.4% Idaho Power’s 2018 mix of resources supplying Idaho Power customers included: Hydroelectric (46.4%), Purchased Power (28.6%), Coal (17.5%), Purchased and Natural Gas & Diesel (7.5%). Power (Purchased Power includes energy originally generated from renewable 28.6% facilities. Idaho Power sells its Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) from these resources and proceeds benefit all customers. Because Idaho Power does not retain the RECs, the electricity is not counted as renewable energy delivered to customers.) Coal 17.5% How is green power sold? Green Power is sold in blocks of 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or matches 100 Natural Gas & Diesel percent of your energy (kWh) use. 7.5% What’s the average energy use for a home? The average home in Idaho Power’s service area uses about 950 kWh per month (Idaho Power 2018).
    [Show full text]
  • White Sturgeon in the Snake River
    White Sturgeon in the Snake River White Sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in North America and one of the most prized game fish in the Snake River. Idaho Power, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the College of Southern Idaho have been using the latest research to support native sturgeon populations in the Snake River. Starting in 2021, a new Idaho Power hatchery will begin raising young sturgeon to be released into areas of the Middle Snake where these ancient fish have survived for millennia but can no longer sustain their populations. Sturgeon historically ranged throughout the Snake and Columbia rivers from Shoshone Falls downstream to the Pacific Ocean. However, Idaho’s Office of Species Conservation designates the White Sturgeon’s current status in Idaho as “imperiled” largely due to fragmented habitats, altered stream flows and degraded water quality. Core Conservation Populations The Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s White Sturgeon Management Plan identifies two populations within this range as “Core Conservation” populations important to long-term survival of the species in Idaho. (Dillon and Grunder 2008) These core populations, downstream of Hells Canyon and Bliss dams, are essential because they support themselves through natural production. The White Sturgeon Management Plan designates all other populations in the Middle Snake River (between Shoshone Falls and Brownlee Dam as “conservation” populations. Conservation populations have low numbers of sturgeon and have been supplemented with hatchery sturgeon since the early 1990’s to ensure persistence and provide anglers catch-and-release fishing opportunities. River segments that support conservation populations cannot sustain natural production due to insufficient spawning habitat and low number of reproducing adults.
    [Show full text]