La Joie and Bridge Water Licence Renewals Questions and Answers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
La Joie and Bridge Water Licence Renewals Questions and Answers This document provides an overview of the Bridge River hydroelectric system facilities and answers questions specific to water licence renewals at the La Joie and Bridge facilities. More detailed information is available at bchydro.com/waterlicencerenewal. If you have any questions or comments about the renewals, in general or in relation to your property or interests, please contact us at 1 866 647 3334 or [email protected]. Q1 Where are the La Joie and Bridge facilities located? A1 ○ The La Joie and Bridge facilities, located north of Pemberton and west of Lillooet, are part of the Bridge River hydroelectric system which also includes the Seton facilities. La Joie Dam Interior and Powerhouse Marshall Plateau Lake Terzaghi Gun Lake Dam Downtown Gold Bridge Pavillion Lake Carpenter Lake 40 99N Bridge River 40 Bridge River Bralorne Powerhouses Mission Mountain Rd Cache Hurley River Hurley River Shalalth Creek Lillooet Forest Service RD Seton Portage Seton Powerhouse Seton Lake Highline Road Seton Powerhouse Dam Road Anderson Lake 12 D’Arcy Lillooet Forest Fraser Service Road B.C. Railway Cayoosh River Creek Pemberton Meadows Rd Lillooet Duffey 995 River Lake Lytton Duffey Lake Coast Road Mountains Mount Legend: Pemberton Currie Water 99 Lillooet Lake Paved road Gravel road Vancouver BCH19-1000b November 2019 Q2 How do the facilities operate? A2 ○ The Bridge River is impounded by La Joie Dam which forms Downton Lake Reservoir and Terzaghi Dam which forms Carpenter Lake Reservoir. ○ La Joie Dam is upstream of Terzaghi Dam and all releases from La Joie Dam are discharged into Carpenter Lake Reservoir either through the generating station or spill facility. ○ Releases from Carpenter Lake Reservoir can be diverted through Mission Mountain into Seton Lake via two separate intakes and tunnels feeding the Bridge 1 and Bridge 2 generating stations located on the shore of Seton Lake or, alternatively, be spilled at Terzaghi Dam directly into Lower Bridge River. Bridge River system Legend LAJOIE NI Power Intake (LAJ) NPRF Spillway Gate (SPOG) NPRF Low Level Outlet (LLOG) NPRF Outlet Works Gate DOWNTON RESERVOIR (OWOG) NPRF Weir (ungated) PLN Generating Plant (n units) HCV n (2) S Syphon BYPASS LAJ NPRF Non Power Release Facility PRV (1) LLOG(n) Low Level Outlet Gate (number of gates or valves) SPOG(n) Spillway Gate (number of gates or bays) OWOG(n) Outlet Works Gate NI (number of gates) BRIDGE RIVER HCV(n) Hollow Cone Valve (number of valves) NI Natural Inflow CARPENTER RESERVOIR BRIDGE RIVER (BRR) SPOG (2) LLOG SLUICE (2) GATES TUNNELS SURGE SURGE SURGE TUNNELS BRIDGE RIVER BR1 BR2 (4) (4) CAYOOSH CREEK DIVERSION VIA NI WALDEN NORTH PENSTOCKS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BR-1 BR-2 SETON LAKE RESERVOIR S CANAL FISH RADIAL SYPHONS FISH WATER LADDER GATE (5) RELEASE GATE SETON CREEK (1) (1) SON DEVELOPMENT (1) (SON) SPAWNING CHANNEL SYPHONS (2) FRASER RIVER SETON RIVER ○ The project facilities are operated according to the requirements of the Bridge River Water Use Plan Order, existing water licences and our agreements with the St’át’imc Nation. Q3 How many existing water licences are there at La Joie and Bridge and which are being renewed? A3 ○ We have ten water licences associated with the La Joie and Bridge facilities. Facility Licence Purpose Metric First Expiry Date Issue Date La Joie FWL 126279 Storage - Downton Reservoir 705.55 Mm3 Feb 5, 1934 Apr 1, 2019 PCL#26551 (100% of storage) La Joie FWL 126259 Diversion from Downton Reservoir 2.5 m3/s Jan 18, 2011 Mar 30, 2051 (5% of diversion) La Joie FWL 126278 Diversion from Downton Reservoir 48.1 m3/s June 7, 1956 None Bridge FWL 126281 Storage - Carpenter Reservoir 20.00 Mm3 Dec 26, 1912 Apr 1, 2019 (2% of storage) Bridge FWL 126280 Storage - Carpenter Reservoir 992.49 Mm3 Oct 29, 1949 None Bridge 1 FWL 126287 Diversion - Carpenter Reservoir to 42.5 m3/s Dec 26,1912 Apr 1, 2019 Seton Lake (65% of diversion) Bridge 1 FWL 126288 Diversion - Carpenter Reservoir to 19.8 m3/s Apr 27,1954 Apr 1, 2019 Seton Lake (31% of diversion) Bridge 1 FWL 126080 Diversion – Carpenter Reservoir to 2.7 m3/s Jan 18,2011 Mar 30, 2051 Seton Lake (4% of diversion) Bridge 2 FWL 126286 Diversion - Carpenter Reservoir to 84.95 m3/s Mar 5,1956 None Seton Lake Bridge 2 FWL 126250 Diversion - Carpenter Reservoir to 10.0 m3/s Jan 18,2011 Mar 30, 2051 Seton Lake (11% of diversion) ○ One of the three water licences at La Joie (FWL126279) and three of the seven water licences at Bridge (FWL126281, FWL126287, and FWL126288) have expiry dates of April 1, 2019 and we are applying to renew these licences. ○ We are also applying to renew three diversion licences at La Joie and Bridge with expiry dates in 2051. We are applying to renew these licences with the intent that all La Joie and Bridge licences with renewal dates have the same licence term moving forward. ○ We are not asking for changes to the existing licence conditions or facility footprints as part of the renewals. ○ The other licences identified above, as well as the two licences associated with the Seton facilities, do not need to be renewed as they do not have expiry dates. Q4 Do permits over Crown Land also have to be renewed? A4 ○ Yes, the permit over Crown Land associated with FWL126279 has to be renewed and the renewal is part of the water licence renewal process. Q5 Why does BC Hydro have multiple licences for the same purpose? A5 ○ We have multiple licences for the same purpose as the licences were issued at different times. Q6 What area is considered in the water licence renewal application? A6 ○ The area considered is the area with which each licence is associated (i.e., footprint) and the area where any potential effects associated with the specific licence up for renewal are anticipated to occur. Q7 Is there a Water Use Plan for the La Joie and Bridge Projects? A7 ○ Yes, both projects are included in the Bridge River Power Development Water Use Plan which was completed in March 2011, following a multi-stakeholder consultative process. This Water Use Plan also covered the Seton Projects. A copy of the Bridge River Water Use Plan is available at: bchydro.com/content/dam/hydro/medialib/ internet/documents/planning_regulatory/wup/lower_mainland/2011q2/bridge_river_wup_rev.pdf ○ The Water Use Plan Order issued by the Comptroller of Water Rights is one of the documents that guide operation of the system facilities. Q8 Who is BC Hydro consulting and engaging with regarding the La Joie and Bridge licence renewals? A8 ○ We are consulting and engaging with First Nations with an interest in the licences being renewed, regulatory agencies, and those who may be directly affected by the renewals as identified in theWater Sustainability Act (i.e., authorization and change approval holders and applicants, riparian or land owners whose land is likely to be physically affected if the renewal is granted). Q9 What is the schedule for the La Joie and Bridge renewals? A9 ○ Our schedule as of November 2019 is as follows: ○ Between fall 2016 and October 2018 we undertook consultation and engagement and prepared the Renewal Application (i.e., Water Development Plan and the online application forms). ○ We submitted our Renewal Application in October 2018 and, since that time, have been involved in the technical review phase. We plan to submit the findings of the technical review phase in late 2019. ○ The Comptroller of Water Rights will then begin a formal referral and review process. Additional information on the review process is available at: gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/ water/water-licensing-rights.