11/02/2012 Some Dam – Hydro News TM And Other Stuff i Quote of Note: “Life is half spent before we know what it is.” - George Herbert “Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson Ron’s wine pick of the week: 2009 Waterstone, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon “No nation was ever drunk when wine was cheap.” - - Thomas Jefferson Dams: (This dam removal battle rages on and now it’s getting very political!) Vann hits feds on removing Yuba River dams October 19, 2012 , By Ben van der Meer, appeal-democrat.com The fate of Englebright and Daguerre Point dams is entering the 3rd Congressional District race as an issue, after Republican challenger Kim Vann joined criticism of a federal study suggesting they be removed. Vann, a Colusa County supervisor who is trying to unseat US Rep. John Garamendi, said the opinion by the National Marine Fisheries Service doesn't look at the whole picture. "The agencies are not working together, and they're not communicating with each other," said Vann. Englebright and Daguerre Point, in the early stages of relicensing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, are operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. But the Fisheries Service biological opinion, released in February as part of the relicensing process, suggested the dams be removed to aid recovery for three endangered fish species native to the Yuba. Environmental groups, such as the South Yuba River Citizens' League, have concurred in those opinions, saying the dams' initial purpose for flood and debris control no longer applies because of improvements elsewhere. "It is well known that the upper Yuba River is one of the best places to restore these threatened species, which is why the Biological Opinion calls for fish passage above the Army Corps' dams," said the Citizen League's executive director, Caleb Dardick, in an email. Vann said such opinions fly in the face of reality, with mercury, a holdover from the river's mining days, likely to cause widespread harm if the dams are removed. "When you add in the other environmental concerns, it shows you need to look at the issue in total," she said. Garamendi, D- Walnut Grove, was unavailable for comment Friday. Earlier this month, a scheduling conflict 1 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu prevented Vann from touring the dam with US Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. But Vann said she still believes she can push the issue if elected. Her concern follows that of retiring US Rep. Wally Herger, who sent acting US Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank a letter last month requesting intervention in the issue. The Fisheries Services is part of the Department of Commerce. "I also noted in my letter that the opinion is rife with factual errors and unsupported conclusions; calls upon the Corps to take actions that are not technically feasible; requires them to meet a schedule that is clearly not achievable; and calls for numerous actions that are neither legally authorized nor funded," Herger, R-Chico, wrote in the Sept. 5 letter. Vann said the issue also needs to be explored more because of not only increased flood danger if the dams are removed, but the loss of recreation. "If we take the hard-line approaches, rather than an overall focus, we're really doing ourselves a disservice," she said. (Excerpts) $10.3 Million W.Va Dam Rehabilitation Project Passes Halfway Mark By: Brenda Ruggiero - CEG Correspondent | Published On: 10/24/2012 A $10.3 million dam rehabilitation project in Grant County, W.Va., is well past the halfway point. The project involves New Creek Site 14. Notice to proceed was issued in January 2011, and the contract completion date is currently set for March 2013. The original contract amount was reportedly $9.6 million, but with contract modifications and variations in estimated quantities, the final contract amount is estimated to be approximately $10.3 million. The funding for the project is 65 percent federal and 35 percent local, with local sponsors being Potomac Valley Conservation District; the city of Keyser, W.Va.; and the West Virginia State Conservation Committee. The prime contractor is Heeter Construction Inc. of Spencer, W.Va., where Dave Heter serves as president. The most significant subcontractor is ASI Constructors Inc. from Pueblo West, Colo., the company responsible for Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) and reinforced concrete placement. “The rehabilitation project includes many of the elements involved in the rehabilitation of an existing embankment structure,” said Carol Lagodich, public affairs specialist of the West Virginia State Office of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). “USDA-NRCS has assisted with the design and construction of 170 dams in W.Va. However, this project is the first rehabilitation of a dam by NRCS in West Virginia.” The contract calls for the rehabilitation of the flood control and water supply dam, which includes flattening both the upstream and downstream slopes to improve stability of the embankment, installation of an internal filter and drainage system in the downstream slope of the embankment, replacement of the upstream riser intake structure, and construction of an (RCC) stepped-chute auxiliary spillway. “The construction challenges included working upstream of a flood control dam and construction of the RCC auxiliary spillway with limited construction area and access,” ------------. Hydro: (More hydro is always better!) 2 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu NPPD to fund water study By Tyler Ellyson , columbustelegram.com Columbus, Nebr.— Nebraska Public Power District will fund a study to determine whether it can affordably generate more hydroelectricity. The utility is paying Colorado-based Applegate Group $150,274 to evaluate the potential for more hydropower in Nebraska, both in existing plants and at new sites. McMillen Engineering and Telluride Energy also are assisting on the study, which is expected to be finalized by April 2013. Brian Barels, NPPD’s water resources manager, said it’s the right time for a feasibility study on hydroelectricity because federal licensing requirements on the renewable energy are being eased and recent research has focused on new ways to generate power using water sources. “There’s a number of existing facilities around the state that might have potential with these new technologies,” Barels said. Currently, NPPD owns hydropower plants near Spencer, North Platte and Kearney and purchases electricity generated by two plants on the Loup Public Power District canal and from Kingsley Hydro on Lake McConaughy and two plants owned by Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District positioned on canals downstream from Johnson Lake. Those plants will be evaluated to determine whether upgrades can be made to improve efficiency or increase production. Other existing infrastructure, such as the Sutherland Reservoir near Gerald Gentleman Station and Loup’s power canal, will be looked at as potential sites for new projects. Barels said advanced equipment that doesn’t require a large reservoir of water opens the door for more hydroelectric opportunities. For instance, Barels pointed to a new wastewater treatment plant planned in South Sioux City as a site where hydrokinetic technology could be used to generate electricity using water from the discharge pipe. “There’s different ways that you can use hydro now,” he said. According to Barels, Nebraska’s newest hydroelectric plant was added to the Kingsley Dam in the mid-1980s. But the resource hasn’t been forgotten. Applegate Group will call on previous state and private studies to identify locations suitable for hydroelectricity. Barels said there are sites where people would like a reservoir for recreation or flood control that could also produce power and several existing dams, particularly on the Republican River, can be retrofitted to do so. “There’s a lot of information out there that we can take and apply,” he said. Hydroelectricity presently comprises about 8.6 percent of the total electricity generated and purchased by NPPD. Wind, by comparison, makes up slightly less than 4 percent, but is expected to reach 5.2 percent by year’s end after wind farms near Broken Bow and Crofton go online. NPPD has a goal of receiving 10 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. Barels, who called the cost of hydropower “very competitive” with other sources, said adding more water- generated electricity makes sense as the district moves to strengthen its renewable portfolio. And unlike wind, water can be stored for use during high-demand times. Hydroelectricity, Barels said, is also more flexible than coal-fired plants, which are slow to increase output when extra power is needed. “It offers some of those capabilities in our energy mix that aren’t necessarily there,” Barels said of hydroelectricity. However, there are downsides such as the current drought that has limited water supplies across the state and 2011 flooding that had many hydro plants producing at full-tilt for an extended period. “There’s positives and negatives to all the different energy resources,” Barels said. “We try to find that mix that works best to have what we need when we need it for our customers.” (Hydro history and a sad ending!) Coon Rapids Hydroelectric Dam Creator: Philip Cooper, October 18, 2012, mnopedia.org By the early 20th century, the goals for the Mississippi Headwaters dam building had expanded beyond flood prevention and navigation. Electric power production was central to the new goals. This led to the construction of several hydroelectric dams throughout Minnesota. These dams were intended to encourage 3 Coon Rapids Dam in 1920 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu population growth and industry.