some dam – hydro news - stanford university · by peter gelling, mar 27, 2009, ny times ....

1 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program httpnpdpstanfordedu

i 4032009

ldquoGood wine is a necessity of liferdquo - -Thomas Jefferson Ronrsquos wine pick of the week Bogle Phantom Red Blend 2005 OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff (This is worth your reading time) Oil Depletion Debate httpoildepletiondebateblogspotcom200903lets-get-real-about-renewable-energyhtml (Itrsquos always good to do the arithmetic when something sounds too good to be true This is what happens when you use common sense on the subject of the so-called ldquoSmart Gridrdquo) Letter to the Editor Storing Energy in Electric Cars Wash Post March 28 2009 Climate Change Big Priority for Energy Commission Chief [news story March 21] noted that Jon Wellinghoff newly appointed chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission believes that people who own electric cars or plug-in hybrids could make money storing energy in their car batteries Is this some kind of Wall Street gimmick or just old-fashioned snake oil Consider this I charge up my car (lets say 10 units at 10 cents per unit for $1) and drive it to work and back I plug it in at home and the electric company drains the remaining two units and pays me 5 cents per unit I cant imagine that the company would pay me more than it charges for the stuff so I have 10 cents on credit I charge up my car for the next days commute for 90 cents However had the electric company left the two units in my car I would only have to pay 80 cents for a fill-up I must be missing something here Maybe The Posts science and economic writers could explain JOANNE M IVANCIC Frederick The writer is executive director of Advanced Biofuels USA (This is something to consider You have to wonder if our politicians have a clue) Excerpt from Energy Outlook March 27 2009 ldquo----------------- Consider the latest figures from the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy In 2008 other renewables excluding hydropower generated 3 of the US electricity supply Wind solar and geothermal power--the non-hydro renewables that the President has targeted for doubling in the next three years--contributed just over half of that or 16 of the total Thats up from 12 last year for an impressive growth rate of 36 If the renewable energy sector can maintain that growth for three years helped by the stimulus package it should easily double to 32 of our electricity supply That might push the broader other renewables category close to 5 and total renewables including hydropower to 10 or 11--

SSoommee DDaamm ndashndash HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note ldquoThe trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get electedrdquo

~Will Rogers


but all without displacing more than a tiny amount of oil because oil (including petroleum coke) accounted for just 11 of net electricity generation last year and plug-in vehicles arent yet a measurable fraction of our vehicle fleet Oil-burning power plants consumed 165000 bblsday a paltry 08 of US petroleum demand Even if the output of every new wind turbine and solar panel were devoted to backing out oil-fired power--a practical impossibility given the geographical and time-of-use patterns involved--it wouldnt make a dent in our oil imports ---------------rdquo (And finally the dilemma of cost Therersquos no mention of hydro which is cheaper than wind) Cost Works Against Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources in Time of Recession By MATTHEW L WALD March 28 2009 NY Times Excerpt ldquo------------ A modern coal plant of conventional design without technology to capture carbon dioxide before it reaches the air produces at about 78 cents a kilowatt-hour a high-efficiency natural gas plant 106 cents and a new nuclear reactor 108 cents A wind plant in a favorable location would cost 99 cents per kilowatt hour But if a utility relied on a great many wind machines it would need to back them up with conventional generators in places where demand tends to peak on hot summer days with no breeze That pushes the price up to just over 12 cents making it more than 50 percent more expensive than a kilowatt-hour for coal -------------rdquo Full Article httpwwwnytimescom20090329businessenergy-environment29renewhtml_r=1ampthampemc=th (Who knows if this is true Itrsquos worth a chuckle anyway) RENEWABLE ENERGY Ore homeowners blame wind farms for noise illnesses Richard Cockle Portland Oregonian 03302009 Residents of Morrow County say the wind turbines near their homes are violating state noise regulations keeping them awake at night and causing them to fall ill Neighbors living along Oregon Route 74 are demanding that the county ask operators of the Willow Creek Wind Energy Project to quiet down the turbines or lose their land permit Its not healthy for us said Dan Williams referring to the 240-foot-tall turbines he can see from his hilltop home Its like a freight train thats not coming or going Despite its image as a beacon of clean carbon-free energy wind power is meeting a growing backlash from residents who complain about spoiled views lowered home values and health risks A Massachusetts company in January shelved plans for a wind farm outside of The Dalles Ore after nearby residents complained it would be too close to their homes ruin the breathtaking scenery of the Columbia River Gorge and put wildlife at risk Other wind power critics cite a study by a New York doctor that found a rare wind turbine syndrome could cause headaches dizziness and memory loss Industry advocates however dispute the research We dont believe there is anything to it said Mike Logsdon of Invenergy the Chicago Company that built the Willow Creek farm Shawna Seldon a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association in Washington DC said her group is unaware of any peer-reviewed research linking wind turbines to any ill health affects The debate is likely to intensify in Oregon where wind power is on schedule to triple production in coming years

DDDaaammmsss (Hold down Ctrl key and click on Dams) AAASSSCCCEEE --- AAAmmmeeerrriiicccaaarsquorsquorsquosss IIInnnfffrrraaassstttrrruuuccctttuuurrreee RRReeepppooorrrttt CCCaaarrrddd Americas Infrastructure GPA D httpwwwinfrastructurereportcardorg Estimated 5 Year Investment Need $22 Trillion 2009 Grades Aviation D Public Parks and Recreation C- Bridges C Rail D Dams D Roads D- Drinking Water D- Schools D Energy D+ Solid Waste C+


Hazardous Waste D Transit D Inland Waterways D- Wastewater D- Levees D- Colo Dems pose fund to repair dams Reps Salazar and Markey are sponsoring a House bill to create a $200 million fund for fixes By David Olinger The Denver Post 33109 Two Colorado members of Congress want to create a federal program that could repair some of the nations most dangerous dams Reps John Salazar of Manassa and Betsy Markey of Fort Collins both Democrats are proposing a $200 million fund to help fix deficient state and local dams during the next five years Their legislation announced Monday would enable the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pass out repair grants to fix dams that fail to meet minimum safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to peoples lives Rep Shelley Moore Capito a West Virginia Republican is co-sponsoring the bill Colorado could get nearly $5 million over five years for dam-safety work the sponsors say There are 340 Colorado dams classified as high-hazard dams which means they are near people and can potentially endanger life Salazar said For many communities dam safety is a matter of life and death Markey said We cannot endanger American lives by neglecting these repairs This is the second time Salazar has tried to create a $200 million dam-repair fund His previous bill passed the House in 2007 but not the Senate Nationally the list of dams classified as deficient and high hazard has grown to more than 1800 And according to the American Society of Civil Engineers the $787 billion economic-stimulus bill set aside little money to repair state and local dams or levees There are more than 85000 dams in the US Some states have weak or nonexistent dam-inspection programs Colorado has a highly regarded inspection program which has restricted the capacities of 169 dams to minimize the risk of a dam failure Five million dollars in five years is not that much money at all said Mark Haynes Colorados dam-safety chief But any funding we can come up with to get dam owners to do some work is beneficial (Stimulating dam safety) Stimulus money to plug Oklahoma funding woes for dams SAFETYFLOOD-DAMAGED STRUCTURES ARE MOST AT RISK BY MICHAEL MCNUTT March 26 2009 NewsOKcom Up to $15 million in federal stimulus money is headed to Oklahoma to repair flood-control dams and about $16 million of the one-time funds will be used to match state money for flood-control dams and projects state conservation officials said Wednesday The state also is expected to receive a large portionrdquo of another $140 million of federal stimulus funds set aside for new construction and repair work on upstream flood control structures said Clay Pope executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts The money will be used to get a start on repairing some of the statersquos 2105 flood control structures Pope said About 20 dams that got significant damage from 2007 floods are especially at risk he said We are in a race against time with these structuresrdquo Pope said In the next 10 years 1000 of those structures will be past their designed life and be in need of repairsrdquo Pope said work done with stimulus funds could create 160 to 200 jobs The state must match the federal money and plans call to use most of the proceeds of a $25 million bond issue for dam rehabilitation projects said Mike Thralls Oklahoma Conservation Commission executive director (The latest news on this tragedy is that loss of life is near 100 and about 100 people are missing This was a 50 acre reservoir The location of people literally at the toe of the dam was disastrous) Dam Bursts in Indonesia Killing Dozens in Flood By PETER GELLING Mar 27 2009 NY Times JAKARTA Indonesia mdash Heavy rains caused a large dam in a crowded urban area on the outskirts of this city to burst early Friday morning sending a deadly wall of water and mud crashing through hundreds of houses and killing at least 60 people the police said The dam broke about 2 am tearing through a low-lying valley and surprising residents in their sleep witnesses said Within minutes several whole neighborhoods were engulfed by mud and water Rescue workers clawed through thick mud and dredged houses and roadways Friday afternoon looking for survivors Hundreds of residents were being taken to a nearby university where family members were searching through bodies for loved ones The police said the death toll could be higher as more victims were found ldquoThey lived right here but their house is destroyedrdquo Sobi Ahmansur 62 said of her missing daughter and 5-month-old granddaughter ldquoIrsquom scared I love them so much I have to keep searchingrdquo Residents of the mostly middle-class university neighborhood described the disaster as similar to a tsunami mdash a wall of water almost 33 feet high crashed through the


valley they said ripping up everything in its path ldquoI woke up to the sound of my neighbors screaming for helprdquo said Jarko 34 whose house was flooded up to his chest ldquoI ran out of the house found my friends and ran for higher groundrdquo President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the vice president Jusuf Kalla and Aburizal Bakrie the minister for peoplersquos welfare all visited the disaster area on Friday afternoon speaking with rescue workers and residents Mr Kalla told reporters that the government would help relocate people who lost their houses

The dam was built during Dutch colonial rule to contain water from the Pasanggrahan River The authorities have long been concerned about the dozens of aging dams and levees in Jakarta a city that regularly suffers from severe flooding in the rainy season Prolonged heavy rain on Thursday is thought to be responsible for causing the dam to finally give way causing Situ Gintung a nearly 50-acre lake to flood the area ldquoThe dam will be rebuilt and we will reconsider how it is constructedrdquo Mr Yudhoyono told reporters on his visit to the scene The military cleared debris to help reduce the level of water while rescue teams with long poles searched for victims in both the water and the mud into the evening on Friday Other rescue workers searched through gutted houses tossing aside debris in the hope of finding survivors A local leader Nana Suharna said that dozens were still missing in his neighborhood of 60 families and that so far he had counted at least 70 people killed by the flood though that number could not be confirmed by officials The entire family of a local Islamic leader who performed the call to prayer at 430 am from high in a tree were missing and presumed dead Mr Suharna said ldquoThe water came so fast and just kept getting higher and higherrdquo said Mr Suharna 48 ldquoI am in charge of about 60 families here and many of them are still missingrdquo (Dam security ndash not too good) Excerpts High speed chase suspect breached security gate at Shasta Dam By Jim Schultz March 28 2009 Reddingcom LAKE SHASTA CA - A 36-year-old Shasta County man who eluded law enforcement Thursday during a high-speed freeway chase escaped by breaching security at a small gated access road immediately south of Shasta Dam I can see it (the access road) get fortified in the future Shasta County sheriffs deputy Tyler Thompson said Friday Ron Kingsley the security manager at the dam said Friday that it was a good learning experience It makes you look at what youre doing and how to do it better he said The suspect Chris John Rapozo managed to elude officers despite a search by a CHP helicopter and plane as well as a tracking team with two dogs on the ground --------------------

HHHyyydddrrrooo (Maybe ndash maybe not Seems like a dim glimmer of hope) Stimulus worth a dam Because of stimulus PPLs decision to cancel Holtwood expansion is reconsidered By BRENT BURKEY York Daily RecordSunday News 03252009 A local hydroelectric power project that was canceled in December in the wake of the credit crisis could be back on the table thanks to the federal stimulus package PPL Corp has said But PPL spokesman Bryan Hay said restarting the expansion of Holtwood Dam in Lancaster County is only being considered at this time Officials are combing through the vast stimulus package signed in February to find what their options could be We havent made a decision Hay said The estimated $440 million plan to double power output and also improve fish-ladder operations had been in the works for several years Work officially kicked off at the Susquehanna River dam bordering York Countys southeastern edge last year At the time officials at


PPL expected to draw on area business for some of the work including the large Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation providing the turbines But when business loans and materials got expensive late last year following the fall of Wall Street investment firms PPL said it could no longer afford to go forward Hay said he could not get into specifics on how or when the project could begin again if PPL did decide to move forward Hay also said there was nothing specifically identified in the stimulus at this time that could green-light the project Only potential

ABOUT THE PROJECT PPL began working in 2006 on a project to expand the generating capacity of its Holtwood Dam hydroelectric power plant on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County The expansion once completed would have produced enough electricity to power 100000 homes The expansion would have also helped channel migrating fish toward fish ladders that lift them over the dam and toward points north on the Susquehanna River The original price tag was estimated at $250 million but grew to $440 million before PPL pulled the plug in December 2008

(This is dumb and it is an image of what the federal government wants to do Now the excuse is that even though hydro is a renewable it is not a ldquonewrdquo renewable Who are these people Do they know that wind power has been around for 1000rsquos of years ndash so why is it new According to all the experts on this subject the cost of electricity is going to skyrocket with policies like this) WA Legislation debates clean-energy initiative changes 03252009 By PHUONG LE Associated Press KGWcom Portland OR Two years after Washington voters compelled utilities to use cleaner energy Initiative 937 backers say a measure in the state Legislature would gut that law The House Committee on Technology Energy and Communications on Wednesday plans to consider Senate Bill 5840 which raises clean-energy goals but eases requirements of I-937 Voters approved I-937 in 2006 directing utilities with more than 25000 customers to get 15 percent of their power from new sources such as wind or solar power by 2020 Sen Chris Marr D-Spokane and others say the changes would give utilities more flexibility to meet the renewable energy standard while easing the ratepayers burden Initiative supporters say the bill lets utilities off the hook by allowing them to count existing small hydropower and biomass plants toward the goals Rep John McCoy D-Tulalip chairman of the House committee hearing the bill said it wont pass as it is In its current form it does serious damage to Initiative 937 McCoy said Ive said hydro is off the table It is a renewable but its not a new renewable Gov Chris Gregoire tried Friday to broker a compromise at a meeting with top legislators utilities and environmentalists said Marty Brown her legislative director They discussed many proposals but arent close to a compromise he said But Clifford Traisman a lobbyist for Washington Conservation Voters and the Washington Environmental Council said he was nervously hopeful that a new version would keep I-937 intact I-937 currently applies to 17 utilities including Avista and Seattle City Light Marrs bill allows utilities to buy eligible renewable power from anywhere on the Western power grid not just Northwest states Utilities could count some of the energy they save through conservation efforts if they exceed certain conservation levels Utilities could also meet goals at a lower level if they experience a lower load demand All these things take bites out of the standard said Rachel Shimshak director of the Renewable Northwest Project But Kent Lopez general manager of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association said this would help utilities in slow-growing areas He said many utilities already buy wind power but dont want to buy power they dont need if demand is low They also dont want to replace their current energy portfolio which mostly relies on clean hydropower with more expensive sources he said The concern is Whats it going to cost our customers said Karen Miller a spokeswoman with Benton County Public Utility District We dont want to displace our good clean hydro Marc Krasnowsky a spokesman with the NW Energy Coalition a prime I-937 backer said the intent was to spur development of new resources not count whats already on the ground Wed like to make sure the energy of the future is just as clean as the energy of today he said The changes would result in a 75 percent drop in the renewable energy that would have been produced under I-937 he said The original law would produce an estimated 1462 megawatts of new clean energy in 2020 or enough to power more than 1 million homes a year he said Shimshak said 12 of the states largest utilities are on track to meet the first step of I-937 which requires 3 percent renewable energy by 2012 Marrs bill increases I-937s goals from 15 percent to 16 percent by 2020 Puget Sound Energy the states largest utility already uses wind power for about 5 percent of its total load Wind is more expensive than existing hydropower but utilities wont likely build new dams to meet growth said Andy Wappler a spokesman for PSE which is neutral on the bill Wind is certainly proving that it can be a reliable part of the power mix he said Its a cost-effective choice as well as an environmental choice


(The next two articles give both views on this fight This could be precedent setting because the Supreme Court sort of settled this a long time ago) Alcoa Vows to Fight Efforts to Seize Privately-Owned Business Proposed bill in the NC General Assembly would forcibly seize hydropower business along the Yadkin River costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars PR Newswire 32609 BADIN NC March 26 PRNewswire -- Alcoa Power Generating Inc (APGI) said today that efforts by elected officials in North Carolina to forcibly seize its privately-owned hydropower business would cost North Carolina taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and harm the states business friendly reputation Sen Fletcher L Hartsell Jr introduced a bill (SB 967) Wednesday that sets up a State Trust that would allow the State of North Carolina to take the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project a privately-owned business along the Yadkin River in central North Carolina that generates clean renewable energy Taking the Yadkin Project would cost North Carolina taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars including $240 million in required expenses to improve water quality and maintain and upgrade the dams and powerhouses This has absolutely nothing to do with protecting North Carolinas water It has everything to do with the government trying to take a privately-owned business for its own benefit said Gene Ellis licensing and property manager for APGI Its a bad idea and sets a dangerous precedent for other North Carolina businesses We will fight it Beginning in 1915 Alcoa invested $80 million in private money to purchase more than 38000 acres of land along the Yadkin River and develop four dams and powerhouses without any government aid or assistance The project led to the development of four reservoirs including Badin Lake and High Rock Lake that has been a strong economic asset to the region APGI has operated the Yadkin Project under a federal license since 1958 that license is now up for renewal There are established state and federal processes for relicensing hydroelectric projects and Alcoa has played by the rules Ellis explained Since 2002 we have pursued a new hydropower license through proper channels and with the active involvement of state agencies local governments and the residents who live in nearby communities There are 22 privately-owned hydropower projects in North Carolina and this project should not be treated any differently - or held to a different standard - than other business in this state A public opinion poll conducted by McLaughlin amp Associates last year found that 71 percent of North Carolina voters oppose the idea of spending taxpayer money to take the Yadkin Project Only 10 favored spending millions to take over the business By a 2-to-1 margin voters believed that a government takeover is a violation of private property rights Sen Hartsell previously said that he had no interest in taking the Yadkin Project under any circumstances While discussing a proposed study bill related to the Yadkin Project relicensing in a House Judiciary committee meeting on July 15 2008 Sen Hartsell said I want to say upfront and unequivocally that this bill is not never was and is never intended to be a taking of any sort under any circumstances for anything Period The introduction of SB 967 represents a dramatic departure from Sen Hartsells earlier comments Albemarle Mayor Whit Whitley and others are concerned that efforts to take control of a private business is bad for North Carolinas business friendly reputation and may make it more difficult to recruit companies who are thinking about doing business here Why is this issue even on the table Mayor Whitley wrote in a March 2 letter to Gov Perdue The only true consideration is greed and I am appalled that the state of North Carolina is buying into this type of thinking Greed for the ownership of Alcoas land around the lakes and greed for the revenue that the dams produce are not in the long-term best interest of the county or the state and certainly not in the best interest of the free enterprise system North Carolina already controls water rights in the Yadkin River APGI does not control access to the water in the Yadkin River and the relicensing of the Yadkin Project will not limit the State of North Carolinas ability in any way to withdraw water from the Yadkin River State law gives North Carolina the authority to regulate water use within the Yadkin River including the right to issue new water withdrawal permits This ensures that North Carolina will always have access to water from the Yadkin River Established North Carolina law provides riparian water rights that ensure property owners along a river have a legal right to access and use the water running through their property APGI owns 38000 acres along the Yadkin River and uses the water that runs across its property to generate clean renewable energy - without consuming the water as it flows downs the river North Carolina state agencies were actively involved in the Yadkin Project relicensing North Carolinas interests have been well represented during the relicensing process and will be well protected when APGI receives a new license The NC Dept of Environment amp Natural Resources and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have been actively involved in the relicensing process since 2002 Both agencies helped negotiate a relicensing agreement that will improve water quality in the Yadkin River


allow for increased water withdrawals by local municipalities better protect the water supply during drought provide for long-term land protection and create new recreation opportunities for North Carolina residents Widespread support for Alcoa Power Generating Inc There is widespread support for issuing a new federal hydropower license for the Yadkin Project The relicensing agreement has been signed by 23 organizations including two municipalities in Stanly County The City of Albemarle is the largest municipality in Stanly County and one of the largest water users along the Yadkin River and the Town of Badin is home to the Yadkin Project and represents the community most impacted by curtailment of the Badin Works plant Both municipalities strongly support the relicensing Other supporters include state and federal agencies environmental interest groups and local homeowners business groups and recreational users Additional Background Information Learn more about the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project at wwwalcoafactscom and httpyadkinprojectblogspotcom SOURCE - Alcoa Power Generating Inc (The State of NC view) NC bill seeks new operator on Yadkin Lawmakers plan calls for state-created trust to acquire and run Alcoas hydroelectric project By Bruce Henderson charlotteobservercom Mar 28 2009 A state-created trust could acquire and run Alcoas hydroelectric project on the Yadkin River under a bill filed this week with powerful bipartisan support Its the latest development in a running water-rights battle between the aluminum maker and Stanly County home of the companys now-shuttered smelter The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is poised to renew Alcoas 50-year license to control a 38-mile stretch of the Yadkin including four reservoirs and has never involuntarily taken away a hydro license Alcoa says it will fight what it calls the government seizure of a privately owned business But Stanly County continues to gain high-level support for its argument that hydro revenues from the Yadkin should benefit the river community Alcoa sells power on the open market Gov Bev Perdue has already expressed personal sympathy for that point of view Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand D-Fayetteville and Republican Whip Jerry Tillman of Archdale are co-sponsors of the bill filed this week by Sen Fletcher Hartsell R-Concord ldquoI certainly think its prospects are goodrdquo Hartsell said Friday The bill creates a trust authorized to acquire the project It doesnt elaborate on how that would be accomplished if Alcoa remains an unwilling seller ldquoThe real issue here is the water and who and how the water is controlled and for whose benefitrdquo Hartsell said The trust would have authority to issue bonds to pay for the purchase to be repaid by revenues from the sale of electric power The trust could sell power to utilities within or outside North Carolina as Alcoa now does A portion of electricity sales would be dedicated for regional economic development Alcoa says the trust would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars The company says it has paid $80 million since 1915 to buy land along the Yadkin Alcoa says is has also agreed to spend $240 million to upgrade dams and improve water quality ndash terms it says the trust would have to honor ldquoThis has absolutely nothing to do with protecting North Carolinas waterrdquo Alcoa official Gene Ellis said in a statement ldquoIt has everything to do with the government trying to take a privately owned business for its own benefitrdquo (Age 101 and still going strong Excerpts) Avista looks at beefing up hydropower

Utility launches effort to assess upgrade potential of Nine Mile Falls units By Richard Ripley March 27 2009 Spokane WA Journal of Business Avista Corp is looking at increasing the hydropower-generating capacity at its Nine Mile Falls Dam here partly because of the US governments recent extension of tax credits for development of renewable-energy generating facilities While an upgrade of the facility likely wouldnt be completed until 2012 the Spokane Company has begun evaluating replacement of much of the generating equipment at the 101-year-old dam on the Spokane River northwest of Spokane says Steve Wenke ------------------- Avista Corp plans to increase the hydropower-


generating capacity of its Nine Mile Falls Dam on the Spokane River which generates an average of 18 megawatts of electricity Selectmen want more information before approving any proposals By kclevelandcabinetcomgtKathy Cleveland Staff Writer Mar 26 2009 CABINETCOM

MILFORD MA ndash Selectmen want to talk to a consultant before acting on a request from an Amherst resident who wants to build a hydroelectric facility at the McLane Dam Norm Hebert of Northeast Hydrodevelopment Corp asked the board Monday night to reconsider his old lease on the dam quickly so he can take advantage of federal economic stimulus money The dam is on the Souhegan River in downtown Milford east of the pedestrian Swing Bridge The lease he said dates to the 1980s when we got the lease a state license and were all set to go with the financing he said Then PSNH went bankrupt in 1988 and the lease was voided in bankruptcy courtrdquoFor the last 20 years its not been viable but under the federal economic stimulus

act it is likely to be eligible for Department of Energy grants he said Hebert said he is on a tight schedule because the project needs to begin in 2010 and go online by 2011 Twenty years ago (former town administrator) Lee Mayhew and (town attorney) Bill Drescher spent a lot of time going over the project he said and Im hoping the second time it is a little easier But selectmen said they are in no hurry and want to use a consultant to weigh the proposal Hebert argued that the advantages to the town include about $10000 a year in lease payments and no (dam) maintenance for the next 50 years Town Administrator Guy Scaife said Heberts is the second unsolicited proposal for leasing the dam for power generation that the town has received lately We will engage a consultant to help determine if its a potentially good project and help us select a business partner he said A license of some kind is required from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Hebert and Scaife disagreed briefly on whether it is for an upstream eel license or for a downstream fish passages and Hebert said he doesnt have time to go through a licensing process again Scaife said however that an evaluation of the project cant be done overnight The bottom line is that the money is not a good reason for us to rush said newly elected board Chairman Tim Finan Maybe it would be better for the town to take the dam down It would be a disservice to the taxpayers if we were too quick on this Selectman Kathy Bauer agreed There is a lot of information here she said looking through the news clippings and other items from Hebert Id like a consultant to inform us Two years ago the town of Amherst rejected a proposal from Hebert to build three large wind turbines on his property citing the lack of language in zoning ordinances governing turbines In recent years there has been a movement to remove old dams along New England waterways Last year the Merrimack Village Dam on the Souhegan River was removed Although no one has proposed removing it the McLane Dam is the next one upstream from Merrimack (The opponents of including hydro are really advocating taking the most expensive route to renewables Why not include all renewables including hydro and let the most economic renewable prevail The wind advocates never make any sense) $200 million dam upgrade earns federal OK By ERIC NEWHOUSE bull Tribune Projects Editor bull March 28 2009 PPL Montana received federal approval Friday to replace the powerhouse at the Rainbow Dam a nearly $200 million project thats scheduled to get underway early next year Its going to be a 2 12-year construction project that will employ a lot of people in Great Falls spokesman David Hoffman said Friday Its going to be a huge economic boost for Great Falls and Cascade County he said The Rainbow Dam will remain in place and water levels will not change said Hoffman but the new powerhouse will be built about 200 yards further downstream from the current powerhouse With the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission one huge turbine will replace the eight turbines currently in operation increasing the capacity by 70 percent from 35 megawatts to 60 megawatts Thats enough electricity to power about 45000 homes The new turbine will have an improved fish-friendly design with wider flow passages fewer rotating surfaces and improvements to the turbine intake screen said Hoffman This project will add


renewable energy enhance river fisheries and help meet the regions need for new sources of clean reliable electricity generation Hoffman said The target date for completion would be the spring of 2012 With the massive project ready to go PPL Montana is lobbying for passage of Senate Bill 257 which would allow hydroelectric dam upgrades to qualify for the green credits that power companies earn for supporting renewable energy Currently retail utilities need to have 5 percent of their portfolios in renewable energy That jumps to 10 percent at the end of 2010 and to 15 percent in 2015 The Obama administration

has suggested that it might impose a new requirement 20 percent by 2020 Hoffman said As a wholesale power supplier PPL Montana wouldnt benefit directly from the green credits although it could sell them to retail utilities which needed them Hoffman said The measure has been approved by the Senate on a 40-10 vote and is expected to be debated by the full House in the next few days Opponents argue that including hydroelectric energy upgrades could erode incentives for other renewable energy development such as wind power Our concern with this bill is that changing the renewable energy standard could have a very chilling effect on all economic development in Montana said Jason ONeill a spokesman for Gov Brian Schweitzer But proponents say hydro upgrades increase green energy supplies without requiring expensive new projects Its fair treatment for the investment they made and it encourages them to do more of that type of activity said Sen Jerry Black the Republican chairman of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt Plan to restore San Joaquin River approved Kelly Zito San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer March 26 2009

In one of the boldest river restorations in the Western United States a 63-mile stretch of the San Joaquin River will be transformed from a dusty ditch into a fish-friendly waterway under legislation approved Wednesday that ends a decades-long dispute between farmers and environmentalists The $400 million project approved by Congress as part of a landmark wilderness bill will increase the amount of water released from the Friant Dam near Fresno into the San Joaquin River The flows are intended to resurrect the rivers salmon fishery decimated in the years following the dams construction in 1942 The 15000 farms in the region will receive between 15 and 19 percent less water from the reserves

stored behind the dam Funds from the measure will help water districts offset that loss with new storage facilities and repairs to existing canals President Obama is expected to sign the legislation sponsored by California Democratic Sens Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein It seals a settlement reached in 2006 that followed two decades of battles between environmentalists and fishing groups - who filed a lawsuit in 1988 - and agricultural interests Both sides praised the bill which spells out funding for the program and authorizes a timetable for water releases beginning this fall


After recent dry years and a collapsing salmon fishery passage of this bill is good news for fisherman farmers and the more than 22 million Californians who rely on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for their water supply said Monty Schmitt senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council one of the plaintiffs in the 1980s suit The San Joaquin River Californias second-longest behind the Sacramento River once maintained plentiful runs of spring and fall salmon and fed pristine freshwater into the delta Old-timers remember when the river surged with so many salmon they were scooped up and used as hog feed Once the US Bureau of Reclamation built the 319-foot-tall Friant Dam however the river became a seasonal dribble Farms and communities - including the city of Fresno - grew up across 1 million acres of fertile land employing thousands of people and producing millions of dollars worth of produce Farmers argued that re-establishing the salmon populations would destroy their livelihood But when it became clear that a federal judge overseeing the lawsuit could enact severe water cutbacks the farmers came to the table Having a federal court serve as a water master on our river system was disconcerting to our folks said Ron Jacobsma general manager of the Friant Water Users Authority which serves the 15000 farms in the region The water supply certainty money certainty and opportunity to get additional water drove our folks to stay on board with the settlement Of the $400 million to be doled out over the next decade about $200 million will come from California with the rest coming from the federal government and special fees paid by the areas water districts The funds will pay for environmental studies on increasing river flows (large-scale releases are to begin in 2014) bolstering levees along the river fixing damaged canals and recharging underground aquifers The plans target a section of San Joaquin River between Friant Dam and where the Merced River merges with it Peter Moyle a nationally known UC Davis professor of conservation biology acknowledged the challenges in replenishing a river that some have compared to an agricultural drainage ditch But he is optimistic I really think this can be done said Moyle who has worked in the San Joaquin region on fish restoration since 1969 For the past few years a lot of work by many people has been put into figuring out how to restore flows and fish to the river Now it looks like it will actually happen Amazing Think of it A 150-mile-long river that has been dry or heavily polluted for much of its length may actually support salmon runs again he added Moyle said the river bed just below the dam - where the last Chinook salmon in the river spawned - is an ideal spot for the salmons return because it has deep cold gravel pools where the fish need to rest in between May and September before they spawn In the late 1940s the last chinook spawned there after being trucked by the hundreds up the river Their progeny died that year Moyle said because the Bureau of Reclamation refused a request by the state Department of Fish and Game to release more water so the fish could return to the ocean

iThis 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 to those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only


i 4102009

ldquoGood wine is a necessity of liferdquo - -Thomas Jefferson Ronrsquos wine pick of the week Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay Napa Valley CA 2007 OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff Obama nominates Jo-Ellen Darcy to oversee Army Corps of Engineers by Mark Schleifstein The Times-Picayune April 01 2009 President Barack Obama today nominated a key US Senate staffer to serve as assistant secretary of the Army for public works a position that oversees the Army Corps of Engineers Jo-Ellen Darcy is senior environmental policy adviser to the Senate Finance Committee where she has worked on energy environmental and conservation initiatives using the tax code Earlier she served as senior policy adviser deputy staff director and staffer with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee In those positions Darcy helped oversee the drafting of the $23 billion Water Resources Development Act in 2007 which included the authorization of $7 billion in coastal restoration and new levee projects for Louisiana She is tough as nails and a solid choice for the assistant secretary slot said Garret Graves who serves as Gov Bobby Jindals chief adviser on levee and coastal restoration issues and was on the Republican staff of the Senate Commerce Committee when the water bill was being drafted There is no question that Jo-Ellen will be able to hit the ground running and not be bureaucrat-ed by folks trying to maintain the status quo Graves said in an e-mail message to state coastal restoration advocates She ate drank and slept the Water Resources Development Act for years and knows the Corps better than just about anyone Darcys appointment must be approved by the Senate She would take the place of John Paul Woodley Jr who was appointed to the post by President George W Bush in 2005 Darcy became a Senate staffer in 1993 after serving as executive director of the Michigan Great Lakes and Water Resources Planning Commission assistant to the director of personnel for gubernatorial appointments for former Michigan Gov Jim Blanchard and a legislative and policy analyst for the US House Banking Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization Shes also been an elementary school teacher She holds a masters of science degree in resource development from Michigan State University and a bachelor of science in philosophy and sociology from Boston College


Quote of Note ldquoThose who want the Government to regulate matters of the mind and

spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassinationrdquo - - Harry S Truman


DDDaaammmsss Number of Hazardous Dams in the US Shoots Up Since 2003 The number of high hazard dams needing repair in the US more than tripled since 2003 Posted usnewscom March 30 2009 Source Association of State Dam Safety Officials

1 1743 mdash number of hazardous dams needing repair in 2007 2 1169 mdash number of hazardous dams in 2006 3 1229 mdash number in 2005 4 879 mdash number in 2004 5 528 mdash number in 2003

(And dam safety has made it into the national news At least this article attempts to make a distinction between unsafe and upgrades to meet todayrsquos dam safety criteria) The dam infrastructure problem New report says over 1800 dams pose significant risk to human life Fixing them will cost billions but can we afford this in addition to roads bridges and other projects By Steve Hargreaves CNNMoneycom staff writer April 6 2009

NEW YORK (CNNMoneycom) -- Kentuckys Wolf Creek dam has been a hazard for years Some 150 miles northwest of Nashville the 270-foot high 1950s era dam on the Cumberland River has been leaking for decades The problem seems to have gotten worse in recent years The dam poses such a threat that in 2008 counties down river installed emergency evacuation horns Although the Army Corps of Engineers is working aggressively to fix the problem and says the dam should be stable in seven years the consequences of a breach are huge The pent-up water in Cumberland Lake would spread over 200 miles - flooding Nashville The Corps estimates over 100 lives could be lost and cause over $3 billion in property damage Its against this backdrop that the American

Society of Civil Engineers recently said over 1800 dams nationwide are deficient and their failure could result in loss of life Thats almost a five-fold increase from 2001 Theres a huge gap between what weve been able to repair and what we need to repair said Brad Iarossi a dam safety manager who helped author the engineer societys report And the number has been growing dramatically The price tag to fix these worst-case dams is around $8 billion said Iarossi Fixing all the dams that need repair - estimated at over 4000 - would run closer to $50 billion The question is Do we need to spend all that money and how immediate is the threat The $50 billion that would have to come out of money for roads bridges schools or other infrastructure projects And while a breach at Wolf Creek could be a serious situation especially due to its proximity to Nashville experts say most dam failures would be gradual and quite predictable Although the numbers are alarming theres nothing in this report that would suggest a disaster movie scenario said Douglas McCoach vice president of planning and urban design at RTKL Associates an architecture and planning firm McCoach said focusing on the worst-case dams is a good idea while gradually chipping away at the others on a piecemeal basis What makes a bad dam While the image of a huge Hoover Dam-type structure with a big crack in it is what most people think of when they hear the words dam failure in reality its not usually that dramatic There are a handful of reasons engineers could deem a dam deficient said Iarossi and they dont usually have to do with giant cracks It could be that the technology to predict earthquakes has gotten much better since the dam was built and what was once though as a very unlikely event has gotten a bit more likely In those cases the dam needs to be strengthened structurally Or it could be that meteorology has improved Old rainfall predictions that said flooding seemed unlikely now may say flooding is more likely That would mean the spillway the part

Wolf Creek dam


of a dam that allows water to flow over it without damaging the structure needs expanding Or like in the case of Wolf Creek it could be that the dam is experiencing seepage Thats where water is leaking into the dams foundation and eroding the soil beneath it But as with Wolf Creek its a problem that has gone on for decades and officials seem to be managing it Dams generally dont collapse out of nowhere said Martin Doyle an assistant professor of geography at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill It happens during flood events People know its coming and they usually are evacuated Still Doyle was quick to point to all the old dams across the United States and say that sooner or later they will all need to be dealt with Most dams posing the greatest danger are in the eastern part of the country for two reasons First they tend to be older But the eastern part of the country is also more densely populated One of the reasons theres been such an increase in high risk dams said Iarossi isnt because the dam itself has deteriorated but rather because more people have moved closer to it That increases the chances of loss of life or property in the event of a breach and immediately bumps the dam up into a higher risk category even if the dam is in excellent condition What can be done The engineering society recommends more funds for dam repair and inspection more emergency planning and greater public education among other things Fifty million dollars were set aside in the stimulus bill to repair dams run by the Department of Agriculture but thats all that was allocated specifically for dam work said Iarossi Hes calling on Congress to approve $200 million to shore up the most dangerous dams over the next five years A small start he said but one that can begin to chip away at the problem Federal judge clears way for dam The Associated Press bull April 2 2009 The Montgomery Advertiser CULLMAN AL -- A federal judge has cleared the way for the city of Cullmans proposed Duck River Dam water reservoir project which environmental groups had opposed as too destructive to the free-flowing river US District Judge Karon Bowdre ruled Tuesday that the US Army Corps of Engineers had taken a hard look at the environmental impact of the project which will permanently block the river and create a 640-acre lake while providing a new water source for the area The Alabama Rivers Alliance sued the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2007 to halt the dam which the city first proposed in 1996 The alliance joined by three other environmental groups raised concerns about the original 2000 permit Alliance executive director Cindy Lowry of Birmingham said Wednesday her group hasnt decided whether to appeal Were very disappointed in the ruling she told The Associated Press We are working really hard in Alabama for cities to look at conservation and efficiency as a means for new water supply -- smarter alternatives to dams because they are so destructive We do hope they will consider other options while they try to find funding for this project Dale Greer assistant director of economic development for Cullman told The Cullman Times the $60 million project would be paid for with a bond issue which the city would pay off by selling water to its wholesale customers including Cullman County East Cullman Johnsons Crossing and others It was unclear when construction might begin The proposed dam will permanently block the river with a 135-foot high and 1925-foot-long rock fill dam Along with the 640-acre lake the project calls for the creation of a six-mile pipeline with a 32 million gallon per-day capacity The reservoir would resemble Cullmans current and only water source the man-made Lake Catoma Bowdre of Birmingham said the Corps conceded that the project will require the relocation of 13 residential sites and the loss of 35 acres of prime farmlands Its also not expected to greatly affect recreational activities downstream such as kayaking because flow rates can be controlled the judge said For example the permit for the reservoir contains a special condition allowing for the coordination of augmented or regulated high flows during the annual Birmingham Canoe Club race on the Mulberry Fork I guess thats a little bit of a concession but free-flowing conditions are preferred over regulated Lowry said Besides Alabama Rivers Alliance other plaintiffs in the suit included Black Warrior Riverkeeper Friends of the Mulberry Fork River and Wild South Anderson Dam undergoes seismic safety check MORGAN HILL CA (KGO) -- Work is now underway to determine the seismic safety of Anderson Dam near Morgan Hill KGOTVcom San Francisco CA April 03 2009 Crews are drilling into the dams foundation between 50 and 200 feet deep so engineers can test the soil for seismic stability In particular they are looking to see if a certain type of sand and gravel that is capable of breaking loose during an earthquake is inside the dam If those materials are present and theyre found


to be liquefiable those layers would lose strength then the middle of the dam the clay core would lose its support in a seismic event and it could cause a slumping of the crest of the dam and depending upon the water level we could have an uncontrolled release of water Santa Clara Valley Water District engineer Dave Hook said The dam is located near the Calaveras and Coyote earthquake faults The project is expected to last three months Howard Hanson Dam issues could complicate next rainy season By ROBERT WHALE Kent ReporterAuburn Reporter 452009 The Green River could flood next rainy season so people should have a plan to deal with it And they should buy flood insurance Those were the messages the US Army Corps of Engineers King County and the King County Flood Control District left with some 280 residents of the communities of Auburn Kent Renton and Tukwila who came to Green River Community College on Tuesday night to learn the latest about the situation at Howard Hanson Dam Mark Ohlstrom chief of engineering and construction for the Seattle District of the Corps of Engineers said the Corps is trying to learn all it can about the two depressions that opened on the damrsquos right abutment during the mid-January floods Engineers need to find answers Any undermining of the earth and rock abutment the product of a 10000-year-old landslide could cause water to flow through and around the structure potentially weakening it and the dam itself Until engineers know whatrsquos going on they will continue to restrict the storage capacity of the reservoir behind the dam to avoid stressing the abutment Ohlstrom said engineers donrsquot expect to have everything figured out and fixed before the onset of the next rainy season The upshot is that starting in mid-October potentially high waters could top the riverrsquos levees in the event of a heavy snow melt or a major storm event ldquoWe want to make people aware that there (will be) this time of increased risk of higher flows downstream next year depending on the flood eventrdquo Ohlstrom said ldquoWe will have less ability potentially to store water behind the dam until we have greater confidence in the integrity of the abutment structurerdquo Ohlstrom did have some good news He said excavations last week of the depressions show that their causes are localized not indicative of a systemic problem The smaller depression he said appears to be the product of weathering of the rip rap and engineered filter blanket material used to provide some form of protection to the abutment Excavation of the larger depression revealed that materials had settled into a tunnel 30 feet below the abutment Ohlstrom added that the dam itself is safe and poses no immediate danger to people and property Jeff Bowers assistant director of the King County Emergency Coordination Center said King County and the cities of Auburn Kent Tukwila Renton and Seattle have formed a Green River Basin flood planning group to develop a strategy for public notification and coordinating flood response efforts Bowers said the county will work with transportation planners to identify the best flood evacuation routes and it will publish this information this spring and summer He said the county will also develop new public warning and notification systems Bowers encouraged people to make arrangements in advance of a flood to stay with family or friends ldquoTrust me itrsquos much better than sheltersrdquo Bowers said ldquoWe will have sheltering available of course but that should be the last resort for everybody Whatrsquos most important is that you plan ahead so that each family member knows exactly where to go should there be a flooding situation and what to dordquo Katy Vanderpool Green-White River Basin coordinator for the Flood Warning Center said the center will open earlier this year when major storms are on the way to ensure speedy dissemination of information But the key said Vanderpool is to be prepared ldquoWhether itrsquos a dam or a levy or some other emergency that has nothing to do with the river be prepared If you live in a flood plain you should have flood insurancerdquo Vanderpool said Roger Campbell who has lived in Auburn since 1939 and is now a resident of Rio Verde Mobile Estates on 22nd Street Northeast a stonersquos throw from the river suggested one way of cutting the flood risk dredging the river ldquoThere are trees growing up in the river like mad You can see it Yoursquove created islands out there logjams and stuff ldquohellipYoursquore afraid of killing the fish or something like that God bless the fish I like fish as much as anybody else But who comes first If wersquore under water the fish will still be aroundrdquo Campbell said Ohlstrom said that dredging alone would not solve the problem Yellowtail Dam in need of some repairs Apr 4 2009 Associated Press KXNetcom North Dakota BILLINGS Mont (AP) The Bureau of Reclamation plans to lower the level of Bighorn Lake by about 2 feet in advance of work to grout and seal spots where water is seeping between the large concrete blocks used to build Yellowtail Dam Moltz Construction of Cody Wyo is scheduled to do the work in late April and May


Dan Jewell Montana area manager for the bureau says the seepage causes ice to form on the face of the dam in the winter He says ice formations of up to 50 feet wide and 30 to 120 feet long can break loose threatening high voltage power lines and transformers below This winter bureau workers were lowered with a boom truck from the top of the dam to chip away at the ice Jewell says the seepage may have become more pronounced this winter because the reservoir has been fuller in recent years after years of having been at drought levels Bighorn Lake straddles the Montana-Wyoming border Breech impact put in spotlight Officials analyze earthen dams by Paul A Romer April 5 2009 Temple daily Telegram Temple TX Part of Bell Countyrsquos infrastructure has been classified as ldquohigh hazardrdquo by the National Resources Conservation Service a designation that requires the development of emergency action plans Many people may not have considered the earthen dams spread around the county in three different watersheds as infrastructure but during times of heavy rains the dams are critical for preventing flooding The designation has nothing to do with the structural integrity of the dams but is instead a reflection of increased development downstream Eight of 25 earthen dams in the Bell County jurisdiction of the Elm Creek Watershed Authority are being analyzed to determine the impact a breech from one or more of the dams would have downstream Another three dams in the Donahoe Creek Watershed which spans southern Bell County are being analyzed because they are potentially ldquohigh hazardrdquo Dale Mengers a consultant with Elm Creek Watershed said the NRCS classification was based purely on a visual inspection of the area downstream from the dams Since it looked like loss of life or significant loss of property could result in the event of a breech the state agency moved the dams up on the classification list ldquoThe dams are inspected every yearrdquo Mengers said ldquoThey are in a safe state but new roads homes and businesses could be inundated in the event of a breechrdquo Bell County Engineer Bryan Neaves said the county entered into an agreement with the watershed authorities in December to pay half the cost of engineering studies of the dams which are now under way The Elm Creek project is $96000 and Donahoe Creek $26000 When the studies are complete the county and watershed authorities will understand better the impact of potential breeches ldquoWe expect to receive models and maps this springrdquo Neaves said Mengers characterized the studies as ldquoa preventative thingrdquo something that emergency officials could use in a catastrophic event to quickly determine people who might need assistance or could be in danger In the Elm Creek Watershed most of the dams being analyzed are in the Zabcikville area One dam off Brewster Road is close to Templersquos industrial park and has lots of homes downstream Another dam near Pecan Road has homes downstream that could be in a breech zone The studies at Donahoe Creek Watershed are in a more rural area of the county near the Milam County line The Donahoe Creek Watershed also includes part of Williamson County Elm Creek Watershed maintains more than 30 dams in a four-county basin area Most are located in rural parts of northeast Bell County (No one wants to hear about a dam failure Note the tree roots in the embankment and something in the foreground that looks made of wood If one occurs we hope that no one gets hurt and that we can at least learn something that will help us with dam safety) Dam bursts pouring silt into western PEI river April 6 2009 CBC News

The dam at Scales Pond just east of Summerside PEI burst in a spectacular crash of water and ice Saturday It was originally built to produce hydroelectricity but hasnt been used for decades Witnesses said the break left a gaping hole about 12 metres wide and the force of the water took down nearby trees along the Dunk River There was 30- or 40-foot [nine- to 12-metre] trees they were just toppling them over just like matchsticks Bill MacLean who was on the scene shortly after the dam broke told CBC News on Sunday The force of the water pushing the ice they were just hitting the trees and just shattering them Silt held up in the pond poured into the river below and there are concerns about the effects on fish habitat As that washed downstream it can cover up these nests of salmon and trout that are below the site so I suspect spawning success is going to be poor in that particular area said Todd Dupuis of the Atlantic Salmon Federation Scales Pond had been a popular recreation spot for generations particularly for


fishermen but the pond drained within hours Locals said they hope the province will rebuild the dam and restore the pond

HHHyyydddrrrooo BC government adds voice of opposition to proposed US water project VANCOUVER BC mdash The BC government is adding its voice to growing opposition against the construction of a proposed hydroelectric dam in Washington state First Nations groups and a local MP are also concerned about the states proposed water storage project at Shankers Bend on the Similkameen River south of Osoyoos BC Last December the Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission in the US issued a preliminary permit to allow the study of three water storage projects and a hydroelectric dam less than two kilometres south of the Canada-US border Environment Minister Barry Penner said Tuesday the province has filed a request for intervener status with the commission The BC government supports the responsible use and development of hydropower when such projects are appropriately sited and designed to avoid unacceptable environmental impacts Penner said in a statement However the government opposes construction of the 80-metre-high dam because of the anticipated environmental and community impacts in British Columbia Penner said the proposed dam could flood more than 3600 hectares in southeast BC including First Nations lands near Keremeos and sensitive habitat The potentially flooded area is home to 16 listed species at risk as defined by the Canadian federal Species at Risk Act he said The act prohibits any action that threatens damages or destroys a threatened or endangered species or its habitat (The plot thickens It seems the Governor wants to intervene at a late date) Perdue opposing new license for Alcoa plant on Yadkin River By Michael Hewlett | Winston-Salem Journal Reporter April 1 2009 RALEIGH - Gov Bev Perdue is opposing a new federal license for Alcoa Power Generating Inc to operate four hydroelectric dams along the Yadkin River In a statement sent out today Perdue said she is asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which would issue the license to allow the state to intervene so that it can register its opposition to the license She also would want the federal government to take over the license The company which makes aluminum has operated the four plants at reservoirs since the 1950s and is seeking another 50-year license State officials have increasingly raised concerns about a private company having such control over a public resource The company had generated hydroelectric power to operate a smelting plant in the town of Badin until 2002 Now the company sells the power on the open market which generates about $44 million in revenue a year The waters of the Yadkin River belong to the people of North Carolina Fifty years ago we endorsed Alcoas request for a federal license to operate hydroelectric dams on the river because they powered the companys aluminum smelting works Perdue said in the statement That facility was a linchpin in the regional economy and created jobs for up to 1000 North Carolina workers Today the smelter and the jobs are gone -- and so is the reason for the license (Excerpts ndash new word ldquoupgradationrdquo) Global Hydropower Generation Capacity to Reach 9458 GW by 2015 According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts Inc Exponential rise in energy and power consumption depleting reserves of fossil fuel growing demand for energy supply security and rising concerns over environmental damage caused by fossil fuels are expected to enhance hydropower generation installed capacity to 9458 GW by 2015 PRWebcom April 6 2009


San Jose California (PRWEB) April 6 2009 -- Rapidly expanding global population and fast-paced economic growth particularly in developing countries are expected to propel the demand for all forms of energy including electricity To address the growing energy demand countries are exploring a wide array of energy resources including hydropower As the most developed and widely utilized source of renewable energy hydropower accounts for over 16 of global energy production Hydropower is not only renewable but is also considered an economically viable alternative to electricity generated from fossil fuels Due to the clean and renewable nature of hydro energy few countries across the world use hydropower as the primary source of power supply Although developed countries have been the traditional users of hydropower energy developing countries are steadily making efforts to exploit the vast untapped potential of hydro resources Several countries are offering financial support and adopting policies for promoting the hydropower sector In particular the focus is on development of environment friendly small-scale hydropower projects which are considered ideal for rural electrification programs However the development of hydropower projects faces obstacles due to environmental concerns and issues such as large-scale population displacement ecological damage and loss of arable land Europe Asia-Pacific and Latin America collectively account for the majority share of installed capacity in the hydropower generation market for 2009 as stated in a recent report by Global Industry Analysts Inc Asia-Pacific represents the fastest growing regional market with hydroelectricity generation projected to grow significantly by 2012 Although hydropower development in industrialized regions of the world has reached saturation growth in the sector is anticipated from large unexploited potential in South and Central Asia (China India and Nepal) Brazil Russia Turkey and African countries With capacity expansion limited in the mature US and Western Europe markets due to political and environmental factors hydropower development is largely anticipated from upgradation of existing facilities ------------------------------

WWWaaattteeerrr Water Debate Takes on New Ripple Energy State Water Board Director Says New Infrastructure is Part of the Equation By Chris Woodka The Pueblo Chieftain CO April 01 2009 WATER FOR ENERGY -- whether that means hydroelectric biofuels oil shale or power plant cooling involves choices for Colorado in a time when shortages are nearing critical points a top water official said Tuesday When you are dealing with water you are dealing with our future Its going to take choices and its going to take trade-offs Colorado Water Conservation Board Executive Director Jennifer Gimbel said Gimbel made her comments during the keynote speech of the Arkansas River Basin Water Forum being held at Colorado State University-Pueblo The event continues today with the topic Water to Fuel Our Future Colorado is struggling to balance its needs between agricultural municipal industrial and recreation uses and organizations such as basin roundtables are creating more collaboration and addressing long-term goals collectively These groups are asking Are we happy with the status quo Or is it whoever can get a project done fastest Gimbel said At the same time the states population is expected to triple by 2050 and climate change will mean warmer temperatures a longer growing season decreased flows in river more rain earlier runoff and increased variability in the weather Gimbel said Conservation and reuse will go only so far to meet anticipated shortfalls she said We need to continue building infrastructure Gimbel said However the infrastructure we do have needs to be managed collectively That means more multiuse projects Construction of dams given a black eye in the public consciousness benefits rivers by moderating flows and improving fisheries Gimbel said Her primary example was the Arkansas River voluntary flow agreement -- made possible by balancing water accounts between dams that created sufficient flows for the Arkansas River Headwaters State Recreation Area which draws more rafters that any other American stretch of river Hydroelectric power in the Colorado River basin generates revenue for numerous environmental projects she added New water projects are increasingly more difficult during tough budget times however About $45 million has been cut from CWCB construction funds to make this years state budget balance and deeper cuts could be looming in the future Gimbel said Other forms of energy


development have varying impacts on water supplies Wind farms use little water but could impact birds solar power may use more water than previously believed ethanol production of 7 billion gallons annually eats up 19 million acres of farmland oil shale has the potential to use more than double the amount of water imported into the Arkansas Valley each year and coal-bed methane produces poor-quality water that state law deals with uncertainty You can talk about energy and water but there is no silver bullet There are going to be trade-offs Gimbel said (Everything is political especially water) Republicans Call for Action to Address Man-Made Drought Projections Up to 35000 Jobs Lost and 300000 Acres of Farm Land Unused WASHINGTON DC ndash The House Natural Resources Committee held a full committee hearing today on the ldquoThe California Drought Actions by Federal and State agencies to address impacts on lands fisheries and water usersrdquo Witnesses including several members of Californiarsquos Congressional delegation testified that this is a man-made drought resulting from Endangered Species Act regulations that have diverted much-needed water from California families on the farm to three-inch Delta Smelt fish in the bay The man-made actions have been devastating to Californiarsquos San Joaquin Valley where it is estimated that this year alone up to 35000 jobs will be lost and 300000 acres of farm land wonrsquot be used because water has been diverted Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) explained ldquoCommunities dependent on irrigated agriculture are now approaching 40 unemployment as they watched over 83 billion gallons of water ndash which was water normally dedicated to the fields -- go out to the ocean in the last month alone Itrsquos important to protect lands and endangered fish but our governmentrsquos environmental policies shouldnrsquot make our communities endangered in the processrdquo Republicans have offered numerous solutions to provide necessary relief to families farmers and businesses in Californiarsquos San Joaquin Valley who are struggling to survive in the midst of a man-made drought Solutions include passing legislation (specifically HR 996 and HR 856) to suspend the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act during times of drought emergency to ensure that the Delta pumps operate at historic capacity encouraging the Administration to take steps to allow for water transfers and temporary barriers to keep smelt away from the pumps and offering new water storage as a longer-term proposal to help the State in alternating times of drought and floods Congressman Devin Nunes (CA-21) warned ldquoThis Congress has stood silent for nearly two years as San Joaquin Valley residents have been starved of water Democrat leaders need to stop hiding behind the courts and bowing down to special interests If they do not act within the next 30 days itrsquos over We will witness the collapse of modern civilization in the San Joaquin Valley Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-44) testified that there is no proof that diverting water to the ocean will actually benefit the Delta Smelt fish ldquoIf this Committee is going to continue to give federal agencies the authority to take actions that kill jobs and harm our economy for the benefits of species then the American people deserve clear and undeniable evidence that those actions are in fact benefiting the species Congressman George Radanovich (CA-19) noted that ldquothe draconian regulations that turn simple fish into the worshipful gods of the environmental community and ignore the inalienable rights of people have led us to conclude that Government does not work for us any moremdashwe need the Government to protect the safety and happiness of people not fishrdquo Congressman Wally Herger (CA-02) stressed the need for ldquoa sustainable balanced and comprehensive solution to this water situation that will allow us to equitably meet the needs of all water users human and otherwise Continuing down the same path we have been on for decades is not acceptablerdquo Additionally 17 members of the California Congressional delegation today sent the attached letter to Committee Chairman Nick Rahall and Ranking Member Hastings requesting field hearings on the California drought in order to get ldquothe Committee to step outside the Washington beltway and hear firsthand accounts from citizens throughout California impacted by the droughtrdquo

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt (Excerpts) Yadkin Riverkeeper sets sights on cleaner water By Seth Stratton The Dispatch April 6 2009


He may not have a badge a siren or a weapon but Dean Naujoks has a duty to enforce state and federal clean water laws and ensure the Yadkin River will be protected for generations to come Naujoks is the first riverkeeper for the Yadkin-Pee Dee Rivers in North Carolina He was hired in November to look after the 7200-square-mile basin the second largest in the state only to the Cape Fear River Basin The Pennsylvania native and NC State University graduate took the water watchdog position in November after serving as the Upper Neuse Riverkeeper from 2001 to 2008 He led efforts to investigate contamination at a Raleigh sewage treatment plant in 2002 leading to civil and criminal charges and an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency He also has forced many wastewater permit holders to comply with the federal Clean Water Act and helped prevent more pollution from entering the Upper Neuse River and its basins by filing legal challenges Naujoks along with the Stanly County Board of Commissioners the NC Water Rights Committee lawmakers and others have questions and concerns over Alcoa Power Generating Incs application for another 50-year operating license of its four hydroelectric projects on the river Naujoks and others say Alcoa polluted parts of Badin Lake and want the company to clean up its mess Some legislators have proposed taxing the company and setting up a state trust to manage the projects including the operation side And recently Gov Beverly Perdue filed a motion to intervene in the relicensing process saying that the reason for Alcoa to generate the power from the dams is gone The company once employed more than 1000 people in its smelting operations that produced aluminum Although Naujoks job requires him to take on big fish like Alcoa and other large cities and private companies that have polluted waterways or violated wastewater treatment permits he also works to make sure people have access to rivers creeks and lakes ldquoThis water belongs to the publicrdquo Naujoks said ldquoIm here serving the public interest to bring the citizens voice to the table on clean water issuesrdquo The Riverkeeper Alliance is a nonprofit organization that is supported by foundations individuals and other groups Naujoks and his staff of six built up a membership of more than 1000 members with the Upper Neuse Riverkeeper group and he hopes to build the Yadkin Riverkeeper association to the same level The group now has about 200 members His office is in Winston-Salem and he hopes to open a satellite location in Salisbury Most people dont realize that sedimentation is the top polluter of most rivers and creeks in the state Naujoks said Part of his job description will be to better protect waterways from stormwater runoff from construction sites farms and other areas where sediment easily enters the water Hes organized and trained residents to keep a watchful eye on sedimentation areas through the Muddy Water Watch program which he hopes to soon start in the Yadkin basin Although some developers corporations utility providers and local governments may view Naujoks as their worst nightmare he said hes there to protect a resource that belongs to every resident of North Carolina ldquoI do it because my daughter will need clean waterrdquo Naujoks said ldquoElected officials dont have to stand up to developers and tell them we need cleaner water for future generationsrdquo Naujoks said cities and counties that have taken a proactive stance to make sure they provide clean water for their residents can promote that to people and businesses looking to move to their area Naujoks said they have come to the realization that ldquogood environmental policy makes good economic policyrdquo Raleighs violations of its wastewater treatment plant cost the city $40 million to upgrade the facility but he said the citys elected officials especially Mayor Charles Meeker knew they did the right thing to fix their pollution problems Naujoks said he became a valuable resource when Meeker had a question about water quality even having the mayor write him a letter of recommendation for his new job He hopes to cultivate a similar relationship with the elected leaders in the Yadkin basin ldquoThose who weve confronted have recognized the need to (comply with clean water laws)rdquo Naujoks said ldquoWe can either pay now or pay more laterrdquo



i 4172009

ldquoGood wine is a necessity of liferdquo - -Thomas Jefferson Ronrsquos wine pick of the week Trinitas Petite Sirah Russian River Valley 2003 OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff (Oh oh this is going to cause one of those ldquoItalianrdquo discussions ndash which some people might interpret as an argument) Italy muzzled scientist who predicted quake Mon Apr 6 2009 By Gavin Jones ukreuterscom

ROME (Reuters) - An Italian scientist predicted a major earthquake around LAquila weeks before disaster struck the city on Monday killing more than 100 people but was reported to authorities for spreading panic The government on Monday insisted the warning by seismologist Gioacchino Giuliani had no scientific foundation but Giuliani said he had been vindicated and wanted an apology The first tremors in the region were felt in mid-January and continued at regular intervals creating mounting alarm in the medieval city about 100 km (60 miles) east of Rome Vans with loudspeakers drove around the town a month ago telling locals to evacuate

their houses after Giuliani from the National Institute of Astrophysics predicted a large quake was on the way prompting the mayors anger Giuliani who based his forecast on concentrations of radon gas around seismically active areas was reported to police for spreading alarm and was forced to remove his findings from the Internet Now there are people who have to apologize to me and who will have what has happened on their conscience Giuliani told the website of the daily La Repubblica Giuliani who lives in LAquila and developed his findings while working at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics in the surrounding Abruzzo region said he was helpless to act on Sunday as it became clear to him the quake was imminent I didnt know who to turn to I had been put under investigation for saying there was going to be an earthquake AGENCY REASSURED TOWNSPEOPLE As the media asked whether in light of his warnings the government had protected the population properly Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi seemed on the defensive at a news conference He said people should concentrate on relief efforts for now and we can discuss afterwards about the predictability of earthquakes Italys Civil Protection agency held a meeting of the Major Risks Committee grouping scientists charged with assessing such risks in LAquila on March 31 to reassure the townspeople The tremors being felt by the


Quote of Note ldquoHumanity is a parade of fools and Irsquom in front of it twirling a

batonrdquo - - Dean Koontz


population are part of a typical sequence (which is) absolutely normal in a seismic area like the one around LAquila the agency said in a statement on the eve of that meeting It said it saw no reason for alarm but was nonetheless carrying out continuous monitoring and attention The head of the agency Guido Bertolaso referred back to that meeting at Mondays joint news conference with Berlusconi There is no possibility of predicting an earthquake that is the view of the international scientific community he said Enzo Boschi the head of the National Geophysics Institute said the real problem for Italy was a long-standing failure to take proper precautions despite a history of tragic quakes We have earthquakes but then we forget and do nothing Its not in our culture to take precautions or build in an appropriate way in areas where there could be strong earthquakes he said Secretary Salazar FERC Chairman Wellinghoff Sign Agreement to Spur Renewable Energy on the US Outer Continental Shelf WASHINGTON DC ndash Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff today signed an agreement that clarifies their agenciesrsquo jurisdictional responsibilities for leasing and licensing renewable energy projects on the US Outer Continental Shelf The Memorandum of Understanding clears the way for developing wind solar wave tidal and ocean current energy sources ldquoPresident Obama is committed to a comprehensive energy plan that will generate millions of clean energy jobs break our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threat of deadly pollutionrdquo Secretary Salazar said ldquoThis agreement will spur the development of clean renewable energy -- the growth industry of the 21st Century Our nationrsquos economic future demands we lead that competitionrdquo Salazar has made offshore wind solar and hydrokinetic energy a top priority and expects to have a final regulatory framework for Outer Continental Shelf renewable energy development in the near future ldquoBy removing all the regulatory barriers to the development of hydrokinetic energy in the Outer Continental Shelf this agreement will advance the development of a promising renewable resource that in the end will benefit consumersrdquo said FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff The agreement establishes a cohesive streamlined process through which Interiorrsquos Minerals Management Service (MMS) and the FERC will lease license and regulate all renewable energy development activities on the Outer Continental Shelf including hydrokinetic sources (wave tidal and ocean current) Under the agreement

bull MMS has exclusive jurisdiction with regard to the production transportation or transmission of energy from non-hydrokinetic renewable energy projects including wind and solar MMS also has exclusive jurisdiction to issue leases easements and rights-of-way regarding Outer Continental Shelf lands for hydrokinetic projects MMS will conduct any necessary environmental reviews including those under the National Environmental Policy Act related to those actions

bull FERC has exclusive jurisdiction to issue licenses and exemptions from licensing for the construction and operation of hydrokinetic projects on the Outer Continental Shelf and will conduct any necessary analyses including those under the National Environmental Policy Act related to those actions FERCrsquos licensing process will actively involve relevant federal land and resource agencies including Interior

bull FERC will not issue a license or exemption for an Outer Continental Shelf hydrokinetic project until the applicant has first obtained a lease easement or right-of-way from MMS for the site FERC will not issue preliminary permits for hydrokinetic projects on the Outer Continental Shelf In all leases easements and rights-of-way for hydrokinetic projects MMS will require that construction and operation cannot begin without a license or exemption from FERC except when FERC notifies MMS that a license or exemption is not required

Under the agreement FERC and MMS will coordinate to ensure that hydrokinetic projects meet the public interest including the adequate protection mitigation and enhancement of fish wildlife and marine resources and other beneficial public uses Both agencies may inspect authorized hydrokinetic projects on the Outer Continental Shelf to ensure compliance with the terms of leases easements rights-of-way licenses or exemptions At its discretion FERC may choose to become a cooperating agency with MMS in the latterrsquos preparation of an environmental document for the lease easement and right of way for any Outer Continental Shelf hydrokinetic project Likewise MMS may choose to be a cooperating agency with FERC in the preparation of FERCrsquos environmental documents for the license or exemption of any Outer Continental Shelf hydrokinetic project The agencies also will coordinate to ensure that any licenses or exemptions issued by FERC and all operations regulated by FERC with respect to a lease easement or right-of-way are consistent with the provisions of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act the Federal Power Act and other applicable law A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding can be accessed online at the following URL httpwwwfercgovlegalmaj-ord-regmoumou-doipdf


DDDaaammmsss (A long tortuous story and a significant victory for dam removal advocates) Removal of Rogue dam spells end of bitter battle By JEFF BARNARD AP Environmental Writer 04072009 San Jose Mercury News GRANTS PASS OremdashWithin weeks jackhammers will start knocking Savage Rapids Dam into rubble and with it two decades of bitter battles over whether to keep what had become a crumbling symbol of a bygone era when rugged pioneers bent nature to their needs When irrigation season starts next month 12 modern pumps will fill the canals serving 7500 acres of the Grants Pass Irrigation District By December the northern half of the dam on the Rogue River will be gone allowing salmon and steelhead to swim freely past the site for the first time since 1921 After the lawsuits and arguments of the past Grants Pass Irrigation District Manager Dan Shepard is ready to see the dam go This digging in your feet like the Alamo makes good movies said Shepard but in those movies a lot of people are dead In the 88 years since Savage Rapids was built the logging and mining that once sustained Southern Oregon have faded Farms that the irrigation district once served have sprouted homes that tap the water for lawns and gardens And the salmon and steelhead have struggled They are giving up an aging infrastructure with high (operation and maintenance) costs for a relatively stable pumping facility said Bob Hamilton who has overseen the project for the US Bureau of Reclamation since 1988 They will have an electric bill they never had (to run the pumps) but they will also have reliability they never had these many many years The battles started in 1988 when the conservation group WaterWatch Rogue Fly Fishers and the American Fisheries Society filed a protest to stop the irrigation district from drawing more water from the Rogue The US Bureau of Reclamation took a look and decided the cheapest and best solution to provide water efficiently without harming fish was to remove the dam and replace it with pumps The district initially went along knowing the federal government was likely to pick up the tab with powerful Sen Mark Hatfield R-Ore in office but later flip-flopped and fought to save the dam Lawsuits were filed Battles flared in the state Capitol The Rogues coho salmon was declared a threatened species and more lawsuits were filed By 2001 after losing every lawsuit and spending more than $1 million on legal fees the district agreed to remove the dam The next year the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board pledged $3 million and a year later Congress started approving funding that would eventually cover the rest of the $393 million cost Shepard recalls one of the valleys major orchardists asking him why irrigators cared how they got water as long as they got it The answer was a tough one he said It has to do with people feeling powerless before their government mindful of how spotted owl protection triggered a huge reduction in logging that took away the resource-based economy of the region Nobody likes change Shepard said If you were a businessmanmdasha farmer or ranchermdashwhen something comes up you can get all emotional about it for a short period of time Then you have to back up and look at it from a business perspective Since we didnt have any full-time ranchers or farmers its very easy for people to get emotional instead of dealing with reality On Tuesday workers for Slayden Construction of Stayton dumped truckloads of rocks and gravel into the river downstream of the dam and looked over the dry riverbed upstream as they started building a cofferdam that will hold back the water while backhoes and workers equipped with jackhammers start pounding the 88-year-old concrete structure into rubble The river flowed through the radial gates at the center of the dam For three weeks while the coffer dam is built no straggling winter steelhead or early spring chinook will be able to climb the fish ladders to spawning grounds upstream When the project is finished this December the northern half of the dam will be gone The southern half that remains will no longer have the concrete pillars that held in place the needle logs that raised and lowered the dam for irrigation Winter storms will start washing downstream the 250000 cubic yards of sand and gravel built up behind the dam Adult fish swimming upstream will no longer struggle with the poorly designed fish ladders Young fish migrating downstream will no longer get shunted into irrigation ditches or a turbine to die Removing Savage Rapids comes on the heels of removing a diversion dam upstream at Gold Hill and talk that Gold Ray Dam also upstream could be out by next year That would open 157 miles of free-flowing river from Lost Creek Dam the one dam that stores water and controls flooding on the Rogue to the Pacific We are seeing one of the nations largest river restoration projects said Bob Hunter of WaterWatch


(How did this happen The reservoir is lower) Hope Mills manager says dam to be inspected soon By Donnie Sewell Staff writer The Fayetteville Observer What happened Town Manager Randy Beeman told the board that the Hope Mills Lake dam and spillway should be ready to be inspected within two weeks Why it matters If state safety officials approve the new Hope Mills Lake dam town officials will have to decide whether to accept the dam construction Town officials and residents have concerns about the lake level which some people estimate to be 18 inches to 2 feet lower than the lake level before the original dam breached in May 2003 What they said Lisa Carter Waring president of the Friends of Hope Mills Lake shared research from previous board meetings that showed Gordon Rose of McKim and Creed the projectrsquos chief engineer had said multiple times that the lake would be restored to its previous level She said that the new dam did not achieve that goal Wolf Creek Dam Repair Begins New Phase Corps Determined Dam Was At High Risk Of Failure In 2007 WSMV Nashville TN April 8 2009 The US Army Corps of Engineers said contractors will begin drilling more than 275 feet into bedrock to construct a massive concrete wall The new wall will be thicker and longer than one constructed at the dam in the 1970s The Corps of Engineers announced in early 2007 that Wolf Creek Dam was in urgent need of repair and they lowered the lake level by about 40 feet to ease pressure on the structure Officials said any breech would cause flooding in communities along the Cumberland River and likely reach Nashville Tenn The Courier-Journal reports that the wall will extend nearly a mile across an earthen part of the dam which impounds Lake Cumberland We are absolutely confident it will work said Ricardo Petrocelli president and CEO of Treviicos the Italian firm that has partnered with Frances Soletanche Bachy for the $340 million construction contract Workers have already pumped nearly a billion gallons of grout into the foundation of the dam to help stabilize it The repair projects total cost will be about $580 million corps officials said The new walls construction uses special equipment made in Europe just for the Wolf Creek project corps officials said The wall-building portion of the project is paying out about $50 million in local contracts said Wes Schmutzler of Treviicos safety manager for the project It will employ about 200 people with construction work continuing six days a week he said The wall is constructed in 10-foot sections and all the repairs are scheduled to be complete by 2012 said Lt Col Bernard Lindstrom The Corps Nashville District commander Lindstrom said the next phase of repairs could allow higher water levels for the 2010 recreational season That would be welcome news to businesses that depend on the lake tourism Weve had the triple whammy said Bill Jasper president of State Dock a marina in Lake Cumberland State Resort Park said of low water levels high fuel prices and the recession (Give it up They are going to spend $7 million to remove the dams) 950 am City county vote to remove dams BY SHERI MCWHIRTER Traverse City Record-Eagle April 9 2009 TRAVERSE CITY mdash Three dams on the Boardman River will be removed The decision comes after years of study and public discussion about the former hydroelectric generating structures Traverse City and Grand Traverse County commissioners voted late Thursday night in dual split decisions to remove the dams following a lengthy meeting that primarily focused on hydroelectric capabilities of three of the rivers four dams In my opinion this is the best thing to happen to Traverse City environmentally since years ago they decided to clean up the beachfront said Mayor Michael Estes The county owns Boardman and Sabin dams while the city owns Brown Bridge and Union Street dams Union Street Dam is the only one never used to generate power and it will not be removed because it blocks invasive sea lampreys from moving upstream Northport resident Charles Peterson wants to return the three hydroelectric dams to use as power generators but his intentions were shot down by the 6-2 county vote and the 4-2 city vote that came around 11 pm But he said he wont give up It was clear they just wanted to make a choice one way or the other The way they handled this is a complete breach of the public trust Peterson said Peterson said he may


seek legal recourse he said Our anger is not going to be easily abated Peterson said Were not giving up Peterson owns the hydroelectric equipment inside both Boardman and Sabin dams purchased in December 2007 for $60000 Meanwhile the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians already filed a $75 million federal grant request to remove the dams

HHHyyydddrrrooo (Good article) From the March 2009 Special Editions Scientific American Time to Think Hydropower The nations waterways could provide much more clean energy By Linda Church Ciocci ED NHA Imagine what our economy would be like if almost half of our electricity came from renewable energy resources No fuel price shocks no foreign control no worries about climate changemdashjust clean abundant affordable electricity Before World War II Americans actually lived that way thanks to hydropower The massive public works projects undertaken during the Great Depression built a fleet of huge facilities on some of the countryrsquos biggest waterways Job creation electrification and inexpensive power modernized the rural South and helped to industrialize the West Then the story goes after the war ended and the atomic age began hydropower growth slowed to a trickle A myth that hydropower couldnrsquot expand any further gained currency Well get ready for some myth-busting Hydropower is the largest renewable resource in the US providing about 8 percent of the nationrsquos electricity Analysts say that capacity can double in 30 years rivaling the growth predicted for the nuclear power industry and at a fraction of the cost The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is reviewing more than 30000 megawattsrsquo worth of new projects equal to a third of all existing hydropower capacity and big enough to power the New York metropolitan area Surprised Many people are because they still think of hydropower only on a scale of the giant Hoover Dam The fact is new technologies are creating ways to generate electricity in all kinds of waterways For example turbines that rotate slowly like underwater windmills can sit in rivers aqueducts or other locations where water flows freely Other units in oceans or tidal waters generate electricity as they bob up and down Even existing dams hold promise for energy production Only about 3 percent of the countryrsquos 80000 dams generate electricity Power-generating turbines could be added to many of these structures The hydropower industry is encouraging the federal government which owns many of these non-powered dams to begin assessing the potential Beyond that engineers are finding ways to generate more electricity at existing hydroelectric dams by installing more efficient turbines and other technologies The Grant County (Washington State) Public Utility District is almost halfway through a project to replace 10 turbines at its Wanapum Dam that will increase the facilityrsquos capacity by more than 10 percent The new turbines developed through a public-private partnership also offer a more ldquofish friendlyrdquo design Projects such as this one that maximize efficiency and reduce environmental impact are starting to attract support from environmentalists who appreciate hydropowerrsquos ability to provide reliable affordable energy resources without greenhouse gas emissions The US hydropower industry is pleased to see the Obama administration take a closer look and wersquore urging officials to invest in federal research and development that can propel new water power technologies to market As the administration examines public works projects that can jump-start the economy it should consider hydropower initiatives just as its predecessors turned to hydro development during tough economic times 75 years ago The industry is also asking Congress to ensure that such development receives the same tax incentives given to other renewables Hydropower should be part of state and federal policies too From renewable portfolio standards to comprehensive energy and climate strategies hydropower offers a proved resource Note This article was originally printed with the title Time to Think Hydro (Happy Birthday) Santee Cooper turns 75 today BY WARREN WISE The Post and Courier April 7 2009


MONCKS CORNER mdash Santee Cooper came to life on April 7 1934 with the swipe of a pen amid the depths of the Great Depression Today the state-owned utility marked its 75th anniversary mdash amid one of the worst economic slumps since the Great Depression As far as a cake or a party we dont have anything planned Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore said The economy doesnt lend itself to anything like that In 1934 then-Gov Ibra Blackwood signed legislation that created the SC Public Service Authority which today is called Santee Cooper for the two rivers that were dammed to bring hydroelectric power jobs and economic opportunity to a rural area of South Carolina that was impoverished during the Depression Lakes Moultrie and Marion named in 1944 for Revolutionary War heroes sit behind the dams and are home to the states largest freshwater resource They have become popular national fishing destinations Today less than 2 percent of Santee Coopers energy comes from the massive hydroelectric project that was not completed when World War II broke out Because of litigation from privately owned utilities the project remained in legal limbo until 1938 when the Supreme Court energized it with a favorable opinion Land clearing didnt begin until the next year just months before war broke out in Europe The creation of the lakes called Santee Reservoir and Pinopolis Reservoir respectively until they were renamed in 1944 was the largest land-clearing project in the world ever at the time

PPL Reapplies for Holtwood Hydroelectric Plant Expansion Project PPL Corporation Apr 09 2009

Federal tax incentives in stimulus package could make proposal to increase clean renewable energy generation economically feasible ALLENTOWN Pa April 9 PRNewswire -- PPL announced Thursday (49) that it will file a new application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a project that would add 125 megawatts of clean renewable electric generating capacity at the Holtwood hydroelectric plant on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County Pa PPL has reconsidered this project in view of the tax incentives and potential loan guarantees for renewable energy projects that are in the federal economic stimulus package said William H Spence executive vice president and chief operating officer of PPL Corporation These stimulus package benefits could make the project feasible again by more than offsetting the factors that caused us to withdraw our original application in December and the further decline in future energy prices since that time Citing economic conditions tightening credit markets and projections of future energy prices PPL in December withdrew an initial application to expand Holtwood The estimated $440 million project would add enough new renewable energy generation to power 100000 homes and improve fish lifts that enable migratory fish to reach spawning areas upstream of the Holtwood Dam along the Susquehanna River and its tributaries It could create nearly 500 construction jobs Were looking forward to resuming work with the many government agencies private organizations and individuals who have supported this project Spence said While there are some significant regulatory and other hurdles to clear we may be able to put this new renewable electric generating capacity in service by the spring of 2013 Subject to approval by FERC and other government agencies availability of the necessary stimulus package incentives and negotiation of the related contracts construction could start in February 2010 Holtwood has been generating electricity since 1910 Currently it generates 108 megawatts using the power of the water held back by a 55-foot-high dam The dam creates Lake Aldred an 8-mile reservoir that provides opportunities for boating fishing and other public recreation PPL operates two campgrounds 39 miles of hiking trails several picnic areas and other facilities including the well-known Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve and Lock 12 Historic Area (The ridiculous Senate continues down the path of not recognizing existing hydro as a renewable Then ndash what is it) ALABAMA VOICES Punishing the South April 9 2009 By Lance Brown Montgomery Advertiser A renewable energy proposal in Washington if passed into law could have a major impact on jobs and electricity rates in Alabama The proposal creates a national Renewable Portfolio Standard that would require all states to produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2021 Renewable energy generation would have to begin immediately A national standard for renewable energy might sound good on the surface but when you look at our options for meeting the standard you realize that states like Alabama and others across the Southeast really suffer compared to other places My organization the Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy is a coalition of the states manufacturers workers small businesses and consumer advocates We estimate that the proposal could cost Alabama electricity ratepayers as much as $380 million per year if not more Under the current proposal Alabama power producers would have to generate almost 13 million megawatt-hours from renewable sources like solar


wind and biomass (organic materials such as wood) The current RPS proposal sponsored by Sen Jeff Bingaman D-NM would not allow states to count power generated by existing hydroelectric plants toward the new standard Why is that important Hydroelectric power is one of the Southeasts most plentiful renewable sources of energy In fact Alabama ranks fifth in the nation in hydroelectric generation producing more than 5 million megawatt-hours from hydroelectricity last year That provision of Bingamans proposal alone would cost Alabama electricity ratepayers about $137 million per year and will cost the Southeast about $700 million annually In short the Bingaman proposal requires Alabama to produce 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources but wont allow us to include our greatest source of renewable energy today -- hydroelectric The bottom line is that families like yours and mine could soon going to be paying heavy penalties to the government for not meeting this unrealistic standard Under the proposal power producers would pay a 3-cents-per-kilowatt-hour penalty for all power that doesnt meet the national standard PACE calculates that this Alternative Compliance Payment would amount to $380 million each year for Alabama Across the Southeast the penalty could be as high as $5 billion annually This sum would be passed through to residential and industrial electricity customers resulting in higher power bills for everyone With hydroelectric not an option Southern states would have to rely on solar wind and biomass to meet a 20 percent standard However the US Department of Energy reports that very little solar or wind capacity exists in Alabama today Even US Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently testified that biomass is the Southeasts only viable option for meeting a renewable energy standard What does that mean Major Alabama industries such as the states 14 pulp and paper mills currently rely on forest resources for raw materials These industries support tens of thousands of jobs for Alabamians not to mention jobs in related forest products industries Higher demand for forest products as well as higher prices for raw materials could force the closure of some of these mills The same is true across the Southeast where forest industries thrive We need to be looking for the most affordable way to have a clean energy future one that doesnt cost us jobs and saddle the Southeast with drastically higher electricity prices We need to ensure that whatever renewable energy policy we enact actually helps the environment here in Alabama and doesnt simply export our dollars to T Boone Pickens and the energy giants of the Midwest and West But right now lawmakers dont seem to be headed in that direction Instead they are cherry-picking favored energy sources while leaving others out all to our detriment I created PACE because the current energy proposals are not fair to the Southeast where I live and work The bottom line is that working families and businesses here dont deserve to pay more under a renewable energy standard while others pay less If you agree I encourage you to sign the PACE Petition at wwwenergyfairnessorg Lance Brown is executive director of the Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy a non-profit organization headquartered in Montgomery (If it sounds like a pumped storage project and looks like a pumped storage project it must be a pumped storage project) Company considering hydro project in N Idaho Associated Press - April 11 2009 Fox12Idahocom Lewiston Tribune LEWISTON Idaho (AP) - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a preliminary permit to a New York company to examine building a two-dam water storage and hydroelectric project in northern Idaho The BPUS Generation Development LLC of Liverpool NY wants to build the project on Little Potlatch Creek near Juliaetta The permit issued late last year gives the company three years to explore the feasibility of its proposed project that would be located in Nez Perce and Latah counties The company is considering building two earthen dams on the small creek to create a 138-acre reservoir and a 105-acre reservoir The powerhouse would have a capacity to generate 1340 megawatts and would be built underground between the two dams (More on the subject of Federal land fees for hydropower projects licensed by the FERC ndash big increases Read it and weep ndash more costs heaped on Hydro) Federal fees rising for electric utilities By Matt Weiser sacbeecom Apr 12 2009 httpwwwsacbeecomenvironmentstory1773745html (I wonder if this Senator knows that Congress made the licensing what it is ndashtortuous Schumer asks approval of $100M hydroelectric project By Michael Lamendola Daily Gazette Reporter Schenectady NY April 13 2009 GREEN ISLAND mdash US Sen Charles Schumer is calling on a federal regulatory agency to approve a


license for a hydroelectric project in the community that would cost $100 million to construct and create about 2000 jobs The Green Island Power Authority filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to increase the peak generating capacity from the current 6 megawatts to 48 megawatts at the plant on Hudson River The generating plant is adjacent to the Federal Dam and lock that spans between the village of Green Island and Troy ldquoApproval of this application will allow us to produce more clean power create hundreds of jobs and provide access to area fishermanrdquo said Schumer ldquoMoving this process forward is obviously in the best interest of everyone in the community and I will do everything I can working with GIPA and FERC to ensure that the application is reviewed as soon as possiblerdquo A spokeswoman for FERC said the review process for an application can take up to two years The process is governed by statutory guidelines she said Schumer spokesman Max Young said the senator has identified this project as something that would help the region and ldquoso we are acting on itrdquo

Water (This is why wersquore going to need more dams Conservation and efficiency are good things but that wonrsquot be enough) Water crisis rocks LA Mexico City whos next By MARTIN SIEFF April 10 2009 UPIcom WASHINGTON April 10 (UPI) -- Water water hardly anywhere Water crises are rocking two of the worlds largest cities as Mexico City starts a 36-hour water cutoff and Los Angeles is in the midst of a water dearth The problem however is far wider than two of the most populous cities in the Western Hemisphere Beijing the capital of China has a serious water shortage The Israelis and the Palestinians are at loggerheads over control of the key aquifers west of the River Jordan that are vital to sustain both peoples An unprecedented world population of 68 billion people -- more than three times that of 80 years ago -- and the inexorable reality of global climate change are guaranteed to make the long-term crisis worse The cutoff in Mexico affects about a quarter of the capital citys residents -- 5 million people Mexico City instituted a five-month rationing plan in January with the Thursday-Friday cutoff this week deemed necessary to fix a leaky supply system and to ease -- somewhat -- a supply problem that began when the lakes that once flooded the city were drained 40 years ago The leaks problem is not small Half of Mexico Citys water supply is lost through lousy infrastructure alone -- primarily through leaking pipes The change in weather patterns over the North American continent has taken its toll too just as it did in Los Angeles Mexicos National Water Commission said that the capital citys water supply system is at its lowest level -- less than 50 percent capacity after low rainfall totals last year and the leaky delivery system In Los Angeles the City Council unanimously turned back a rationing plan Wednesday that had been put together by the citys Department of Water and Power which is caught between the council and a statewide order from California Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger to cut usage 20 percent If the city fails to take action the agency that supplies the bulk of water to Los Angeles could impose rationing The plan the council voted down -- so it could be studied further -- would have mandated by June 1 much higher rates for water users who exceed a monthly limit which itself would be lower than current water usage US cities are going to be hugely vulnerable to water shortages within the next five to 10 years There is a huge aquifer under several states in the Midwest The aquifer tapped primarily for agriculture has been hugely depleted over the past couple of decades and is a future crisis waiting to happen Almost no one in the United States -- or anywhere else in the industrialized world -- takes the crisis seriously or realizes how directly it threatens them About 70 percent of Earth is covered by deep oceans but all the water in the oceans is heavily saline with high quantities of salt that make it impossible to drink The unprecedented global population growth and the demands of industry and modern agriculture for gigantic amounts of water have depleted aquifers around the world Nitrate fertilizer is universally used to maintain crop yields at levels that would have appeared magical a century ago But nitrate fertilizer based on an industrial process to fix nitrogen out of the atmosphere developed by German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch before World War I seeps through soil to poison water tables everywhere and make them unusable The United States embarked on a binge of dam building to preserve water starting in the 1930s as part of President Franklin D Roosevelts New Deal and continuing in the 1950s under President Dwight D Eisenhower But later presidents slashed funding Under President George W Bush and his four Congresses -- three Republican-controlled and one Democrat-controlled -- the problem got vastly worse On Thursday CNN cited a recent American Society of Civil Engineers report that concluded more than 1800 US dams are now in urgent


need of reconstruction work and pose a significant risk of being breached That is up from around only 360 dams at such risk in 2001 Even the drowning of New Orleans in 2005 -- which came about after the Bush administration and recent Congresses neglected maintenance funding for the levees protecting the city -- did not translate into a wider wake-up call to protect and upgrade the national water-reservoir infrastructure The ASCE report concluded that it would take $8 billion to repair those 1800 dams But there are another 2200 dams that also need maintenance work The bill for repairing all 4000 dams in all could come to almost $50 billion That sounds like a lot of money But the current Democrat-controlled 111th Congress has just pushed through a gigantic $787 billion stimulus spending package of which little more than $80 billion or around 11 percent was actually stimulus spending So far the current ruling Democrats in Congress have proved as ignorant and irresponsible about the need to repair dams and pipes and prioritize the US water infrastructure as their Republican predecessors Repairing dams and leaky pipes is not sexy It is not cutting-edge technology It doesnt carry dreams of putting two or three American astronauts back on the moon or providing an astrodome defense against nuclear-armed missiles It is only a matter of life and death for 300 million Americans The water shortages now hitting Los Angeles and Mexico City now only threaten around 40 million people If the US and Mexican governments dont get their acts together the problem will only get far worse (Water and Dam news) Raised dam to buffer county against drought San Vicente to become areas largest reservoir By DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | North County Times April 11 2009 It wont help San Diego County ride out the current drought but a $568 million water project set to get under way this summer in the backcountry could ease the pain of the next one To create a relief valve for droughts and disasters such as earthquakes the San Diego County Water Authority is preparing to raise 220-foot-high San Vicente Dam southeast of Poway by 117 feet ---- a project that may get a shot in the arm from federal economic stimulus money When completed in 2012 San Vicente Reservoir will hold more than twice as much water as it does now and easily surpass the El Capitan Reservoir to become the countys largest officials said last week It will be the biggest increase in water storage in the countys history said Gina Molise a spokeswoman for the county water authority Officials say the enlarged lake will provide extra water for San Diego County in droughts diluting the impact of watering restrictions such as the 10 percent cut expected to come down the pipeline this week from Metropolitan Water District Southern Californias primary supplier It also is expected that the new version of the San Vicente Reservoir would provide a crucial emergency reserve the county can tap if earthquakes or other disasters knock out canals that pipe in water from the Colorado River and Northern California We will still be able to deliver water for approximately six months which is how long it could take to repair the aqueduct system said Keith Lewinger general manager for the Fallbrook Public Utility District and a member of the authoritys board It is just too bad the bigger reservoir wasnt available earlier said Ken Weinberg director of water resources for the authority It could have made life easier in the current drought by stockpiling surplus water before the string of three dry years began Its one of those things where we wish we had it now Weinberg said 337 feet high The dam was built by the city of San Diego in the 1940s and its 90000 acre-feet of storage capacity belong to the city But Kelly Rodgers project manager for the authority said the additional 152000 acre-feet that the reservoir will be able to hold once the dam reaches its new height of 337 feet will be the property of the county water agency That means North County residents stand to benefit significantly from the project because most area water providers depend on the authority for all ---- or almost all ---- of their supply Lewinger said An acre-foot is about 326000 gallons the amount two families use in a year The additional 152000 acre-feet of capacity amounts to one-fourth of what the authority delivered to San Diego Countys cities and water districts last year Rodgers said the authority doesnt have to depend on economic stimulus money to build the project it can cover the entire cost from other sources But she said the requested $130 million in federal funds would reduce the need to sell bonds to fill the gap between money on hand and the total price tag Money on hand will be used to pay for the project phase scheduled to begin this summer That phase entails digging down along the dams base to prepare the site to receive 600000 cubic yards of additional concrete and building new roads in the dams vicinity Rodgers said Last month the authority received six bids for the excavation work ranging from $226 million to $498 million she said A contract is expected to be awarded later this spring Once the hole is dug and the roads are in the authority will launch another phase next year to begin applying the concrete that will enlarge the structure Rodgers said the new concrete will double whats already there Placing the amount in perspective she said the 600000 cubic


yards is enough to fill a football stadium with an office building 28 stories high At the base the dam is 150 feet thick now she said and that will increase by 75 feet A bigger cushion The authority plans to use a type of concrete that cures faster than conventional concrete and workers will drive heavy construction vehicles over the material to compact it similar to the way highway workers compact asphalt Rodgers said Its just as strong as conventional concrete she said But if you would hold it in your hand it would feel like earth Rodgers said San Vicente will be the largest dam-raising project in the world to be tackled with roller-compacted concrete Once the dam is raised it will take two to five years to fill the reservoir to its new maximum level depending on rainfall in the mountains that feed San Vicente Creek and the amount of extra water available in the San Diego Aqueduct Rodgers said The canal that pipes in water from distant sources runs next to San Vicente Now when the lake is full it covers 1100 acres Rodgers said the enlarged reservoir will span 1600 acres or 25 square miles But most important said Bud Lewis Carlsbads mayor and the authority board chairman the expanded lake will cushion the county against future cutbacks in deliveries from Northern California or the Colorado River The additional water storage created by the San Vicente Dam raise will help protect San Diego Countys 3 million residents and $171 billion economy from future supply shortages caused by drought disasters or impacts of climate change Lewis said in a statement

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt (Gee I wonder why this happened Do you get the feeling that given the current politics the dam removal folks think now is the time to strike on the Snake River dams And itrsquos no mystery why the Flint River in GA is on the list ndash therersquos a proposal to build a dam for water supply (httpwwwajccommetrocontentmetrostories20090407flint_river_endangeredhtml) Lower Snake 3rd most endangered river By NICHOLAS K GERANIOS ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER Seattle Post-Intelligencer SPOKANE Wash -- Four dams that are blamed for damaging salmon runs on the lower Snake River in Washington place the waterway third among the nations most endangered rivers according to an annual report by American Rivers The conservation group on Tuesday said the Sacramento and San Joaquin river system in California topped this years list Environmental groups for years have sought the removal of the four dams on the Snake as the only way to restore the salmon They contend the dams and the slackwater reservoirs they create are hostile to the migrating fish Dam supporters cite other factors in the decline of salmon runs Lower Granite Little Goose Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor dams were built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the middle of the last century The dams are along the Snake in southeastern Washington from near Pullman to the Tri-Cities The Bush administration supported the dams but environmentalists are hoping the Obama administration will seek removal Taking out the four lower Snake River dams and giving an endangered river a much-needed chance to recover is smart business Paul Fish head of Mountain Gear an outdoor retail company based in Spokane said in the American Rivers report A restored Snake River will mean abundant salmon more outdoor recreation and fishing opportunities and more jobs for the Northwest he said The Obama administration has an opportunity to transform an endangered Snake River into a working Snake River US Rep Doc Hastings R-Wash a staunch supporter of the dams said both salmon and the dams can be saved The citizens of the Northwest overwhelmingly oppose tearing out the four Snake River Dams Hastings said recently We can recover fish runs and protect our dams The dams generate electricity and provide irrigation water The reservoirs behind them allow barges filled with grain and fuel to travel up and down the Snake and Columbia rivers rather than by truck on highways Its time we again stand up and speak out against dam removal as an extreme action that wont help fish but will increase energy prices hurt our economy and cost us jobs Hastings said Every year the four dams kill as many as 90 percent of juvenile salmon and steelhead that migrate downstream to the ocean American Rivers said All the rivers salmon runs are either threatened with extinction or already extinct The organization chooses its most endangered rivers from nominations made by environmental groups and considers the value of each river to people and the environment the level of the threat it faces and pending decisions that could affect it in the next year Rivers from Pennsylvania to Alaska also made this years list


Rounding out the top five were Georgias Flint River Mattawoman Creek in Maryland and the North Fork of the Flathead River in Montana Columbia Basin salmon returns have historically been the West Coasts largest They numbered 10 million to 30 million per year but overfishing habitat loss pollution and dam construction over the past century caused the numbers to dwindle Dozens of populations have gone extinct and 13 are listed as threatened or endangered species making it necessary for federal projects such as the hydroelectric system to show they can be operated without harming them The last three plans for balancing salmon and dams known as biological opinions failed to pass legal muster and the issue is bogged down in courts iThis 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 to those who have an interest in receiving this information for non-profit and educational purposes only


i 4242009

ldquoNo nation was ever drunk when wine was cheaprdquo - - Thomas Jefferson Ronrsquos wine pick of the week Yarraman Estate Hell Raiser 2005 (cabernet sauvignonmerlot 50-50 blend) OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff New Episodes of Shades of Green to Air in May (1888PressRelease) April 19 2009 - As the Shades of Green expose on wind power winds down the series is launching an exciting new segment on alternate renewable energy resources Solar power Geothermal and Hydropower are all a necessary components in working together to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels ldquoWe cannot rely on one energy resource alone to supplement our countryrsquosrsquo needs the effort will have to come from all areas if we are to put a dent in the problems concerning fossil fuel consumptionrdquo explained Rick Dulsky With a great deal of our countryrsquos dependence still placed upon petroleum and coal we will need to make a collaborative effort from all areas of renewable energy Shades of Green is dedicated to informing and educating the public on alternative energy resources ldquoOnce the public realizes there are alternatives out there they will be more inclined to make the switch from conventional energy methodsrdquo added senior producer Ricky Wilson Shades of Green is independently produced by DMG Productions and airs nationally on Discovery Channel

DDDaaammmsss (If yoursquore a regulator and named Rambo maybe you should just kick them in the Giabondaretta) Uncertainty over safety of Dix Dam still lingers By Charlie Pearl State Journal Frankfurt KY Apr 15 2009 Deron Rambo local emergency management director says he expects a written report this week from Kentucky Utilities regarding the safety of Dix Dam In a March 13 letter to KU Rambo said As you are aware citizens of Frankfort and Franklin County that live along the Kentucky River are very concerned about the potential risk to the community should a disaster occur at Dix Dam ldquoThe only information available to my office and these citizens is very dated and goes all the way back to the construction in the 1920s The most


Quote of Note ldquoIf you cannot convince them confuse themrdquo - - Harry S Truman


recent data I have seen is from the 1980s and references very large holes and the lack of inspections to the lower portions of the dam which of course would cause concern to anyone who reads these reports KU owns the 84-year-old dam 53 miles upstream from Frankfort on the Dix River a tributary of the Kentucky River When completed in 1925 Dix Dam was the worlds largest rock-filled dam It is more than 1000 feet long and 287 feet high and impounds Herrington Lake which is 260 feet deep and 25 miles long Rambo spoke briefly at Mondays City Commission meeting after Jim Daniel of the Kentucky Council for Dix Dam Safety gave a presentation on the dangers of the dam Daniel a retired enforcement agent for the state Division of Water also plans to speak to Franklin County Fiscal Court soon We have absolutely no documentation that the dam is safe which is why we believe it may not be safe Daniel said Monday US Corps of Engineers studies in the late 1970s determined there were numerous serious structural-integrity deficiencies Daniel said There are no records available that indicate that any of those deficiencies have been corrected Daniel said Daniel says the only way to find out the condition of the dam is to drain the waters of Herrington Lake Clyde Baldwin a retired chief engineer for the Division of Water said at a January public meeting thats unnecessary Drawing down the water behind a dam is just as dangerous as filling it the first time he said Drawing that structure completely wouldnt prove really a thing Baldwin said You dont want to go through with that unless its necessary In a letter to Gov Steve Beshear on Jan 30 Daniel said KU and its owner Eon US should present for public review all documentation of maintenance and repair from 1925 to the present Daniels letter to Beshear also said theres no record that the state Division of Water now the sole regulatory authority over this dam has ever performed or required that the owner conduct a subsurface inspection of the upstream face of the dam The letter said the Division of Water has been making public declarations that this high-hazard dam is safe and there is no justification to conduct a subsurface investigation However on all official inspection reports the Division of Water has a disclaimer saying it does not intend this report to be taken as an assurance that no other problems exist at this site or that the dam is safe That means its not worth the paper its written on if you have to put a disclaimer on like that Daniel said at Mondays meeting Daniel has asked Beshear to require the Division of Water to take appropriate measures to assure the downstream public that the Dix Dam is as safe as possible Your help is crucially needed to avert a possible if not probable tragedy Daniel said today he has not received a response from the governor Daniel said Monday Dix Dam is the highest and one of the most dangerous dams in the state Whether or not it is the most dangerous dam is open for debate Daniel said Monday But one thing for certain is its the most dangerous one for us Chris Whelan director of communications for Eon US said in January Its in our interest to ensure the dam is safe The dam is monitored daily and there are regular inspections for shifting and leaks including underwater inspections and biennial state evaluations Whelan said All rock-filled dams leak to some degree but none that would cause any issues Whelan said Rambos letter to KU was a follow-up to a meeting he had with KU officials on Jan 22 In his letter Rambo asked KU to

bull Provide his office a copy of the current emergency plan that addresses the emergency release of water andor a partial or complete failure of the structure

Obviously we would like to be ensured that we will receive immediate notification should an incident occur A successful evacuation would depend on it

bull Provide an updated estimate of the time it would take a surge to reach Franklin County The current estimate states it would take over 30 hours which we know is not accurate and is also based on the river being at summer pool which is highly unlikely

bull Consider sending KU representatives who are very knowledgeable of this subject to Frankfort to conduct a community meeting to address citizen concerns firsthand

The presence of outdated or inaccurate information helps no one and may even cause unnecessary panic Rambo said he also wants to invite to the meeting emergency management directors and local elected officials from other counties along the KentuckyRiver that would be immediately affected

bull Provide a summary of recent maintenance and inspections that will show that KU has been vigilant about the safety of the dam

You spoke in our meeting of recent work that had been completed Older reports suggest that no attempt has been made (to) inspect the lower portions of the dam and that known issues have not been resolved State Division of Water reports are very basic and based only on a visual surface assessment This would be something very important to address in a public meeting

bull Discuss the possibility of partnering with the US Geological Survey the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Kentucky River Authority to place a flow monitor somewhere below the dam to assist in the notification of a surge and normal downstream forecasting

That information could then be available to the public by phone or Internet Rambo said He said the common goal should be to create an effective partnershipthat ensures we provide the highest level of


safety for the public we serve Perhaps the best place to start is through education by making available timely and accurate information Rambo told city commissioners Monday I think were moving forward I think its baby steps But I think this has been wanted for a long time A big part of this is having an open dialogue making sure everyones on the same page We should be on a first-name basis with (KU and Dix Dam emergency and safety officials) Then if something does happen they wont have to wonder who to call Theyll know who to call

Rocky Reach Dam to be featured on Dirty Jobs By Michele Mihalovich Wenatchee World staff writer April 15 2009 WENATCHEE mdash The rumor is true Crews with Discovery Channelrsquos Dirty Jobs will film two future episodes next week at Rocky Reach Dam The showrsquos host Mike Rowe wants to help clean a generator shaft said Christy Shearer a spokeswoman for the Chelan County PUD We do run a clean operation she said However the work inside is pretty dirty Inside the shaft is a tight cold slimy space Just the kind of job Rowe is attracted to Crews will also be filming workers conducting fish studies near the dam She said the PUD agreed to the filming was because the show really celebrates the workers and the jobs they do Plus itrsquos a great way to promote the clean and green message of hydropower Shearer said this will be the first time the show featured a dam She said producers called last fall to see about filming an episode Someone from the show apparently has a family connection in the area she said adding that the timing didnrsquot work out But then they called again in January and learned we were taking a generator unit down this spring This time it worked out Shearer said Filming will occur during normal operating hours but not in public areas she said The two episodes should air this fall (Recent news articles about a depression in the right abutment of Howard Hanson Dam in King County WA are clarified by this photo from the Corps of Engineers posted on Flikrcom) Aerial View of Howard Hanson Dam

More photos at USACEpublicaffairs photostream httpwwwflickrcomphotos30539067N04 (OK I give up I thought this dam removal stuff was studied to death and now wersquore going to spend $4 million of stimulus money ndash for what This wonrsquot create a single job) Stimulus money pays for Klamath dam removal study The Associated Press 04172009 San Jose Mercury News GRANTS PASS OremdashA study on the feasibility of removing dams on the Klamath River to help struggling

Aerial View of Dam with descriptions of elements of dam and right abutment


salmon runs is being paid for with federal stimulus money The US Bureau of Reclamation regional office in Sacramento Calif said Friday that they have received $4 million to contract the work The study is due by 2012 It will give the Secretary of Interior the information he needs to decide whether the benefits of removing the four aging hydroelectric dams outweigh the drawbacks Issues include an engineering analysis of removing the concrete structures and what happens to the sediment that has built up behind them during the past century Removing the dams is widely seen as a key to restoring dwindling West Coast salmon runs (Itrsquos always easy to get the answer you want to hear if you donrsquot look at the facts and reach your forgone conclusion in the state of darkness) Editorial Dams committee failed to consider options fairly April 18 2009 Traverse City Record-Eagle MI After three years dozens of meetings $12 million in fees and costs and hundreds of hours of talk the decision to demolish three Boardman River dams came down to a split vote at 11 oclock at night at a meeting that wasnt expected to produce a final decision What a bust In the end the Boardman River Dams Committee process went out with a whimper not a bang for a host of reasons -- The group never satisfactorily determined whether any of the dams could again generate electricity and if doing so made financial sense If professionals in the field had inspected the dams and said they werent worth the investment the question would have immediately changed from Should we tear them down to When do we start If the dams were deemed salvageable the discussion should have moved to feasibility and cost The decision essentially ignored advice from four utility companies whose representatives questioned rehabilitation estimates and emphasized that hydro-power can be cost-effective clean and renewable and likely will increase in value Only Traverse City Light amp Power which formerly operated the dams said hydroelectric generation is not economical No expert technical opinions were sought despite the fact that many committee members said they wanted more information Committee member and county Commissioner Beth Friend said she wanted to see if any private firms were interested in rehabilitating the dams That could have told the committee a lot no bids tear them down some bids take another look The full committee ignored a January memo from Traverse City and Grand Traverse County to seek professional expertise -- The process appeared to many to be skewed toward tearing out the dams from the beginning The chairman of the committee was a Department of Natural Resources employee and the DNR wasnt a bit shy about its desire to return the river to what anti-dam folks called its natural state -- After nearly three years of discussions the decision was made by the Traverse City Commission and the Grand Traverse County Board at what appeared to be just another meeting and not until 11 pm If it had been determined April 9 was decision day (the agenda said there would be a vote if necessary) it was incumbent on everyone involved to make that fact public and give all sides a last say Not voting until 11 pm on a Thursday night is unconscionable -- The issue of what to do with the tons and tons of silt that has built up behind the dams -- some of which may contain toxic materials -- has not been adequately considered -- A sub-committee that was supposed to come up with a recommendation totally copped out Its advice Tear them all down Or not There is no debating the fact that most of the push-back against demolition came from people who own property on one of the impoundments which for decades have given them essentially lakefront property If the dams are removed they face the prospect of owning land fronted by acres and acres of mud flats and worse A smaller percentage of the opposition was made up of people who wanted to see the dams used again to create electricity At a time when utility companies are being forced by the state to seek out sources of renewable energy -- such as solar or wind or hydro-electric power -- using existing facilities to do that simply made sense they argued But in the end the loudest voices came from environmentalists fishermen kayakers and others who wanted to see the river returned to the way it was in the 1800s before the dams were built They prevailed and can declare a victory for the river They may be right there is much to be said for allowing fish back up the river and for fishermen to experience what the Boardman was like before humans reshaped it to their needs This is without a doubt a victory for the environment of the river But it also cant be denied that this was not a balanced complete process and thats a pity There are a lot of people who no longer trust their government to weigh the issues fairly and act on behalf of the public good


(The beat goes on The anti-dam proponents believe itrsquos now or never) Conservationist Push For Dam Breaching April 20 2009 KIVI-TV Todays 6 Idaho Conservation groups have put the Lower Snake River number three on its ten most endangered rivers list They blame dams on the river for Salmon and Steelhead populations to dwindle The Lower Snake is a bottle neck Idaho Rivers United Spokesman Greg Stahl said The dams in question are all in Washington but the group feels the fish would be able to make their spawning runs easier with out the dams The dams impede the migration to and from the ocean and contributes significantly to their endangered status Stahl said But many consider those dams vital to the shipping and energy needs of the region especially the Port of Lewiston They claim losing the dams could put the port out of business and say there are other steps that havent been taken to help improve the runs even with the dams

HHHyyydddrrrooo (Hydro is always at the bottom of the renewables list) UC DAVIS TO COORDINATE CALIF RENEWABLES COLLABORATIVE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BY AER STAFF ON THURSDAY 16 APRIL 2009 The California Energy Commission has announced that it will award the University of California Davis with $3 million to coordinate the efforts of four statewide programs within the recently unified California Renewable Energy Collaborative The university will become the administrative center for three existing programs focused on biomass geothermal and wind energy as well as a new program that will focus on solar energy Other renewable energy sources such as hydropower and ocean energy may be addressed in the future Funding for the collaborative comes from the California Energy Commissions Public Interest Energy Research Program This new center for collaboration will help energy researchers and specialists from many different sectors work more effectively with the end users of their products the states consumers and energy providers says Bryan Jenkins UC Davis engineering professor and director of the UC Davis Energy Institute Jenkins will lead the new California Renewable Energy Collaborative SOURCE University of California Davis (Excerpts) Ohio Company proposes $27M hydroelectric plant Jennings Randolph Lake Sarah Moses Cumberland Times-News April 14 2009 KEYSER WVa mdash An Ohio firm is proposing a $27 million hydroelectric plant at Jennings Randolph Lake ldquoIn doing my research I came across an Ohio firm Advanced Hydro (Solutions) that is interested in Jennings Randolph Lakerdquo said Glen Gilbert member of the Mineral County Green Jobs Task Force ldquoTheyrsquore already taking some of the filing and procedural stepsrdquo Gilbert told the county commissioners at their Tuesday public meeting that the firm has filed through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The proposed facility would have a capacity of 134 megawatts which could power as many as 3000 to 4000 homes Gilbert said The project plans include bypassing the discharge tunnel and constructing a power house just downstream of the dam Gilbert said this would not require the creation of a new dam However Rex Riffle of the Parks and Recreation Department said he isnrsquot optimistic that the US Army Corps of Engineers which manages the lake located near Elk Garden WVa would approve of the project He said previous plans for hydroelectric plants have been shot down because they had the potential to affect the flow from the dam Gilbert said the company seems to be aware of the situation at Jennings Randolph and is not expecting a steady flow of water knowing that this can change with the season and with the corps maintaining the lake for recreation and water quality Riffle said unless laws change the corps will continue to use the flow and water quality to determine the viability of a project and that it could be three to four years before any action is taken on it Gilbert added that the plan would not create any new permanent jobs as the plant could be operated remotely with occasional


inspections and maintenance by the company ldquoThe task force realized this information was not in the public sector and it has been going on for about a yearrdquo Commission President Wayne Spiggle said ldquoMy feeling is that we invite the representatives of the companyrdquo The commissioners agreed to invite the company to a future meeting to discuss its plans -------- Owners of dams sue water authority News-Record April 15 By Taft Wireback Staff Writer GREENSBORO NC mdash The owners of several small hydroelectric dams are suing the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority claiming their earning potential is hurt by the water it soon will remove from the Deep River Owners of the small privately operated plants are seeking millions of dollars in damages said John Kime the authorityrsquos executive director ldquoThe last number I saw was $5 millionrdquo Kime said of the alleged damages Superior Court Judge Richard W Stone recently set the case for trial this summer after

rejecting the authorityrsquos request that the case be dismissed The plant owners are known as ldquosmall power generatorsrdquo and own comparatively tiny dams equipped to make electricity by tapping the Deep Riverrsquos current ldquoIt ainrsquot like wersquore a Duke Power that can go out there and spend billions of dollars to build a nuclear plantrdquo said Dean Brooks one of the plaintiffs who owns a former Carolina Power amp Light plant built in the 1920s near Moncure ldquoWersquore just using what nature has given usrdquo Brooks said in a telephone interview from a small plant he has owned for five years The authority is building a water-treatment plant in northern Randolph County and expects to begin operations in mid-2010 The project is being built by a partnership that includes Greensboro High Point

Jamestown Archdale Randleman and Randolph County Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Brooks and his Brooks Energy fellow dam owner Bruce H Cox and three other dam-owning companies Deep River Hydro Hydrodyne Industries and LampS Water Power Discussion of the case emerged at Tuesdayrsquos monthly meeting of the water authority as Kime sought to prepare board members for the next annual budget beginning in July That budget will include a substantial increase in legal fees to defend the case he said From the authorityrsquos perspective the new Randleman Reservoir should not hurt the small power generators Kime said Under the projectrsquos operating permit the authority is required to release a steady flow of water downstream more than triple the riverrsquos historic rate of flow he told board members Seven small hydroelectric dams are on the Deep River south of the reservoir Brooks said But some are not operating currently including one bought by the authority he said Power from Brooksrsquo plant is sold to Progress Energy CPampLrsquos successor he said Brooks said itrsquos obvious hydroelectric producers will be hurt once the authority begins withdrawing 12 million gallons of water per day purifying it and distributing it to cities that wonrsquot all return it to the Deep or its tributaries At their afternoon meeting authority members said they were frustrated the small-dam owners have not presented any evidence showing what they actually earned from hydroelectric sales before or after the reservoir When the authority was seeking permits from state and federal officials in the mid-1990s owners of the hydroelectric dams made similar claims Kime said But they were disregarded partly because they failed to submit earnings data he said (This just wonrsquot go away because NC wants to somehow circumvent the law) Senate panel endorses state takeover of Alcoas Yadkin operation as lake association supports Alcoa April 15 2009 By Mark Wineka Salisbury Post

Senate Bill 967 which would establish a state trust to own and manage the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project won the unanimous support Tuesday of the NC Senates Judiciary II Committee The bill now moves to the Senate Finance Committee If enacted the legislation would take the ownership and operation of the hydroelectric project from Alcoa Power Generating Inc Both Alcoa representatives and members of the Stanly County Board of Commissioners attended the committee meeting Tuesday when members voted 16-0 in favor of the bill The Stanly commissioners endorse the trust concept Alcoa representatives testified that efforts to take its hydroelectric business are unnecessary to retain state control of the water Alcoa also said it would be expensive for NC taxpayers and would damage the states business friendly reputation

Randleman Reservoir


Stanly officials released a statement later Tuesday thanking the committee members for their vote and noting that those favoring the legislation represented both Democrats and Republicans They especially thanked Sen Fletcher L Hartsell Jr R-Cabarrus who handled the bill in committee and articulated our goal of returning the waters of the Yadkin to the people of North Carolina This widespread overwhelming support indicates legislators faith that the trust best addresses water control job creation and environmental cleanup for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project the commissioners said The hydroelectric project covers a 38-mile stretch of the Yadkin River and includes powerhouses and dams at the High Rock Tuckertown Narrows and Falls reservoirs in Stanly Davidson Rowan and Montgomery counties Meanwhile the High Rock Lake Associations board of directors supports Alcoas position The board took formal action last week and unanimously opposed a takeover as outlined by Senate Bill 967 Larry Jones president of High Rock Lake Association said in a press release that several areas of the Senate bill demand explanations from legislators He said the proposed legislation causes further delays in the license renewal process and has no legal precedent Jones added it would lead to loss of county tax revenues add to the burden of state taxpayers destroy the business friendly reputation of North Carolina and adversely affect pollution abatement now in progress The High Rock Lake Association board also voted to oppose Gov Bev Perdues motion to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to intervene in the relicensing process The association said it conscientiously and publicly negotiated for more than six years with Alcoa Power Generating Inc FERC and many other stakeholders in the Yadkin River Basin to arrive at the pending Relicensing Settlement Agreement under FERCs relicensing procedures It is extremely disappointing to HRLA and its 1500-plus members to suddenly hear the state call for an emergency hearing to allow for an intervention at this time the association said The governors actions in the opinion of the HRLA do not reflect the will of the people the association said Alcoa has been stalled in its efforts to renew the FERC license for the project which once provided the power for its aluminum smelter in Badin The Badin aluminum plant is no longer in operation but Alcoa wants to continue selling power from its hydroelectric operation HRLA believes that these lakes are one of the crown jewels of North Carolina providing environmental recreational economic and aesthetic benefits the association said We encourage everyone to study SB 967 and consider the questions it raises Last week state Rep Lorene Coates D-Rowan served as one of four primary sponsors for House Bill 1455 which is similar to the Senate bill in calling for a state trust to own and manage the Yadkin Project The NC Water Rights Committee which first proposed the idea of a state trust to take over the Yadkin Project said the House legislation would ensure sufficient water levels at Badin Lake direct the trust to give preference to Alcoa employees currently working at the hydroelectric dams and steer profits to water resources and infrastructure needs in the state A NC Water Rights Committee statement charges that Alcoa has grotesquely mischaracterized the proposed Yadkin River Trusts cost In fact the committee said it will cost the state nothing because the trust is designed with the ability to issue revenue bonds for the purchase and improvements Even if APGIs conservative estimate of an annual profit of $8 million is accurate the Yadkin River Trust will easily be able to finance the project without costing NC taxpayers a single penny NC Rep Fred Steen R-Rowan is one of 22 co-sponsors of the recently introduced House bill In its testimony Tuesday Alcoa made some of the following points

bull Despite Stanly Countys claims to the contrary the original license for the Yadkin Project was not granted to Alcoa in exchange for a promise of jobs

bull Although there were comments in the hearing examiners report from the 1958 license that referenced the jobs as it related to the length of the license Alcoa says there was no requirement for jobs in the 1958 license

bull Proponents of this bill claim they can acquire the project through recapture at a cost of $25 million to the state The state cannot recapture the project period because the deadline has passed Under federal law Alcoa says the time for recapture passed nearly three years ago

bull After a comprehensive and lengthy environmental review process a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Yadkin Project was issued in April 2008 by FERC FERC staff concluded in the EIS that a federal takeover of the Yadkin Project was not a reasonable alternative and said it would not be considered further Alcoa says

bull No project regulated by FERC has been taken over by FERC in the 89-year history of the Federal Power Act

bull Even if recapture were still an option it would cost more than $25 million bull

The Federal Power Act specifically calls for reimbursement to APGI for net investment plus severance damages Since a recapture has never occurred before there is no precedent for what those severance damages would include but APGI believes the severance damages inflicted by a takeover to be significant What we do know is that the state would need to invest $200 million to upgrade and modernize the dams in


addition to any costs paid as well as the costs of takeover the Alcoa statement said Given the capital cost expenditures required to make the required upgrades and modernization for the project the state would operate at a negative cash flow for many years into the future meaning the state would have to borrow additional funds to pay operating and maintenance expenses during those years We believe the only way for the state to acquire the project today is through condemnation mdash a taking Alcoa said That would require the state to pay fair market value for the project which APGI estimates at more than $500 million And it sets a precedent that North Carolina should never consider mdash that if the state sees a benefit in your business it will take it for its own use Should the state take over APGIs hydroelectric generation process Alcoa said It will find itself involved in a highly complex engineering and business operation including the daily trading of electricity for which it is not prepared (Now herersquos a novel idea ndash hydro IS renewable Some people forget their roots and reason for their very resistance) Washington Could Be Closer to Recognizing Hydropower As Renewable Resource April 20 2009 WorldNow and KNDOKNDU Amending Initiative 937 has been tried over and over again thats according to Representative Larry Haler (R) 8th District It consists on recognizing hydropower as a renewable resource Reliable clean and at a low cost thats how hydropower in Eastern Washington is described One of the prime members of the Washington Environmental Council is the American Rivers Group they are filing suit continually against the federal government to tear down our dams said Haler Many of the dams he talks about are vital to many aspects of the local economy We want to keep our snake river dams alive and well thats what really powers agriculture in our state said Debbie Bone-Harris with Franklin PUD Debbie says Franklin PUD already invests in renewable energy Because I-937 mandates renewables its driven the cost of wind power way up said Bone-Harris Investing in hydropower would bring down their costs and also yours Those costs will eventually be passed on to our customers said Bone-Harris The PUD says hydro is also more reliable since wind only works about 25 of the time The coldest days of the year and the hottest days of the year the wind doesnt blow so having hydropower is needed to firm wind power said Bone-Harris Haler says many companies on the West side oppose hydropower becoming a renewable resource because theyve already invested in wind Theyre obligated to pay off that wind power and having all the water as renewable that means they cant raise their rates said Haler Representative Haler says while the bill passed the House it didnt pass the Senate on Monday Now it moves back to the House for further action Haler says all other 49 states in the country already recognize hydropower as a renewable resource

WWWaaattteeerrr Interior chief offers $260M for CA water projects WaterTechOnlinecom April 16 2009 SACRAMENTO CA mdash US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has promised that $260 million in federal stimulus money is being offered to California to help solve its water problems The Sacramento Bee reported April 16 The article was carried on the Water Environment Federation Web site The largest portion of that money mdash about $110 million mdash is being proposed for construction of new pumps and fish screens at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam on the Sacramento River the article said The federal money will be spent at sites overseen by the US Bureau of Reclamation a division of the Department of the Interior While touring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger and other officials on April 15 Salazar announced the Obama administrationrsquos intentions of providing more federal assistance with California water issues than the state had seen in many years according to the article Salazar said ldquoit is time for the federal government to re-engage in full partnershiprdquo with California in solving its water problems In addition to the Red Bluff dam project the article said these other California water projects would be among those benefiting from the funds announced by Salazar


bull $40 million for drought-relief projects for drilling new wells and assisting with water transfers to the San Joaquin Valley Due to water shortages and drought the statersquos huge agricultural industry and its workforce have suffered in recent months

bull $31 million for safety projects at Folsom Dam to assist ongoing construction of a new flood-control spillway

bull $28 million for salmon and steelhead habitat restoration in Battle Creek a tributary of the Sacramento River

bull $4 million to pay for planning related to habitat conservation in the Delta a major water supply for the entire state and the subject of disputes over the balance between environmental concerns and water diversion issues

Full article httpwwwweforgCmsWEFPagesNewsStoryPageaspxstory_id=128756693ampID=wefampSection=Industry20News

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt (Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly) Ladder to help fish over Thompson Falls Dam April 13 By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian THOMPSON FALLS MT - Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly - but sometimes fish need to fly too Since thatrsquos out of the question humans will help bull trout west slope cutthroat trout and other species ascend 75 feet over the top of Thompson Falls Dam to access their native spawning waters PPL Montana has received approval to begin construction of a permanent fish ladder at the hydroelectric dam The project will reopen hundreds of miles of the upstream Clark Fork River to the fish The ladder will have 47 individual concrete step pools each filled with water that will allow the fish to gradually ascend to the top - and over - the dam It will also feature a mechanical lift and sorting tank where biologists can install radio tags in fish examine them and select fish they want to transport by truck ldquoThis innovative design will attract selected fish species with water cascading down the ladder at specific speeds causing them to move toward and into the fish passage systemrdquo Jon Jourdonnais director of hydro licensing and compliance for PPL Montana said ldquoWersquore particularly targeting bull trout which is a federally listed threatened species and west slope cutthroat trout a species of special concernrdquo Rock removal and excavation will begin this summer n PPL Montana says no blasting will be required n with construction due to start toward the end of the year with a target date for completion near the end of 2010

New weir helps fish at Little Goose Dam THE NEWS TRIBUNE BY THE HERALD STAFF 041309 STARBUCK -- Migrating juvenile salmon and steelhead are using a newly opened spillway weir in-stalled at Little Goose Lock and Dam according to the Army Corps of Engineers The weir which opened April 3 was installed as part of an effort by the Corps to improve fish survival Millions of juvenile salmon and steelhead mi-grate down the Snake and Columbia rivers each spring project manager Jack Sands said in a statement This weir marks a pretty big milestone among those improvements Surface passage facilities are now in place at all Corps dams on the lower Snake River A spillway weir structure is fitted into a dams spillbay raising the spillway opening to create a surface-oriented passage for out-migrating fish Juvenile salmon and steelhead can safely pass over a raised spillway crest more efficiently than with conventional spill while reducing migration delays at the dam the Corps said The spillway weir will be tested during the 2009 fish passage season to evaluate how many fish are using the spillway weir as well as the juvenile passage survival


(Oops) Engineering failure at $100M fish facility Just as the project was coming to fruition a chunk breaks loose leaving a 4-month delay and questions By Kate Ramsayer The Bulletin April 15 2009 Photos by Pete Erickson The Bulletin When the powerhouse at Round Butte Dam is operating fish migrating north from Lake Billy Chinook will be drawn into an underwater structure to be sorted and marked before being taken on a 35-minute truck ride around Round Butte Pelton and reregulating dams for release What happened A fish transfer facility designed to gather mark and transport fish from Lake Billy Chinook past three dams was in its final stages of assembly last weekend when the structure broke apart The top piece where water and fish eventually will enter was being floated into place The middle piece a 140-foot-tall 40-foot-wide conduit designed to connect the top and bottom sections was attached to wires and floats to suspend it upright The base was in place attached to the reservoir floor 270 feet down The plan was to float the top piece over the conduit attach the two then move the assembled piece over the base and hook the whole thing together But as crews were preparing to line up the top section and the conduit the conduit broke in two The top of the conduit floated to the surface The bottom fell to the bottom of the lake and broke into several pieces At right a crane secures what remains of the huge conduit the top portion that bobbed to the surface Below the project as it appears after the accident seen from Overview Park on the south side of the reservoir with Round Butte Dam at right blocking the Deschutes River which flows downstream from there Whatrsquos next Remotely operated vehicles have checked out the pieces left underwater and crews will recover them and put them on land to dry An investigation will attempt to determine what happened and why Workers will repair or replace the sections and try again to assemble the structure


Some Dam_Hydro News4_03_09

Quote of Note ldquoThe trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get electedrdquo ~Will Rogers

2009 Grades

Colo Dems pose fund to repair dams

(Stimulating dam safety)

Stimulus money to plug Oklahoma funding woes for dams SafetyFlood-damaged structures are most at risk

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT March 26 2009 NewsOKcom

(The latest news on this tragedy is that loss of life is near 100 and about 100 people are missing This was a 50 acre reservoir The location of people literally at the toe of the dam was disastrous)

Dam Bursts in Indonesia Killing Dozens in Flood

High speed chase suspect breached security gate at Shasta Dam

Stimulus worth a dam

(The State of NC view)

NC bill seeks new operator on Yadkin

Lawmakers plan calls for state-created trust to acquire and run Alcoas hydroelectric project

Plan to restore San Joaquin River approved


Obama nominates Jo-Ellen Darcy to oversee Army Corps of Engineers

by Mark Schleifstein The Times-Picayune April 01 2009

The number of high hazard dams needing repair in the US more than tripled since 2003

The dam infrastructure problem

New report says over 1800 dams pose significant risk to human life Fixing them will cost billions but can we afford this in addition to roads bridges and other projects

Anderson Dam undergoes seismic safety check

Howard Hanson Dam issues could complicate next rainy season

Yellowtail Dam in need of some repairs

Apr 4 2009 Associated Press KXNetcom North Dakota

BILLINGS Mont (AP) The Bureau of Reclamation plans to lower the level of Bighorn Lake by about 2 feet in advance of work to grout and seal spots where water is seeping between the large concrete blocks used to build Yellowtail Dam Moltz Constructio

(No one wants to hear about a dam failure Note the tree roots in the embankment and something in the foreground that looks made of wood If one occurs we hope that no one gets hurt and that we can at least learn something that will help us with dam

Dam bursts pouring silt into western PEI river

April 6 2009 CBC News

Global Hydropower Generation Capacity to Reach 9458 GW by 2015 According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts Inc


(Oh oh this is going to cause one of those ldquoItalianrdquo discussions ndash which some people might interpret as an argument)

Italy muzzled scientist who predicted quake

Removal of Rogue dam spells end of bitter battle

Time to Think Hydropower

The nations waterways could provide much more clean energy

Santee Cooper turns 75 today

PPL Reapplies for Holtwood Hydroelectric Plant Expansion Project

PPL Corporation Apr 09 2009

Water crisis rocks LA Mexico City whos next

Raised dam to buffer county against drought

San Vicente to become areas largest reservoir

Lower Snake 3rd most endangered river


New Episodes of Shades of Green to Air in May

Uncertainty over safety of Dix Dam still lingers

Stimulus money pays for Klamath dam removal study

Owners of dams sue water authority

Senate panel endorses state takeover of Alcoas Yadkin operation as lake association supports Alcoa

April 15 2009 By Mark Wineka Salisbury Post

(Oops)

Engineering failure at $100M fish facility

Just as the project was coming to fruition a chunk breaks loose leaving a 4-month delay and questions

By Kate Ramsayer The Bulletin April 15 2009

Remotely operated vehicles have checked out the pieces left underwater and crews will recover them and put them on land to dry An investigation will attempt to determine what happened and why Workers will repair or replace the sections and try agai


but all without displacing more than a tiny amount of oil because oil (including petroleum coke) accounted for just 11 of net electricity generation last year and plug-in vehicles arent yet a measurable fraction of our vehicle fleet Oil-burning power plants consumed 165000 bblsday a paltry 08 of US petroleum demand Even if the output of every new wind turbine and solar panel were devoted to backing out oil-fired power--a practical impossibility given the geographical and time-of-use patterns involved--it wouldnt make a dent in our oil imports ---------------rdquo (And finally the dilemma of cost Therersquos no mention of hydro which is cheaper than wind) Cost Works Against Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources in Time of Recession By MATTHEW L WALD March 28 2009 NY Times Excerpt ldquo------------ A modern coal plant of conventional design without technology to capture carbon dioxide before it reaches the air produces at about 78 cents a kilowatt-hour a high-efficiency natural gas plant 106 cents and a new nuclear reactor 108 cents A wind plant in a favorable location would cost 99 cents per kilowatt hour But if a utility relied on a great many wind machines it would need to back them up with conventional generators in places where demand tends to peak on hot summer days with no breeze That pushes the price up to just over 12 cents making it more than 50 percent more expensive than a kilowatt-hour for coal -------------rdquo Full Article httpwwwnytimescom20090329businessenergy-environment29renewhtml_r=1ampthampemc=th (Who knows if this is true Itrsquos worth a chuckle anyway) RENEWABLE ENERGY Ore homeowners blame wind farms for noise illnesses Richard Cockle Portland Oregonian 03302009 Residents of Morrow County say the wind turbines near their homes are violating state noise regulations keeping them awake at night and causing them to fall ill Neighbors living along Oregon Route 74 are demanding that the county ask operators of the Willow Creek Wind Energy Project to quiet down the turbines or lose their land permit Its not healthy for us said Dan Williams referring to the 240-foot-tall turbines he can see from his hilltop home Its like a freight train thats not coming or going Despite its image as a beacon of clean carbon-free energy wind power is meeting a growing backlash from residents who complain about spoiled views lowered home values and health risks A Massachusetts company in January shelved plans for a wind farm outside of The Dalles Ore after nearby residents complained it would be too close to their homes ruin the breathtaking scenery of the Columbia River Gorge and put wildlife at risk Other wind power critics cite a study by a New York doctor that found a rare wind turbine syndrome could cause headaches dizziness and memory loss Industry advocates however dispute the research We dont believe there is anything to it said Mike Logsdon of Invenergy the Chicago Company that built the Willow Creek farm Shawna Seldon a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association in Washington DC said her group is unaware of any peer-reviewed research linking wind turbines to any ill health affects The debate is likely to intensify in Oregon where wind power is on schedule to triple production in coming years

DDDaaammmsss (Hold down Ctrl key and click on Dams) AAASSSCCCEEE --- AAAmmmeeerrriiicccaaarsquorsquorsquosss IIInnnfffrrraaassstttrrruuuccctttuuurrreee RRReeepppooorrrttt CCCaaarrrddd Americas Infrastructure GPA D httpwwwinfrastructurereportcardorg Estimated 5 Year Investment Need $22 Trillion 2009 Grades Aviation D Public Parks and Recreation C- Bridges C Rail D Dams D Roads D- Drinking Water D- Schools D Energy D+ Solid Waste C+






























i 4102009











Wolf Creek dam





















i 4172009





































i 4242009































Randleman Reservoir


























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)


































i 4102009











Wolf Creek dam





















i 4172009





































i 4242009































Randleman Reservoir


























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)











Wolf Creek dam





















i 4172009





































i 4242009































Randleman Reservoir


























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)

























i 4172009





































i 4242009































Randleman Reservoir


























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)



































i 4242009































Randleman Reservoir


























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)































Randleman Reservoir


























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)






























2009 Grades
















































(Oops)





some dam – hydro news - stanford university · by peter gelling, mar 27, 2009, ny times ....

Documents