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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

i 12/05/2008

“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson

Ron’s wine pick of the week: Beringer Founders’ Estate California Merlot 2005

DDDaaammmsss

(The dam removal machine is churning ahead and is very successful. The Klamath River dam removal looks like the path to removing the four Snake River dams. After that, no dam will be off limits to the dam removal advocates.) (Excerpts)

NEARLY 800 DAMS ALREADY REMOVED ACROSS U.S. Nov. 26, 2008, The Society of Environmental Journalists

The last vestiges of the dam-building era continue. But the era of the dam removers is well under way, as communities try to improve river habitat, restore fish migrations, or remove hazardous dams that are crumbling or no longer serve a useful purpose (though dam removal can also have potentially adverse consequences, such as the release of toxic sediments, or reductions in species that had adapted to the dam environment). In 2008, about 60 dams were removed, according to the advocacy group American Rivers. That adds substantially to the more than 300 dams that have been removed since 1999, and about 790 dams removed in the last 100 years, according to the group's tally. --------. http://members.sej.org/sej/tipsheet.php?rssID=2395&viewt=tipsheet

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr

SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: “In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as

possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.” -- Voltaire (1764)

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Public seeks answers on dams By John Klotzbach, Staff Writer, November 26, 2008, Independence Bulletin Journal

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa - No plans are underway to remove dams along the Wapsipinicon River, insist organizers of community forum held Monday. In an effort to share more dam information and attempt to clear up some misconceptions, the Buchanan County Conservation Board invited Nate Hoogeveen, an Iowa

Department of Natural Resources River Programs Coordinator, to speak at a public forum Monday night at Heartland Acres. Hoogeveen's presentation included information from several sources including an October presentation to the Buchanan County Four Seasons Trail Association and other stakeholders; recent photos of local fishermen; and his own knowledge from studying river ecologies. The large audience was comprised of landowners, hunters, self-described river rats, government officials and nature lovers from all over Buchanan County and a few other spots. Hoogeveen talked about the dams along the Wapsipinicon River from Quasqueton to Littleton. He also spoke about the dam at Fairbank on the Little

Wapsipinicon. The Fontana Park dam was not part of the major discussion as it is on Otter Creek and was not reportedly part of the original scope of inquiry. The only section of river currently under scrutiny by the DNR is the Littleton dam and the area below along the east bank. Hoogeveen said the DNR was contacted by a local family to help insure their riverside property would have public access in perpetuity. Although who contacted whom first came under question after the meeting, the DNR did arrange with the owners a conservation easement. In addition, the DNR purchased the right to modify and possibly remove the Littleton dam if it deteriorates further. Hoogeveen showed slides of damage and stated the dam could fail in two to ten years. He said the DNR has zero interest in blowing up the dam, but would rather build rapids to allow fish to navigate up stream and remove a dangerous area immediately below the dam. Throughout the presentation, the audience was reminded the DNR's primary focus was public safety. The audience was given an opportunity to pose questions after the presentation. A long discussion about dredging ended with Hoogeveen saying it was neither feasible nor a long term solution. The recent project at Delhi was sited. After $2.2 million dollars was spent to dredge, the recent flooding filled it all back. The discussions will continue as some did not hear what they wanted. Next Monday, at Fontana Park, a discussion of water trials is planned.

Newport News Dam Repairs Nov 27, 2008, The Associated Press, WorldNow and WTKR

Newport News City, VA Council has allocated $950,000 for design work to repair a dam that breached in 2007. Council members approved the funding Tuesday night. Total cost of the Walkers Dam overhaul is expected to be between $10 million and $14 million. The project is expected to be completed by late 2010 or 2011. The breach in April 2007 caused water levels to drop in Chickahominy Lake by about 2 feet. The 1,230-acre lake provides 70 percent of the Newport News Waterworks' water.

W.Va. dam gets attention from state, federal leaders by Justin D. Anderson, Daily Mail Capitol Reporter, November 28, 2008

ELIZABETH, W.Va. - Federal and state officials will study what to do about the deteriorating Wells Lock and Dam in Wirt County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection plan to spend a combined $600,000 on the study. Each has to come up with half the money. The agencies will have a public meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Wirt County Courthouse in Elizabeth to talk about what the study entails and to solicit ideas from the public. "It's the only remaining structure of several that were on the Little Kanawha," said Brian Long, head of the state DEP's dam safety program. "It's not in good condition. It's deteriorating and in danger of failing under high river conditions or ice jams."

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

County officials for years have worried about the condition of the structure. If it fails, there is no danger to anything downstream, officials believe. But roads and other infrastructure upstream near Elizabeth could slide towards the river. The lock and dam was originally built of wood in the late 1880s, said Joe McCallister, the Army Corps of Engineers' manager for the project. It was called a "wicket" dam, a method developed in the 1850s by the French Corps of Engineers. There used to be five such structures along the Little Kanawha to allow barge traffic to travel from Parkersburg to Grantsville during the oil boom. The wooden apparatus was torn out and replaced with a series of "cofferdams," made of round tubes of steel sheet piles filled with rocks and topped with concrete. Cofferdams are currently in use at the Marmet Locks and Dam in Kanawha County.

(Someone else looking for a bailout)

ESCONDIDO: New Lake Wohlford dam would prevent flood, restore capacity

City moving forward on project, which could cost $35 million By DAVID GARRICK, November 28, 2008, North County Times

ESCONDIDO, CA ---- Aiming to restore Lake Wohlford to full capacity while keeping the city safe from a possible flood, the City Council is moving forward with plans to build a new dam at the lake for somewhere between $19 million and $35 million. Last week, the council selected two possible dam designs from among six choices. The designs were created by a consultant the city hired to study the shortcomings of the existing dam, which has been deemed unsafe. A federal analysis in spring 2007 determined that a large earthquake could liquefy the earthen portions of the 112-year-old dam and send a powerful wave of destructive water through the center of Escondido. Since then, the lake has been kept at about 43 percent of capacity. Limiting the lake's capacity prevents the city from capturing all of the rain during a big rainfall, which has become a significant problem as the state enters its eighth consecutive year of drought. Lake Wohlford, which serves as a city reservoir, provides about 30 percent of Escondido's water supply in a typical year, city officials said. It is located about five miles northeast of downtown Escondido. Because the state's most volatile earthquake faults are relatively far away from Escondido, city officials have downplayed the flood risk. But state law requires the dam to be upgraded to meet seismic standards. Money for the new dam may come from state grants. But Escondido's state lobbyist said this week that a best-case scenario would have the city receiving about $20 million in grants, the low end of the cost estimates for the new dam. City officials said they do not plan to pay for the dam by increasing the rates paid by the city's 26,000 water customers. But they said it was possible the city would try to raise the money by asking voters to support a bond measure. The dam designs selected by the council would probably require the temporary closure of Oakvale Road, which runs along the southern shore of the lake just outside the city limits. City officials said they hope to minimize the inconveniences suffered by the area's homeowners and campers. The plans call for creating an alternate connector road for Oakvale residents, but the main road would probably be closed a few hours a day for blasting work during the early phases of the project, said Richard Walker, the city's deputy utilities manager. Construction would not begin until 2010 at the earliest, Walker said. The 100-foot-high dam was built out of rock in 1895 and expanded with silt and sand in 1924. The silt expansion is the part of the dam that makes it susceptible to quakes. After studying the issue for several months, a consultant presented six options to the council last week and recommended two of them be pursued. The preferred options are building either a rockfill or concrete dam immediately downstream from the existing dam. Some of the alternatives were rejected because they required the lake to be emptied for as long as two years. Others were discarded for inadequately dealing with erosion or for requiring too much dirt to be transported to the lake over local roads. The rejected options would have been $5 million to $10 million less expensive, but the selected options are worth the extra money, Walker said. Walker said the designs will be fine-tuned during the next few months, with final designs and recommendations presented to the City Council some time next spring. City officials also must forward their selections to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by the end of next week to demonstrate they are making progress on upgrading the dam. Reached in Sacramento this week, Escondido's state lobbyist said he was optimistic the city would get some of the $100 million in state grant money now available for flood-prevention projects. "Our view is that we ought to be able to snag $20 million for the Lake Wohlford project," said Mike Arnold, the lobbyist. But Arnold said there will probably be billions of dollars in projects proposed for that $100 million. "It will be heavy lifting, but we've got to try," Arnold said.

Environmental issues delay fix of Lake Perris dam

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

December 1, 2008, Inland News Today

LAKE PERRIS, CA – Don’t look for any quick fix to the earthquake safety concerns of the Lake Perris dam. A proposal to fix the 2-mile long dam had been on the fast track after a study determined it might not be able to withstand a large earthquake. But, protection of the Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat and other sensitive species has become an environmental issue. Project coordinator Dave Panec says construction of a stability berm and an overflow channel have been delayed “…farther than we have anticipated, possibly a year and maybe even more.” Thousands of homes lie immediately below the dam. Lake Perris was partially drained 3-years ago to ease pressure on the dam.

HHHyyydddrrrooo

(Here’s another scheme to produce hydropower! Maybe we should call this Bob-Power.)

Hydropower generator mimics fish R. Colin Johnson, EE Times , 11/25/2008

PORTLAND, Ore. — Researchers claim to have fashioned a fish-like hydrokinetic scheme that harnesses both fast and slow underwater currents to generate electricity. Called Vivace, for Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy, the technique has the potential to generate electricity, even from lazy river currents, at a cost lower than other energy sources. Michael Bernitsas, a professor at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), also has launched a company, Vortex Hydro Energy, to commercialize the technology. The technique mimics the ability of fish to use underwater vortices to swim upstream. Traditional methods of harnessing water power like turbines require currents of at least 5 knots (5.8 miles per hour). The Vivace generator, it is claimed, can use currents as slow as 1 knot (1.15 miles per hour). Bernitsas estimated that an underwater array just a few stories high could supply enough power for 100,000 homes near a river. Hydrokinetic energy generation, according to Bernitasas, could lower electricity costs to just 5.5 cents per kilowatt/hour. The technique works by taking advantage of the tendency of moored bodies to bob up and down in a current. Called vortex-induced vibrations, they cause an anchored boat to bob up and down in direct proportion to the swiftness of the current. Bernitasas used cylinders suspended horizontally and transverse to the current, allowing them bob at their natural resonant frequency. "Vortex-induced vibrations are alternating, which creates alternating lift," said Bernitsas. "The body of our cylinder affects the current, and the current [in turn] drives the body, resulting in alternating lift that is transverse to the current. This drives the cylinder up and down, performing work that can be transformed into electricity." Bernitsas previously devised ways to suppress vortex-induced vibrations in moored platforms such as oil derricks. "It dawned on me that if I could enhance, instead of suppress, vortex-induced vibrations, then we could harvest that energy," said Bernitsas. Bernitsas has since developed methods for enhancing slow oscillations, which he claims to have increased by 540 percent. Normally, an anchored underwater object will bob up and down only along its own height. Bernitsas claims his cylinders move up and down 2.7 times, or a total of 5.7 times, all the while turning a generator to produce electricity. Bernitsas' technique mimics the way fish surf underwater vortices by utilizing their power to swim upstream through currents. By curving their bodies, fish collect a vortex on the curved side which provides a push. Fish then shed that vortex and curve their bodies in the opposite direction to catch another vortex. By alternating between these vortices, fish are able to swim upstream through currents stronger than their own muscle power. However, vortex-induced vibrations can become violent in architectural designs that do not compensate for them. Perhaps the most famous example was the 1940 collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State. The bridge oscillated in the wind until it tore itself apart. Water intensifies the effect. Bernitsas claims to have harnessed this phenomenon to generate electricity by suspending a cylinder in a vertical slot with elastic springs. The scheme enabled the cylinder to move up and down to drive the generator. Like fish, the up-and-down motion alternatively collects and sheds vortices on each side, thereby harnessing vibrations to produce electricity. The U.S. Navy funded construction of a prototype that will be tested in 2009. The Energy Department, the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation also funded the research along with sources in Michigan.

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Town goes green on energy source Power to come from hydroelectric sources in Maine By Sam Bari, The Jamestown Press, 11/26/08 The Jamestown Town Council agreed Monday evening to purchase 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy resources. The Town Council had agreed previously to a contract from the Rhode Island Energy Aggregation Program (RIEAP) administered by the RI League of Cities and Towns. The league had negotiated a three-year contract to supply electricity to local government at the negotiated rate of 9.4 cents per kilowatt hour. The agreement required the town to take one of four proposed agreements required for participation in RIEAP. According to Town Administrator Bruce Keiser, if the town chose not purchase any renewable energy options the price per kilowatt hour would be the negotiated 9.4 cents. "We also had three options to purchase renewable energy credits at an additional expense. We could choose from getting our energy from hydroelectric sources, which was the least expensive, or from getting renewable energy from resources throughout the United States. The third option, and the most expensive, was to get renewable resources exclusively from New England providers," Keiser said. Keiser said that choosing the hydroelectric option was the best of the three renewable energy options for the town. It was the least expensive and the hydro power would be coming from Maine, so it was still a New England resource. The cost of purchasing 50 percent of town energy from Maine Hydroelectric, a renewable energy source, would cost .0015 cents per kWh hour or $2,250, which would be paid from the general fund for town and school energy, and $1,041 that would come from town water and sewer funds. If the town had chosen not to participate in the cooperative, Jamestown could have remained with electricity provided by National Grid. Due to declining fuel prices, the National Grid had recently proposed a "standard offer" price of 9.5 cents per hour, down from the 12.4 cent kWh rate approved by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Keiser said there was a twofold benefit to the council's decision to participate in the proposed agreement. He said that participation established a stable and predictable cost of power for three years and, under PUC regulations, by choosing to negotiate a separate price agreement directly with energy suppliers, cities and towns have opted out of the "standard offer" pricing structure. After weighing the options, the council voted 3-0 to enter into the contract agreement contingent on 50 percent of town energy coming from renewable sources. Two council members, Julio DiGiando and William Kelly, were not at the meeting. The council also voted 3-0 to authorize Keiser to sign the documents concerning the energy agreement on the town's behalf.

(Here’s another new technology in the world of hydropower. This doesn’t sound too plausible, but who knows – it may work!)

Wiggling Plastic at River Bottom to Generate Electricity Eric Bland, Discovery News

Aug. 26, 2008 -- For centuries humans have dammed rivers and streams to grind grain and later, generate electricity. Now a new, more subtle form of freshwater power is about to make its debut in the old steel town of Vandergrift, Penn. Using a grid of electricity-generating smart materials on the bottom of the Kiskiminetas River, combined with a host of energy conservation efforts, Vandergrift hopes to generate between 20 and 40 percent of the city center's electricity. "Vandergrift is trying to be the model green town," said Lisa Weiland, a scientist at the University of Pittsburgh who is involved in the project. Vandergrift, which is northeast of Pittsburgh, was originally supposed to be the model steel town, but now, as Weiland says, it is "reinventing itself and going for sustainability." That sustainable power will most likely come from a grid of undulating strips made of polyvinylidene fluoride or PVDF, a material that generates a slight electrical current when it is moved, in this case, by the currents and eddies in the Kiskiminetas River. Such materials are described as piezoelectric, and the resulting electrical current would pass to small substations along the river's edge before charging a group of batteries. "There are other materials that give better performance or have higher energy densities," said Weiland. "But we're willing to sacrifice a little power to keep the ecosystem happy." The Kiskiminetas River, or the Kiski, as it's more informally known, is about 40 yards wide where it passes Vandergrift. Weiland currently plans to lay a grid, 30 yards wide and about a mile long, down on the river bed to help power the city. The exact details about how dense the grid would be, how long the PVDF strips will be, or even when the grid would be laid down, are still being worked out. But whatever the final plans are, the researchers claim they will maintain the health and appearance of the Kiski, which is used for fishing, canoe trips and other recreational activities. "If you looked down at [the grid] it wouldn't look that different from seaweed," said Weiland. According to Christopher Lynch, a smart materials researcher from

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

the University of California, Los Angeles, this is the first freshwater hydroelectric power project of its kind. Usually freshwater energy comes from damming a river and flooding large areas behind it, said Lynch. That creates enough pressure to turn a turbine which then generates electricity. It's an effective way to capture the river's energy, but it also has severe ecological consequences. Weiland's method likely wouldn't generate as much energy as a hydroelectric dam but would keep the river intact and healthy. "The whole idea is very interesting," said Lynch. "Harvesting energy from rivers, ocean waves and currents are going to be an important segment of our overall energy generation in the future." Weiland's smart materials project is only one small part of the larger effort to turn Vandergrift from steel town to green town. A farmer's market, solar panels, and education programs on energy conservation have been or will be put in place to further help reduce the town's energy consumption. If all of those efforts are successful Weiland estimates a PVDF-based smart materials grid could generate as much as 40 percent of the town's power. But the cooperation and motivation of the town are essential to reach that mark, said Weiland. "Smart technologies can take us an important part of the way [towards sustainability]," said Weiland. "But they can't do all of it."

Sprucing up the Avery Dam By VICTORIA GUAY, November 30, 2008, The Citizen of Laconia

LACONIA — The new owner of the hydroelectric generator at the Avery Dam in Laconia is a man with a plan for reducing reliance on fossil fuel energy one kilowatt hour at a time. Dick Ely, owner of Davis Hydro, located in Davis, Calif., was at the dam, located behind Laconia's historic mills, one recent, chilly afternoon checking on his green investment. Ely said that, with humans competing for a limited number of energy sources, small hydropower systems can be the most benign available and should be "preferentially developed over carbon-based energy sources." Conversely, major or large hydropower development can significantly change fish habitat.

Ely said Davis Hydro undertakes only the development of small hydro projects that have less of an environmental impact. He said he bought the Avery Dam hydropower project in April because it was small and for sale. "It was available and very few small hydroelectric projects are available for sale," Ely said. He added that, being a New England native — from Connecticut originally — he likes doing business in the Northeast and having a reason to visit the area. Besides the Avery Dam hydropower system, there are other ventures Davis Hydro is involved with, including a partnership with Nantanna, a company that has a hydro project on the Dog River in Northfield, Vt., which produces 1 GWH/year. Davis Hydro also has a partnership with Sandy

Hollow in Philadelphia, N.Y., which operates a three unit station on the Indian River. Sandy Hollow produces a total of 2.2 GWH/year since 1992. He said he also is working out some other partnerships or purchases at sites in California and Virginia. The site at the Avery Dam is currently being upgraded by Ely, including the installation of new controls, a renovation of the power house and dam reworking. Improvements Ely has made to the hydroelectric generator and the building housing the operation include a new control system, new gates painted to be color-compatible with the red brick buildings surrounding the dam and new trash racks which catch trash thrown into the river, such as soda bottles and plastic wrappers, before they can go through the dam and travel downstream. Ely said that, once all the upgrades are finished, the site is expected to produce 1.8 GWH per year. Before going into business for himself, Ely said, he built turbine engines for hydroelectric dams for 30 years. Bob Fay, who works for the state's Department of Environmental Services as a dam control operator, said the Avery Dam got a hydroelectric generator in the mid-1980s at same time as many similar dams in state. The operation of the generator has always been done by private companies and, for a number of years — between 18 and 20 — the Avery Dam site was run by the Hydroelectric Corporation as was the Lakeport Dam generator. The generators were then sold to Algonquian Power Systems, a company based in Ontario, Canada, which still operates the Lakeport site, but the site at Avery switched hands several times over the last few years, Fay said, until Ely purchased it last April. Algonquian Power also still operates hydroelectric sites in Belmont, Tilton and Franklin. Fay said Ely is "doing a nice job upgrading the place."

Mandates driving surge to the river for hydropower November 30, 2008, WZTV-TV, Nashville, TN

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) -- The push to get electricity from moving water is picking up steam along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. There is mounting political pressure to get more energy from alternative sources and developers are pushing ambitious projects to exploit America's biggest rivers for power. A new generation of low-impact hydroelectric plants is expected to light up the Ohio River Valley. Along the Mississippi River, a city and a small startup firm have separate hopes of harnessing that artery's energy potential either through a few big turbines or thousands of tiny, submerged ones. American Municipal Power-Ohio is a nonprofit wholesale power supplier for 123 municipal systems in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Michigan. It already owns a hydro plant on the Ohio River and is involved in developing five more.

*(Numerous articles on this subject – too many to include so here’s some more) Mandates driving surge to the river for hydropower December 2, 2008, Daylife.com

http://www.daylife.com/article/0gO53CM5YM33s

WWWaaattteeerrr

(Reading the comments on this article makes one wonder if some people in CA get it. News flash - The economy of CA does depend a lot on agriculture and water. Here’s the web site if anyone wants to look at the comments: http://www.redding.com/news/2008/nov/30/speak-your-piece/)

Increasingly scarce water is the new California gold By Thomas Glenn Dye, November 30, 2008, Redding.com

The future of California depends on the utilization of water. Water is the new California gold. Without proper control, the state will slowly deteriorate. Californians have taken water for granted for far too long. With the burgeoning population, that can no longer be the case. We have to balance it against our needs in the future. Where do we put our priorities? They are: first, in life-giving drinking water; second, in food and foliage production, and third, in sanitation. With the amount of expenditures being evaluated by state and federal agencies, there have to be viable options. Wasting water for generations is no longer acceptable. Curbing inequitable proposed measures could support production of water storage, totally independent of existing waterways and spawning grounds. Water education, like power and fuel efficiency, should parallel all efforts. Programs are being studied to store fresh water. Catch basins/dams and replenishing aquifers are considered. Current clean hydroelectric reservoirs should be retained. We need more off-line storage when wet years provide a surplus of water. One near-term effort needs to be to educate the population. Wasting of this precious resource should be curtailed. Water is the life blood of all California and bleeding it dry should be stopped, even to the extent of fines for flagrant waste. Without adequate water, the agricultural economy of the state is in trouble. The world needs the food California produces, as much as California needs the product income. It has been said the desert would bloom if it had water, and lots of arid parts of California have been converted. This has increased the need for water as well as the agricultural productivity. California is slowly digging its own grave. Case in point is the Owens River Valley on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District channeled that water source south to the growing population center in about 1913. The result was to devastate the valley, turning it into a wasteland. Only recently has the effect been addressed and any efforts at recovery experimented with. Is this the way areas must suffer before preventive action is taken? Areas of Northern California are working to keep their water rights and still provide support to the more arid southern portion of the state. Water to support fish is recognized, as this is another important food source. But have we studied the conditions adequately to be able to balance the use of water for people and food production? Sources are at work to open up streams for fish spawning. Though this is a worthwhile effort, it must be done without impacting other needs.

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Currently National Marine Fisheries Service scientists have identified the cause for the reduction of anadromous fish as not being the feeder streams. Removing valuable hydroelectric facilities does not appear justified and is in opposition to the efforts to promote "green" power. Millions of dollars are being spent in the Northwest studying means of retaining fresh water, while millions are being spent in California to destroy reservoirs and the accompanying hydroelectric power. This money is allocated by the California Public Utility Commission and is ratepayer money, yet these same ratepayers have had little if any say in the process. Adequate studies do not support removal of non-impacting power stations in place for over 100 years. Opening up streams means a greater flow of water to the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region and spurs the effort to create a peripheral canal to take water south. It is needed to support the growing population in the south, but at what cost to the north and the farms and ranches throughout the valley? Is it unreasonable to expect comprehensive study of cause and effect? A battle over water rights would be unsatisfactory and detrimental to all areas and agencies that are involved. It could easily become a federal rather than a state problem for resolution, since the option being considered of raising the height of Shasta Dam is a federal project. The current economic crisis means conservation. The balancing of the budget is vital, but it must go beyond the fiscal and include productivity. Allocations for water supplies can be established and escalating costs can be set for excessive use. There are always individuals who feel they can flaunt the rules. They should be forced to support the cost of remediation. The new California gold must be used wisely or we are destined for disaster.

(Can anyone pronounce the name of that creek?)

River advocates oppose Flint reservoir expansion By Jim Wallace, Dec 1, 2008, WALB TV

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - After years of drought and water shortages in Atlanta, political interests are proposing building dams and water reservoirs on the Flint River just south of the metro area. Now environmentalists have formed the Flint Riverkeeper advocacy organization to help fight the reservoir program, to protect water interests for the rest of Georgia south of Atlanta. Flint River advocates say this beautiful stretch of the Ichawaynochaway Creek could be in danger, if Atlanta interests are successful building and enlarging dams and reservoirs on the Flint River. Flint Riverkeeper Chairman of Board Paul DeLoach said "You are going to kill the river. You are going to hurt

downstream economic interests. You are going to kill eco system fisheries and habitats for endangered species." This year Congressmen Lynn Westmoreland and Nathan Deal requested 10 million dollars in federal funding for a study of re authorizing Flint River dams. The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority in this month's report is expected to propose expanding dams and reservoirs on four tributaries of the Flint River near Thomaston, to supply South Atlanta with water. Hydrologist Woody Hicks said "Every drop you hold in the northern part of the state, that's a drop that doesn't get to the southern part of the state. As down-streamers, we are worried about the health of our streams. Both in the quantity of waters flowing and the quality." The Flint Riverkeeper group organized in May, voicing opposition to expansion plans for Flint reservoirs and dams, saying Atlanta political clout should not take precedent over the rest of the state. "I think we are all getting to understand what greed and over consumption means in our water resources," DeLoach said. Flint Riverkeeper says metro Atlanta uses 685 million gallons of water a day now, and that amount is expected to grow. And recent droughts have shown the danger South Georgia water resources face. Hicks said- "We've never recorded flows as low as we have seen in past years." The Flint Riverkeeper group says they are fighting Atlanta developers from sucking out an unfair share of water from the Flint, to keep streams and Rivers vital to South Georgia's future flowing. The nation's current economic troubles will most likely end any current plans on expanding dams and reservoirs, because the price tag of the project would be close to one billion dollars.

(Go figure!)

Enviros sue to block Lake Roosevelt drawdowns Two environmental groups are going to court to block a government plan to take more water out of Lake Roosevelt, behind the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River The Seattle Times, December 1, 2008

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

SEATTLE — Two environmental groups are going to court to block a government plan to take more water out of Lake Roosevelt, behind the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. Columbia Riverkeeper and the Center for Environmental Law and Policy say the plan would expose more shoreline to sun and wind - and that as a result, toxic metals that have been pumped into the lake over the years would be released into the environment. The groups say the federal Bureau of Reclamation can't go through with it unless they perform an environmental analysis required by law. The water would be used for irrigation, municipal uses, and to increase flows for salmon in summertime. A Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman says it's unfortunate the groups felt a need to sue. She said the agency has not had a chance to review their claims.

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt

Salmon advocates ask for more water over dams November 26, 2008, Statsman-Journal.com

PORTLAND, OR — Salmon advocates and the state of Oregon are asking a federal judge to order more water spilled over Columbia River dams to help young salmon migrate downriver to the ocean. The motion for an injunction was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland. It is part of the litigation over how to balance hydroelectric needs against threatened and endangered salmon in the Columbia Basin. Water spilled over the dams doesn’t go through turbines to generate power. Liz Hamilton of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association says evidence shows that increased spill is responsible for improved salmon returns this year, and the dam operators should do even more.

Judge OKs plan to kill sea lions at Bonneville Dam

A federal judge says the government can proceed with plans to kill up to 85 California sea lions a year at Bonneville Dam, where they gather annually to plunder the spring Chinook salmon run By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER, The Associated Press, November 26, 2008, The Seattle Times

PORTLAND, OR — A federal judge says the government can proceed with plans to kill up to 85 California sea lions a year at Bonneville Dam, where they gather annually to plunder the spring Chinook salmon run. The Humane Society of the United States had sought to block the killings, claiming among other things that the sea lion predation was relatively insignificant compared to threats such as dams, fishing and hungry birds. A Humane Society official, Sharon Young, said Wednesday the group will appeal. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman said in September that he hoped to rule quickly enough for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide the case before next spring.

(And, some folks are looking toward the day The Dalles Dam is removed)

Maps show Ore. submerged falls still exist 11/28/2008, Associated Press, kgw.com

The massive horseshoe-shaped Celilo Falls were submerged by a reservoir after The Dalles Dam was built in 1957 — this much is true. But the belief that government demolition teams blasted the falls and destroyed them? Not true, according to sonar maps released by the U.S. Army corps of Engineers. Others thought the falls might have been silted over by the river in the years since the dam was built. The maps show the falls, located about 10 miles upstream from The Dalles, is intact beneath the Columbia River's surface. The main cataract of the falls stands out in a sonar image of the river bottom. "The rumor was that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had in fact blown it all up," said Elizabeth Woody, a writer and member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. "I actually cried, I was so relieved that it wasn't destroyed." Those living in the village at Celilo Falls heard and felt blasts set off for excavations at the dam, Woody said, and believed the government had used dynamite to demolish the falls. "People said the Corps had dynamited Celilo so no one would fight for the dams to come down," Woody said. In the years since the dam was built, a debate has surfaced over the removal of the declining, hydropower dams. Col. Thomas O'Donovan, the Corps of Engineers' Portland district commander who is now serving in

10

Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Afghanistan, decided to look into the controversy. Finding that records did not turn up any evidence that the Corps of Engineers had demolished the falls, he asked for a detailed sonar survey of the area in April 2007, said Dan Proudfit, who heads the Corps of Engineers' survey section. O'Donovan's team cruised the surface in a boat equipped with a multi-beam sonar scanner, which bounces sound beams off the river bottom to create images of its contours. For thousands of years the falls were a fishing site for American Indians and their ancestors. They also were the center of a major tribal trade network that brought traders from tribes as far away as the Midwest and south California. Stone Age tools and salmon bones unearthed by archaeologists show people fished at Celilo Falls more than 10,000 years ago. Louie Pitt Jr., a Warm Springs tribal member, was 6 when the dam was built. Before the falls were submerged by the reservoir, he said, his family made a living by selling the salmon caught there. He remembers singing, dancing and playing near the falls, and believes his tribe and others in the area will see the Celilo Falls again. "Someday those dams will be gone," Pitt said. "When that day comes the falls will return. Indians will be waiting."

(Another river being set for no development)

Group Seeks National Recognition For Neches River By KELLY GOOCH, Tyler Morning Telegraph, December 01, 2008

The Texas Conservation Alliance is participating in an initiative to help get the Neches River designated as a National Scenic River. The 400-mile river starts in Van Zandt County, north of Interstate 20, and empties into Sabine Lake at the Gulf of Mexico. Richard Donovan, director of the Texas Conservation Alliance, said they want the river to be recognized and protected as a National Scenic River because it is historic and one of the last wild rivers left in Texas. The Neches River was one of the first places Anglo settlers came in Texas, he said. “It was rich in game,” Donovan said. “It was almost a Garden of Eden in a way.” He said the nonprofit organization American Rivers added the Neches River to its 2007 list of the

10 most endangered rivers in the nation, and new dams have been proposed for the river. Proposed dams would be built on the upper Neches and on the middle of the river where U.S. Highway 69 crosses it, Donovan said. Also, he said an existing dam may be raised by as much as 12 feet. Donovan said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated a national wildlife refuge last year where the city of Dallas wanted to build a dam. There is a lawsuit filed by the city of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The latter two allege the wildlife service did not respect North Texas and its water needs when it declared the Neches a national wildlife refuge. Janice Bezanson, executive director of the Texas Conservation Alliance, said a federal judge ruled in favor of the fish and wildlife service, the city of Dallas appealed the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the fish and wildlife service is waiting for the result of that appeal. Arguments are expected early next year, she said. Donovan said if the Neches is protected as a National Scenic River, there is opportunity to develop a tourism and retirement industry along the river. However, if it is not protected and the dams are built, the surrounding wildlife is in danger, Donovan said. Right now, he said deer, squirrels, bobcats, raccoons, beavers and otters are among the creatures inhabiting the area. Donovan also said the Neches serves as part of the central “flyway” for birds migrating to South America. “It provides food, shelter and cover for them,” he said. Donovan said the building of the dams would also result in more than 100,000 acres of condemned land. He said with the initiative, the Texas Conservation Alliance is trying to communicate to the public that the Neches is both a natural resource for East Texas and is a potential economic resource in the form of increased tourism. “It’s going to affect hotels, motels, restaurants, outfitters … everyone’s going to benefit from an influx in metropolitan people coming to utilize East Texas outdoor recreation,” Donovan said. The Texas Conservation Alliance has hired Brent Kartye, who is from the Lufkin area, to help talk to the public about the Neches, he said. Kartye has already spoken to Lions Clubs as part of the initiative. Donovan said in order for the Neches to be designated as a National Scenic River, the U.S. Congress would first have to pass a bill authorizing the U.S. Forest Service or conduct a study analyzing the river’s qualification for the designation. The study would take about three years and is “a very well researched thing

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

socially and environmentally,” he said. If the study passes, Donovan said the U.S. Congress would then have to pass another bill designating the Neches as a National Scenic River under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The “Neches looks in many respects like it did when Davy Crockett crossed it…,” he said. “There is a hunger for people to get out and enjoy nature.” And Darrell Prcin, president of the Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation, said that is the case for people in the Jacksonville area. “I think it’s a pretty nice destination for some. … There’s a lot of interest in the Jacksonville area to keep that scenic ambiance…,” he said.

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.

1 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

i 12/12/2008

“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson Ron’s wine pick of the week: NV Stone Cellars by Beringer California Merlot (Some folks may think that with so many wine recommendations, I have become a lush. However, I should point out that with the new Enomatic wine tasting machines you can sample many wines (for a price obviously) and very conveniently since two local wine stores (Church Street Cellars and Whole Foods) provide the opportunity to sample over 100 wines that are always changing.) OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff:::

(Here’s someone asking a good question about the new administration’s electric energy plan) Electricity Generation and the Obama-Biden Plan http://www.rickety.us/2008/12/electricity-generation-and-the-obama-biden-plan/

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: Wouldn’t it be good if recent Presidents had some integrity -“When offered

corporate positions at large salaries, he declined stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the president, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.”- - Harry Truman

2 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

(This will knock your socks off and should make you think. Where is our economy going – the toilet?)

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/25/bailout-costs-more-t.html

DDDaaammmsss (CA will regret this decision and not too far in the future. There is precious little water in CA and no dam sites left.) Auburn Dam officially dies with vote of water board By Chris Bowman, Dec. 02, 2008, The Sacramento Bee SACRAMENTO -- The long-lived federal Auburn dam proposal is officially dead. The state water board drove the last nail into the coffin today, voting 5-0 to revoke the water rights it granted for the American River project nearly 40 years ago. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proposal surfaced in President Harry Truman's administration, won congressional authorization in 1965, was redesigned after a 1975 earthquake and slowly petered out as cost estimates skyrocketed and the values of an unimpeded North Fork of the American rose. In the end, the proposal died for lack of a dam. Under California's use-it-or-lose-it water laws, the bureau had to put its rights to American River water to "beneficial use." The bureau planned to store up to 5 million acre-feet behind a 700-foot-high dam for flood-control, power generation, recreation and farming and urban consumption. But the bureau halted construction more than 30 years ago because of safety concerns that followed an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale 50 miles north of Auburn. Environmental concerns and ballooning costs have delayed the project ever since. (Legal shenanigans! This is a really picturesque reservoir that will be no more. It’s the NC gem mining country and a fun place to spend a few days) Duke accuses Jackson of illegally withholding dam permits By Josh Mitchell • Staff Writer, Smoky Mt. News, 12/3/08

3 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

A lawyer for Duke Energy told the Jackson County commissioners on Monday that if the county continues to hold up permits necessary for removal of the Dillsboro dam that “further legal action” will be taken. Duke wants to tear down the dam, but the county wants the dam to stay. Before the dam is demolished the backlogged sediment behind the dam must be dredged to prevent it from rushing downstream when the dam is removed. The dredging is a mandatory condition of state and federal permits allowing dam removal — if Duke doesn’t dredge, it can’t tear down the dam. But in order to dredge, Duke has to get two permits from the county: a floodplain development permit and a land development compliance permit. Duke says the county is withholding those permits to keep it from dredging the sediment, and in turn from tearing down the dam. “If the permits are not issued within 30 days following the date of this letter (Nov. 25), Duke Energy Carolinas will have no alternative but to take further legal action,” a letter from Duke’s attorney, Molly L. McIntosh, to county Planning Director Linda Cable states. The letter states, “For your office to withhold issuance of the permits Duke Energy Carolinas has applied for and to which it is entitled is both unjustified and illegal.” The attorney read the letter to the county commissioners on Monday night. The commissioners had no response. The county has said it does not want to issue any permits related to dam removal until appeals to litigation involving the Dillsboro dam are resolved. Duke says the county has already lost its appeal. (This is not your run-of-the-mill dam safety issue? I’ve been there and have seen these ugly creatures. Not a pretty sight! I’d prefer a projectile in the cannon.) BRA to chase buzzards with air cannon at dam Lake Country Sun, December 04, 2008 Beginning Monday, Brazos River Authority will begin the use of air cannons at the Possum Kingdom Lake dam as a means of wildlife control. The decision comes as a result of the health hazard posed by the increasing number of birds that roost in the area. For many years, Morris Sheppard Dam has been the home of numerous black vultures. The number of birds has risen dramatically with hundreds now roosting in and around the dam. The air cannon is a sound producing device that does not fire any projectile. The device is considered a humane and safe method of deterring this federally-protected bird from remaining in the area. Auditory scare devices such as the cannon have been successful in controlling nuisance wildlife throughout the country and worldwide. BRA chose to begin use of the air cannons due to the large amount of waste produced by the birds. “The sheer number of birds has created a health and safety concern for dam workers,” said Tiffany Morgan, BRA environmental services manager. “The vultures’ fecal matter and vomit have covered everything from equipment to the dam structure itself. “The droppings can cause health concerns such as contamination of the lake and river water,” Morgan added. “The dried droppings also create a hazardous dust that may be inhaled by those in the area.” In addition to health and safety, property damage has become a concern. Reports include damage to windshield wiper blades and car door seals as well as ruined paint. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, this behavior is not uncommon for black vultures. The birds are also known to destroy and sometimes consume asphalt, rubber roofing materials, vehicle and boat upholstery, window caulking and even artificial flowers at cemeteries. BRA will be operating two propane-powered air cannons around the dam beginning Monday. The cannons will sound every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Timing of the blasts may be altered after the trial period for effectiveness. Hadley dam bids less than expected December 05, 2008, Amherst Bulletin HADLEY - The cracks in the earthen dike holding back the Connecticut River will cost the town much less than expected to repair, and the work could begin by the middle of December. The lowest bid, from Mass West Construction of West Springfield, was for $438,412. Town officials had estimated that the project would cost $800,000. A total of 23 companies asked for bid documents and 15 submitted bids. This degree of interest and the low bids themselves indicate that the local construction industry is eager to find work, said Gerry Devine, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. A special Town Meeting has been scheduled for Dec. 15, if necessary, so that the town can vote to borrow money for the project. Rain, Not Dam Malfunction, Caused Indiana Floods Associated Press, December 4, 2008, Insurance Journal

4 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

A report shows that torrential rain, not a dam malfunction, caused the flooding in June that affected one of every seven structures in Columbus, Ind. A report from the U.S. Geological Survey summarized reasons for the event, detailed its effects and illustrated its severity with maps, charts and rainfall data. City Engineer Steve Ruble says the study eliminates the possibility of a "smoking gun'' and proves the flooding came from rainfall on June 6 and 7. A USGS map shows that more than 10 inches of rain fell in regions north of Columbus that included southern Johnson and Shelby counties. Ruble said roads and bridges countywide performed well. And in the few areas where failures occurred, problems were not caused by design.

(New book – review) Big Dams and Other Dreams: The Six Companies Story by Donald E. Wolf, Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press Summary: Lots of excellent industrial history - While the title of the book precludes a history of the Hoover dam. I found it to contain much more. The book does give a very good accounting of the building of the Hoover Dam. It also covers the beginnings of some of the largest corporations in the world.

Illegal dams: Golf course pond makes high-risk list By Michelle McNiel, December 06, 2008, Wenatchee World

CHELAN, WA — The picturesque lake that wraps around the 14th hole at Bear Mountain Ranch Golf Course poses a water hazard to golfers. It also poses a potential hazard to people living downhill from it, the state Department of Ecology says. The reservoir is one of nearly 600 dammed waterways discovered in a statewide aerial search this summer. The dams have been built without a required permit and have not undergone routine state inspections. Of the 600, 30 — including the one at Bear Mountain Ranch — have been deemed the highest risk to the public because they hold back at least 10 acre-feet of water and are located upstream from at least three homes. Bear Mountain Ranch

owner Jerry Scofield did not return messages left Friday at his home and office. The reservoir at the golf course does not pose an imminent threat to the public, said Doug Johnson, Ecology’s dam safety supervisor. However, it could if it were filled by a heavy rainstorm and the water overran the dam, he added. The reservoir does not have a proper spillway, which would divert water and prevent it from flowing over the dam, he said. Johnson said ranch officials were unaware they needed a permit to build the earthen dam. They did have a permit for the reservoir. The ranch will now be required to hire an engineer to inspect the dam and reservoir and prepare a plan for making any improvements the state requires. That will include building a spillway, Johnson said. The dam will also be added to the state’s list of high-hazard dams, which are subject to routine state inspections. Bear Mountain Ranch will not face any penalties for having the un-permitted dam unless its owners do not comply with any improvements the state mandates. The Department of Ecology scanned high-resolution aerial photos taken across the state to find reservoirs held by earthen dams that were built without required state permits. The state was initially looking for illegal frost dams after a handful of the dams failed in Eastern Washington in recent years and caused significant damage. But the search was expanded to include irrigation and industrial ponds, sewage lagoons, dairy waste lagoons and any other waterways held back by an un-permitted dam. Of the 594 suspected illegal dams found in the pictures, 99 were in North Central Washington. But only a handful posed a risk to private property downstream. In addition to the one at Bear Mountain Ranch, two other high-risk dams were discovered in Okanogan County, Johnson said. The owners of the two dams, both located between

5 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Tonasket and Conconully, have agreed to reduce the size of the dams so they hold less water. That will take them off the high-risk list, Johnson said. Both dams only hold water during the spring runoff and are dry this time of year, he said. Once the state completes its inspections of the highest risk un-permitted dams, it will begin contacting the owners of another 223 dams that pose a slightly lower risk to the public. That list includes two more dams and reservoirs in Okanogan County. One six-acre reservoir and dam in the Salmon Creek area near Winthrop was initially thought to pose a greater risk because of its size. But Johnson said even if the dam failed, it would not cause any damage to private property downstream. Another dam near Brewster that also initially was thought to be a high risk was later determined to be lower because it only threatens the property owner’s own house, he said. The state will require all the owners of un-permitted dams to go through a permitting process, hire engineers to inspect their structures, and to make modifications to bring them into compliance, Johnson said.

HHHyyydddrrrooo (This is very bad news for PPL and the hydro industry as well) PPL (PPL) Withdraws Application to Expand Holtwood Hydroelectric Plant in Pennsylvania December 9, 2008, StreetInsider.com PPL (NYSE: PPL) announced that it has withdrawn an application filed a year ago with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to expand its Holtwood hydroelectric plant on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pa. "As we evaluated this project in light of current economic conditions and projections of future energy prices, we reached the conclusion that it is no longer economically justifiable," said William H. Spence, executive vice president and chief operating officer of PPL Corporation. Estimated construction costs for the Holtwood project had grown to $440 million. The high cost of capital has significantly impacted the economics of large construction projects like Holtwood, Spence said. PPL Corporation (PPL) is an energy and utility holding company, which through its subsidiaries, generates electricity from power plants in the northeastern and western United States; markets wholesale or retail energy primarily in the northeastern and western portions of the United States, and delivers electricity to approximately four million customers in Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom.[SM] Twin Cities Hydro Project Seeks LIHI Certification By: Rupak Thapaliya, December 2, 2008, by Hydropower Reform Coalition The twin cities hydropower project located at the Mississippi Lock and Dam No. 1 (P-362) in St. Paul, MN is seeking to be certified as a low-impact project under the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's (LIHI) certification criteria. The 17.92 MW project was licensed by FERC in November 2004 and is located within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA). According to the application for certification, the project consists of

1. a 156- foot-long by 112-foot-wide powerhouse integral with the Corps' dam, containing four 5,800-hp Francis turbines and four 4,480-kW generating units with a total installed capacity of 17,920 kW; and,

2. a two-foot-high inflatable rubber flashboard system on top of a 574-foot-long concrete spillway dam with a crest elevation of 723.1 feet mean sea level (msl).

LIHI is now accepting public comments on the application by Brookfield Power, which owns the project. LIHI evaluates a hydro project on the following eight criteria before issuing certification: river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection, watershed protection, threatened and endangered species protection, cultural resource protection, recreation, and facilities recommended for removal. Since 2001, the Institute has issued LIHI certification to 36 projects around the nation. Hydropower Proposal Moves Forward 12/03/08, by Ariel Wesler, KOHD TV News

6 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

It's a project that could eventually generate enough electricity to power 2,000 homes in southern Deschutes County. Environmental specialists from Symbiotics met with representatives from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other local agencies to lay out preliminary plans to determine what affect the new structure could have on its surroundings. The project would add on a small power facility next to the existing Wickiup Dam. "It is run of river, so there'll be no fluctuations in reservoir levels or river flows below the Deschutes River to generate power,” said Symbiotics Environmental Specialist Erik Steimle. “Fish passage is a huge issue and so is maintaining water quality below the project,” said Jack Williamson of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Symbiotics says it wants to divert the water released from the dam through turbines to generate electricity. It hopes input to the environmental impact study from the various agencies will help keep the project as minimally invasive as possible. “It also aids us in developing a project that is low impact certifiable,” Steimle said. A low impact rating would allow them to sell the power for money because it's more environmentally friendly. The facility could also provide additional power during the hot summer months. “Cleaner energy is a great idea for the younger generation, my grandkids, their kids and so on, but i don't see where it's going to help us older folks at all,” said La Pine Resident Dan Luker. He is one of many in southern Deschutes County on a fixed income, and wouldn't be able to afford increased power rates. The project's total cost is estimated at 16 million dollars and if approved, would be in place by 2012. Symbiotics held a public meeting in Bend and La Pine back in August to get community feedback. The company is also working with mid state electric in southern Deschutes County to discuss rates and how the power would be distributed. (Every little bit helps. Apparently, the folks in Homer haven’t heard about the many conduit installations in the lower 48 although the article mentions it. Harrisburg, PA has such an installation which is close to DC.) Hydro project to tap Homer's drinking water By Aaron Selbig, Staff Writer, December 3, 2008, HomerNews.com A combination of high energy costs and Homer's unique geography have led city officials to believe the city's main water lines, which descend into town more than 1,000 feet from Bridge Creek Reservoir, should be used to generate hydroelectric power. Now, with $39,000 in local and state funding in hand, engineers can get started on the project, the only one of its kind in Alaska. "Basically, we would be installing a turbine generator on our water system," said city Public Works Director Carey Meyer. An 11-page feasibility study of the project, prepared by Meyer in partnership with Homer Electric Association, calls for three small turbine engines to be installed inside the city's two 12-inch main water pipes at points where water pressure is already high. There are seven places in the pipes where the pressure is so high -- in excess of 100 psi -- that pressure reduction stations have been built to relieve it. Now, according to the study, three of those points, chosen in part for their proximity to existing overhead power lines, could be tapped to produce electricity. But is it safe to install turbine engines inside pipes carrying treated drinking water? "The idea of generating power through water pipes is not new, but it is unusual to be doing this on a drinking water system," said Meyer. "My understanding is that there are innovations that make that more feasible now than it may have been in the past." While no hydropower project using the power of treated drinking water has yet been built in Alaska, a handful of them, including a successful multi-turbine system built into the water pipes of Boulder, Colo., have been constructed in the Lower 48. Ensuring the project would not negatively affect Homer's water supply will be the primary focus of pre-construction, said Meyer. Approval from the National Sanitation Foundation would have to be granted, he said, along with permits from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. "There's lots of stuff in water systems, including valves and meters," said Joe Vogel, senior engineer and project manager for Bristol Environmental and Engineering Services, the company that will conduct pre-construction services. "Homer, because of the unique water system, is one of the few places where you could even do something like this." Bristol Environmental, a subsidiary of Bristol Bay Native Corporation, is the company that originally drafted Homer's water and sewer master plan and Vogel has been working on the city's system for more than 15 years. The company was awarded the pre-construction contract by the Homer City Council at their Nov. 24 meeting and has already drafted a model of how the turbines would work. "It's going to be a very interesting project," said Vogel. "It's a very exciting use of alternative energy." Meyer estimates the turbines could each generate 85,000 kilowatt hours per year, enough to power roughly 10 homes, and would save about $10,000 in energy costs. The total estimated cost of the project, including pre-construction, is $364,000. Pre-construction costs were funded by a $31,200 grant form the Alaska Energy Authority and a $7,800 local contribution, split evenly between the city and HEA. The power generated by the turbines could be fed directly into the existing HEA power grid. "We've been thinking that

7 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

we'll be able to put it on the grid at these three locations and then the city could trade that power with HEA for power the city uses at city buildings," said Meyer. "That's the general approach, anyway. We'll formalize that next year when we have a firmer idea whether this is a good idea or not." Meyer hopes to have a final design for the project by the beginning of next summer. (Related article) HEA gets nod on hydro projects • Every megawatt gathered by renewable resources helps ease Homer's energy dependence By Naomi Klouda, Homer Tribune, December 3, 2008 If studies bear out, Homer Electric customers may find more energy independence in hydro projects planned for the not-too-distant future. Or that's the hope this week as HEA announces a big first step in its quest for hydro energy. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved four preliminary permits that will allow HEA, in partnership with Wind Energy Alaska, to study potential low impact hydro sites on the Kenai Peninsula. The same week, Chugach Electric Association announced another rate hike, which in turn is passed along to HEA and its customers. As of Tuesday afternoon, how much wasn't yet calculated for customers, said spokesman Joe Gallagher. Another kilowatt per hour increase may be announced sometime this week – the fourth rate hike of the year. HEA purchases 90 percent of its power from CEA, electricity driven by natural gas. From Sterling to Homer and communities across Kachemak Bay, HEA calculates it has about 28,000 meters on a system with a peak load of 90 megawatts. The other 10 percent of its power is generated more cheaply from the Bradley Lake Hydro Electric Dam. The current hydro studies estimate that the four sites combined could produce 20 or so megawatts of electricity by using a stream's natural drop in elevation and diverting the water through a duct or pipe to generate electricity, Gallagher said. "This will ease the dependence on natural gas and diversify our energy sources," he said of the projects' potential. The permits cover four sites, most of them located in the Moose Pass, Seward area: Ptarmigan Creek/Lake, Falls Creek, Crescent Lake, and Grant Lake. Under the permits, HEA has a three-year window to evaluate the sites and move ahead with engineering, economic and environmental evaluations. This work is required before an application for a project license can be made. Each of the sites has the potential to produce approximately five megawatts of power. Homer Electric will begin immediately assessing the sites. HEA plans on holding a meeting with interested stakeholders in early 2009 to address concerns regarding the projects. "In addition to the issuance of the FERC permits, Homer Electric recently learned that each of the four low impact projects will be receiving more state funding," HEA announced in a press release just before Thanksgiving. "The state Legislative Budget and Audit Committee announced another round of renewable energy grants. This latest funding will bring the total amount of state grants for three of the four projects to $100,000 per project. The Crescent Lake project has been funded with $80,000 in state grants to reflect budget projections for the project," the release said. HEA also is studying wind potential. Four met towers in the Caribou Hills are one year into a two-year study to gather information, Gallagher said. "We don't have any numbers or estimates. At this point, we are strictly at the informational gathering stage," he said. The term "low impact" is used to describe hydroelectric projects that produce power using a stream's existing natural drop in elevation. Because little or no changes are needed, minimal environmental impact occurs at the site. The Low Impact Hydro Institute has certified two low impact hydro projects currently producing electricity in Southeast Alaska, the Goat Lake Hydro Project in Skagway and the Black Bear Lake one on Prince of Wales Island. The projects have met criteria established by the institute, which includes river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection, watershed protection, threatened and endangered species protection, cultural resource protection, and recreation. "The low impact hydro sites are producing low cost energy for the area without having any kind of negative effect on the environment. We are hopeful that similar projects will be feasible here on the Kenai Peninsula so that Homer Electric members can benefit from clean, renewable hydro power," said Homer Electric General Manager Brad Janorschke. Company wants to get energy from Ocean State waves THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, December 5, 2008, seattlepi.com PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Seattle company wants to harness the waves off the coast of Rhode Island and five other states to produce electricity. Grays Harbor Ocean Energy is proposing a $400 million to $600 million hydroelectric project in federal waters about 12 to 25 miles south of Block Island. The Providence Journal reports Friday that state officials learned this week of the permit application, which the company filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for projects in Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts,

8 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

New York and New Jersey. The company's proposal for the Ocean State includes building 100 structures resembling offshore oil platforms that use the movement of the ocean to pump air through turbines, creating electricity. (More on the subject of Vortex energy – see the video below) A New Twist on Hydropower By Tyler Hamilton, December 03, 2008, Technology Review Michael Bernitsas of the University of Michigan's department of marine engineering explains how his VIVACE generation system captures the energy in vortex-induced vibrations as water flows past a cylindrical bar. The system, he says, can work in slow currents where turbine and water-mill technologies are ineffective. (See video at this link: www.technologyreview.com/video/?vid=160) (Good luck on this ever happening!) Hydroelectric plan plugs in to Big Muddy Project proposes turbines on riverbed By T.J. GREANEY of the Tribune’s staff, December 7, 2008

A Massachusetts-based company is proposing a massive project along the Missouri River that would be the first to use the force of the river to generate hydrokinetic energy. Free Flow Power Corp. wants to plant thousands of small turbines underwater and use the rotation of turbine blades to produce clean energy. It has requested preliminary permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to study 25 regions of the river for the feasibility of generating electricity. Nationwide, the company has requested permits to

study more than 100 spots along the Missouri, Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The river segment nearest Columbia, a stretch of about 10.5 miles, is proposed as the site of as many as 6,300 Free Flow turbines that could generate enough electricity to power more than 100,000 homes. Other sites in Callaway, Cooper and Howard counties would become home to hundreds more turbines. Project leaders say they have cast a wide net anticipating that some spots in the river will work for generating power and some will not. The speed of the current and water depth are major concerns, as is each site’s proximity to the electric grid. "The overall scale would be huge, but it’s a long, long time. It’s a long-term vision," said Free Flow Power CEO Dan Irvin. "We’re not talking about showing up one day and installing 3,000 megawatts. We’re talking about doing it incrementally." Approval won’t be easy. FERC will evaluate each site to judge the impact turbines might have on the river channel and on wildlife. Free Flow Power has as long as three years to satisfy federal requirements, and the company expects to spend millions for planning, studies and surveys to meet standards set by FERC officials. The Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies also will have input. FERC has only issued one building permit for a hydrokinetic power project to date - a pilot project using wave energy to power about 100 homes off the coast of Neah Bay, Wash. The new technology has not been tried many places because it is significantly more expensive than coal-based energy, company leaders say. Laying electric transmission cables for the Free Flow projects would cost a whopping $20 per foot. "Installation only works" economically "if you put a lot of them in," said Irvin, a former investment banker who noted that mandates for renewable energy such as one in Columbia are driving innovations in alternative energy. "Coal plants are very efficient from a cost point of view. If greenhouse gas emissions weren’t an issue, I don’t think we’d be doing this." The turbines would each measure about 6 feet in diameter and resemble a small jet engine. They require a river current of more than 3 feet per second and would transmit the power via underwater cables to the riverbank, connecting to existing power grids. Irvin said one turbine could displace as much as 147 tons of coal every year. "It’s very clean. The bearings are water-lubricated, using no chemicals," he said. "The fuel is the moving water, so the money won’t go into fuel. It’ll go into jobs to maintain the system." But the river didn’t earn the nickname Big Muddy for nothing. "The Missouri River has a lot of debris, a lot of suspended sediments. It’s just like a sandblaster," and "there’s ice

9 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

in the winter," said Mark Frazier, chief of the regulatory branch for the Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District. "There are some significant challenges." To stay clear of boat traffic, the tops of the turbines would have to be more than 9 feet below the water surface, said Irvin, a problem on some portions of the river. Rotating aluminum blades could kill fish, and the electrical current from transmission cables could cause wildlife to avoid certain areas or even cause physiological changes in animal life, said Joyce Collins, assistant field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sub-office in Marion, Ill. Just a slight alteration in the river flow could create scour holes and disrupt habitat, said Bill Turner, fisheries division chief at the Missouri Department of Conservation. "What we’re looking for are direct effects to creatures or serious impacts to their habitat," he said. Collins said her office would likely help Free Flow set up a couple of test sites to gauge the effect on the Mississippi River. If the impact on fish is small, she said, that could be offset with fish releases. But if turbines threaten an endangered species such as the pallid sturgeon, the project might hit a dead end. Collins said she’s keeping her mind open about the project. The benefits of clean energy might overshadow other concerns. "In the long term, I think we all understand that global climate change is the biggest threat to the environment," she said.

WWWaaattteeerrr Water agency needs an overhaul, congressman says Conservation award » George Miller was honored for leadership on natural resource policies By Judy Fahys, The Salt Lake Tribune, 12/05/2008 The federal government's water-management agency can no longer operate as though Colorado River water is abundant, said one of Congress' leaders on natural resources Thursday night. "The Bureau of Reclamation has to reinvent itself," said U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. and longtime leader on natural resource policy. "It has to address the future in an innovative way and not be tied so strongly to the past." Miller made the remarks as he accepted the David R. Brower Award for Conservation by the Salt Lake City-based Glen Canyon Institute, an organization that made its name by calling for the draining of Lake Powell. The institute now focuses on scientific issues surrounding the vitality of the Colorado River, and much of Thursday's program was devoted to updates about how climate change might affect the 27 million people and 3.5 million acres of farmland that rely on the 1,450-mile river. Miller was a driving force behind legislation in the early 1990s to complete the Central Utah Project -- the water program behind construction of the Jordanelle Dam in Wasatch County -- along with the creation of a mitigation fund to address the environmental damage caused by decades of dam-building in Utah. He also pushed for moderating flows through the Glen Canyon Dam to lessen the harm high-energy water releases were causing to Grand Canyon National Park. The northern California lawmaker served from 1991 to 1994 as the chairman of the House committee that oversees the nation's mining programs, water, national parks and other natural resources. Miller attacked the departing Bush administration for what he described as a culture of corruption in the Interior Department. Science, he added, was "tampered with" and "pushed aside." "You don't get to change the conclusions for political reasons," he said. Instead, with a change in administration in Washington, science should be harnessed to help make smarter decisions about preserving already-taxed water supplies. Scientists who spoke at the conference talked about Western water resources that are dwindling in the face of growing populations and are threatened by global warming. Tim Barnett, a researcher at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, told the conference that no models of Colorado River water -- even without climate change factored in -- predict an increased flow. "You have a river that's on the brink of failure," he said.

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt (At least the cost is reasonable compared to other fishways. Is eelway a new word?)

10 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Eelway installed at Betts Pond dam Dec 03, 2008, Sussex Countian MILLSBORO, DEL. - American eels migrating upstream this winter will now have one less barrier to overcome when seeking fresh water in some of Delaware’s river bodies. Recently, the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (CIB) installed an eelway on the Betts Pond Dam in Sussex County. This new passageway will allow eels to maneuver over the 8-foot dam in an effort to reach additional sources of freshwater, food and cover. For more than 230 years, the height of the Betts Pond Dam had been an impediment to eel migration and other fish. Without proper eel migration, a critical link in the ecosystem is missing. “One reason we wanted to get them over the dam, is so they can spread out over other water bodies—thus reducing disease, overcrowding, and increasing food sources for other species,” said Eric Buehl, CIB Habitat Coordinator. Eels are important because they serve as a food source for fish, birds, heron, osprey and otters; they are used as bait and also help to clean up area waters by eating other animals including those that are dead or dying. In addition, their waste is broken down and used by smaller organisms. In March 2007, CIB placed a trap below Betts Pond and results showed that eels were not able to pass over the dam. After analyzing the findings, CIB designed a plan to properly allow eel passage over the privately owned dam. They worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to fund 75 percent of the project, or $1,500, through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). “This is an excellent example of a cooperative project that is beneficial in restoring the historic range of an important Delaware species,” said Sally Kepfer, NRCS State Resource Conservationist. According to research, eels hatch in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and migrate towards freshwater along the Atlantic Coast to mature to their adult stage. Betts Pond is one freshwater source for eels that can be reached through the Indian River Inlet between Dewey and Bethany beaches. CIB has already begun monitoring the eelway, although the mass migration usually begins in February and continues until April. This is CIB’s second completed eelway in the Inland Bays watershed. In 2005, CIB put an eelway on Millsboro Pond Dam. In one night, watchers recorded 600 eels that passed through. Additional information regarding the success of the migration through the eelway will be released as it becomes available. For more information on the eelway, please contact Eric Buehl at 302-226-8105. For information on WHIP, please contact Tim Garrahan, 302-678-4260 or visit www.de.nrcs.usda.gov/programs. (What is the definition of “best available science”?) Is salmon survival research emotionally or scientifically motivated? By Jay Michales, Dec. 5, 2008, KMVT TV, Idaho In recent years, water managers have been required to release water to help salmon swim downstream to the ocean. But Jay Michaels says the underlying motive may actually be emotional, instead of based on scientifically grounded fact. Doctor David Welch is the lead author on a study released by the Public Library of Science Biology Journal. Welch examined the Lower Snake and Columbia rivers to see how many young fish survived while they were migrating. Fish Passage Solutions Consultant John McKern says, "He's also comparing that against the Fraser River System, and he's found that the survival per mile traveled in the Fraser, is lower than it is through the eight dam hydropower system, or through the four dams in the Snake and Columbia." Mckern says more fish survive going through the bypasses built into the hydropower system-in contrast to the undammed section of the Columbia because of all the work done by the Corps of Engineers since the 1950's. He says ice harbor dam is a prime example of that. "There are screens that screen fish out of the turbine intakes, juvenile fish coming downstream, and they're bypassed around the dam at 100 percent survival. You can't do any better than that." Mckern says the best science available shows that removing the four dams on the lower Snake River would do very little to improve the survival of migrating fish. He says more than 50 years of fish research by the Corps of Engineers, and more than 25 years of information gathered by the Bonneville Power Administration, adds up to the best available science. But that doesn't seem to matter in controversial lawsuits in favor of breaching dams. "The people who are suing only have to allege that the best available science isn't being used. And the judge throws out biological opinion. He's done that twice already." 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.

11 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

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i 12/19/2008

“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson Ron’s wine pick of the week: NV Stone Cellars by Beringer California Cabernet Sauvignon OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff:::

I don't know how the paper by Professor Jacobsen concluded that wind ranks number 1 in his study. Wind is an unreliable source of energy varying dramatically from full to no output on the whims of wind currents that are totally unpredictable even sometimes within an hour. In addition, wind power equipment is notoriously unreliable and difficult to repair and maintain due to its location 100 to 200 feet elevated. Hydropower on the other hand is dependable, easily maintained, very flexible in response to power demands, and has ancillary benefits unequalled by any other power source. If the Professor's paper does not discuss these important issues, it should do so to obtain a fair comparison.) (Full article at: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2009/january7/power-010709.html)

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: This one needs repeating in light of the current headlines: “Crime does not

pay ... as well as politics.” - - Alfred E. Newman

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Wind, water and sun beat other energy alternatives, study finds Wind, water and sun beat other energy alternatives, study finds The best ways to improve energy security, mitigate global warming and reduce the number of deaths caused by air pollution are blowing in the wind and rippling in the water, not growing on prairies or glowing inside nuclear power plants, says Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. And “clean coal,” which involves capturing carbon emissions and

sequestering them in the earth, is not clean at all, he asserts. Jacobson has conducted the first quantitative, scientific evaluation of the proposed, major, energy-related solutions by assessing not only their potential for delivering energy for electricity and vehicles, but also their impacts on global warming, human health, energy security, water supply, space requirements, wildlife, water pollution, reliability and sustainability. His findings indicate that the options that are getting the most attention are between 25 to 1,000 times more polluting than the best available options. The paper with his findings will be published in the next issue of Energy and Environmental Science but is available online now. Jacobson is also director of the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford. “The energy alternatives that are good are not the ones that people have been talking about the most. And some options that have been proposed are just downright awful,” Jacobson said. “Ethanol-based biofuels will actually cause more harm to human health, wildlife, water supply and land use than current fossil fuels.” He added that ethanol may also emit more global-warming pollutants than fossil fuels, according to the latest scientific studies.

… Best to worst electric power sources: 1. Wind power 2. Concentrated solar power (CSP) 3. Geothermal power 4. Tidal power 5. Solar photovoltaics (PV) 6. Wave power 7. Hydroelectric power 8. A tie between nuclear power and coal with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Best to worst vehicle options: 1. Wind-BEVs (battery electric vehicles) 2. Wind-HFCVs (hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) 3.CSP-BEVs 4. Geothermal-BEVs 5. Tidal-BEVs 6. Solar PV-

BEVs 7. Wave-BEVs 8.hydroelectric-BEVs 9. A tie between nuclear-BEVs and coal-CCS-BEVs 11. Corn-E85 12.cellulosic-E85.

DDDaaammmsss Keeping up earthen dams can be costly for owners Missourian, By Chad Day, December 9, 2008 COLUMBIA, MO — Help is hard to find for people who can't afford to upgrade earthen dams on their property, mostly because of the legal liability agencies take on when funding dam repairs. Conducting necessary repairs on outdated and un-maintained dams can be costly, and the responsibility for funding the maintenance falls on the property owners. Welch Lake dam on Hominy Branch in northeast Columbia has needed repairs for more than a decade. Most recently, the drowning death of 20-year-old Michelle Runkle downstream from the dam on Sept. 14 caused some to re-examine the dam's ability to control storm runoff. There is no way of knowing whether proper maintenance to the dam would have lowered the water level downstream where Runkel was swept away when she tried to rescue a stranded motorist. The dam's owner, Danieal Miller, and nearby neighbors have various ideas about how to pay to fix it. Miller estimates it would

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cost $250,000 to restore the dam as an adequate flood control. The dam's flood control is broken, and its spillways are mostly clogged, inhibiting its ability to control storm runoff. John Esterly, who lives near the Welch Lake dam, said controlling runoff will become increasingly more important as the area continues to develop and add runoff into the watershed. Esterly said his neighborhood considered paying for the repairs by forming a nonprofit and applying for a state grant. They also considered pooling their money. Neither of these ideas has gotten off the ground, Esterly said. Finding ways to qualify for assistance might take more than creative ideas from neighbors, though. Missouri Department of Natural Resources engineer Bob Clay said in an e-mail that he's not sure whether urban dams, such as Welch Lake dam, would qualify for funding from U. S. Department of Agriculture watershed programs that are geared more for rural and agricultural uses. "I don't know of any state or federal grants currently available to fund repairs for privately owned dams," Clay said in an e-mail. "I wish I had more positive news, but I'm afraid there isn't much out there as far as financial assistance is concerned." Harold Deckerd, assistant state conservationist for water resources with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service in Missouri, said he also doesn't know of any agencies that provide money for private dam owners because there often are too many pre-existing conditions and liabilities. The Department of Natural Resources only regulates dams that are 35 feet high or taller. Regulated dams are regularly inspected and must meet certain standards for maintenance. The problem with funding repairs on many unregulated private earthen dams is that the manner of construction is usually unknown to those trying to repair them. That can become a legal liability for the agencies, Deckerd said. Many times when people buy land with earthen dams, they are unprepared to properly maintain them. "It's like buying a house in a flood plain," he said. "They're very complex. There's not just a simple answer." As of 2005, Boone County had 106 unregulated dams, according to the National Inventory of Dams maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Twenty-one of those, if regulated by the Department of Natural Resources, would be classified as Class 1, or high hazard, dams. The three-tier classification system is based on the severity of the storm a particular dam is required to withstand and the hazard its failure poses to people downstream. Some Columbia residents downstream from the Welch Lake dam on Hominy Branch saw how quickly rainfall can whisk away an unregulated earthen dam — and the lake they enjoyed. On March 17, the privately owned dam that formed Moon Valley Lake broke, leaving a muddy bowl where once was 17 acres of water. Regularly maintaining earthen dams can head off weakening caused by storm runoff, Deckerd said. "The best thing is to mow it regularly to keep sprouts from growing into trees," he said. Trees not only weaken the dam by burrowing roots into the soil and potentially causing seepage but also by attracting beavers. The closer the woody vegetation is to the water, the more accessible it is to beavers, whose dams can clog spillways and overwhelm secondary spillways, Deckerd said. The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service provide pamphlets on proper dam maintenance. The Welch Lake dam is in such disrepair that Miller said he's not even sure he's going to keep it. As the owner, Miller could apply to the corps for a permit to drain the lake and conduct a controlled removal of the dam, corps spokesman David Kolarik said. Neighbors, however, worry that removing the dam would make flood problems worse, Esterly said. But, if Miller said, if he is to keep the dam, he doesn't think he should have to foot the entire repair bill. He points to new development upstream from the dam that has increased runoff into the lake. Miller would like upstream developers to share the cost because they share the benefits of the lake and the stormwater control it provides. "There's going to have to be something done to turn it into a flood-control device," Miller said. The problem for Miller is creating an incentive for the developers to share the cost when they are already required to provide adequate stormwater management on their property. Miller thinks some type of governmental body — the city, the county or the Missouri Department of Natural Resources — would need to loosen on-site stormwater control requirements on upstream developers. In exchange, they would agree to contribute to the dam, Miller said. Esterly thinks the best approach would be to continue to pursue state grants because it wouldn't require money directly from Miller or upstream developers. "We've got funds at the state level if we would just go through the process," Esterly said. "I am someone who would like to help and has a viable solution to the problem that wouldn't come out of Mr. Miller's pocket." (History under that water) Ghost town remnants resurface as Lexington Reservoir level falls By Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 12/06/2008 The grizzly bears, locomotives and redwood sawmills are long gone. But remnants of two forgotten ghost towns, submerged 56 years ago when Lexington Reservoir was built near Los Gatos, have resurfaced from its muddy depths. The reservoir's water level has been lowered over the past year so construction crews can complete a dam-safety project. The scenic lake along Highway 17 was just 5 percent full Friday, and will

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remain that low until winter rains begin to fill it again. As the water level has dropped, brick foundations, fence posts, tree stumps, parts of rock walls, even concrete steps that once were attached to homes and barns in the forgotten 19th century towns of Lexington and Alma have re-emerged along the lake's western edges. "This is probably only about the third or fourth time since 1952 that you can see it," said Bill Wulf, 69, a historian in Santa Clara who roamed the two towns as a boy. "A lot of history took place there. Lexington was where the first sawmill was in Santa Clara County, in 1847, before the Gold Rush started. All their loggers left for the gold fields and it shut down for a while." Also visible now is the road bed from the original Highway 17, an echo from a bygone era.

Dating back to 1858 as a stage coach route and toll road from San Jose to Santa Cruz, the road, which became known as the Santa Cruz Highway, was submerged, like the two towns, under 130 feet of water when the Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District constructed Lexington Dam in 1952 to meet the water needs of a postwar population boom. When the reservoir filled, Highway 17 was rerouted to higher ground. But parts of the original route, now called "Old Santa Cruz Highway,'' still snake through the woods from Bear Creek Road to the summit area. Perhaps most dramatic among the reservoir's newly visible artifacts is a concrete bridge that once spanned Los Gatos Creek between Lexington and Alma. The bridge is stamped with "1926" on both ends, visible to people who park near the Bear Creek Road overpass and walk a few hundred feet down into the dried lake bed. "This is a view you don't see too often," said Dave Chesterman, capital program manager for the water district, as he walked across the 82-year-old bridge in rubber boots. Chesterman said a $65 million project to rebuild the earthen dam's outlet system remains on schedule for completion by next September. The project involves carving a half-mile long, 12-foot-high tunnel through St. Joseph's Hill and installing a steel pipe to replace an outlet pipe system that has crumpled several times due to age and pressure. As for the towns of Alma and Lexington, their heyday was the mid-1800s, when each of them was populated by about 200 hearty souls. Each town had a post office, hotel, saloons, blacksmith shops and half a dozen redwood sawmills. Lexington gained national attention in 1883, when a Los Gatos saloon keeper, Lloyd Majors, hired two thugs to rob an elderly Lexington man who kept $20,000 in gold in his cabin. The crooks burned the old man with turpentine-soaked rags and beat him with pistols, killing him and a friend, and then fled with the gold. Their sensational trial in San Jose drew coast-to-coast newspaper coverage similar to that accorded the Lizzie Borden ax murders nine years later in Massachusetts. Alma's reputation was more genteel. It became a resort for San Francisco vacationers who hunted for deer or fished for trout. It was surrounded by vineyards and redwoods. The silent movie star Broncho Billy Anderson filmed several Western movies there in 1906. But both towns were doomed. Lexington declined in the 1880s, when the South Pacific Coast Railroad — a line that raced passengers, lumber and orchard fruits between Alameda and Santa Cruz in less than four hours — rolled right past the town. Later, the modern Highway 17, finished in 1940,

bypassed Alma. By 1950, only about 50 families lived in Alma and less than a dozen families lived in Lexington. The water district condemned their homes and paid them. Some moved the structures to higher ground. Others relocated. "The people were welcome to remove the buildings themselves and take the lumber with them if they wanted. Or the district would do it. Whichever worked out best," said John H. Clarke, 85, of Aptos, who helped build Lexington Reservoir. "I knew quite a few of them," said the only surviving water district engineer. ''A lot of them moved to Los Gatos and Saratoga. Most of them have died off now." The relocation was unpopular. But the South Bay, with its newly growing electronics companies, was desperate for new dams to help provide drinking water and recharge its underground aquifers. "A lot of people came here to live from places like Minnesota," Clarke said. "They liked the warmer weather. But they never brought their own water with them. We had to think of water for the valley. That was what was most important." For Wulf the historian, the long-lost towns still hold precious memories. He remembers 1946,

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when he was 7 years old, riding with his parents and grandmother on a car trip through the mountains. It was raining, and the roof began to leak, so his father stopped at Jimmy Welter's bar in Alma. As the family sat inside drying off, the young lad noticed his father disappearing behind a curtain in the back. "I followed him," he said with a chuckle. "And what was back there? A bunch of one-armed bandits. Gambling machines. A man shooed me out pretty quick." Wulf hiked back to see the towns six years later just after construction on the 195-foot-high dam had finished. "I wanted to see them before they were gone. I could have taken photographs. I didn't have a camera," Wulf said. He found abandoned buildings, including the boarded-up Alma train depot. "I went in there and it was full of hornets," he said. For 56 years, all of it has been lost, under the reservoir, with parts resurfacing only a few times, like during the droughts of 1977 and 1991. And what of the project that has brought fleeting glimpses back to the surface? "It jogs my mind. It makes me reflect back to when I was a young boy," said Wulf. "Most people drive along Highway 17 and have no idea what was there. When I go by, I look down and can still picture how those towns looked." Officials say W.Va. dam can stand pressure by Jake Stump, Daily Mail Capitol Reporter, December 10, 2008 CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Heavy rains in the forecast might have riverside dwellers on edge. But it'll take a rainstorm of catastrophic proportions to tip over the Bluestone Dam, which offers flood protection to the Kanawha Valley, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says. An elaborate multimillion-dollar overhaul of the dam system has been going on since 2001. It's not expected to be complete until 2016. With work under way on the 60-year-old structure, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Huntington says it fields many calls from concerned residents along the river any time appreciable rainfall is on the horizon, including this week. About an inch of rainfall was expected for the Charleston area by this morning, and the forecast called for an additional inch by the end of the day today. Chuck Minsker, public affairs officer for the Corps' Huntington district, said, "Anytime there's rain coming, we get rumors." The big worry among the public is that the dam could fail, giving way for roaring waters to inundate more than 115,000 people living near the New River Gorge and Kanawha Valley. That nightmarish scenario has lingered for years, but Corps officials reassure that the 60-year-old Bluestone Dam is sturdy enough to withstand massive precipitation. "We're constantly watching the weather," said Lisa Morgan, project manager for the Bluestone Dam Safety Assurance. "It's a common inquiry we get from time-to-time. When you get a lot of rain, you get water that falls below the dam. People don't fully understand the operation." The Bluestone Dam is a large concrete gravity structure on the New River in Summers County. Dam construction created Bluestone Lake, which contributes to flood protection on the New, Kanawha, and Ohio rivers. Together, the Bluestone, Sutton and Summersville dams control 57 percent of the total water drainage in the Charleston area. Corps officials have acknowledged in the past that the dam could fail in one of two ways. Bedrock under the dam could slip and cause the 165-foot-high structure to collapse, according to engineers. Also, enough water behind the dam could tip it over. In 2004, a Corps official estimated it would take a 20-inch rainfall over the New River's entire drainage basin to tip it over. The complex work being done on the dam includes raising it eight feet by installing a pre-cast concrete wall, stabilizing the dam with anchors and mass concrete thrust blocks, and modifying six penstocks to increase discharge capacity. The first phase of construction has been completed, as has phase 2A, which included construction of a swing gate closure, improvements to an access road, construction of a fishing pier and construction of an additional monolith on the east abutment. Two phases remain, and that work is expected to take at least another eight years to complete, officials say. Once finished, the dam should be infallible. "We're making the modifications to increase ultimate flood damage control," Morgan said. "This is really exciting work, in terms of public infrastructure." The dam is an example of the concrete gravity dams built by federal agencies during the ambitious public works program that began in the 1930s. At the time, builders of Bluestone Dam utilized recently developed concrete technologies, including air entrainment and artificial chilling of mixing water. Bluestone Dam has prevented more than $4 billion in flood damages since it began operation as a flood control structure in 1949. (Excerpts) Maine’s Infrastructure Falling Below Average Released 12/10/08, MaineBusiness.com Engineers Evaluate Condition of State’s Infrastructure in New Report Card

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Augusta, Maine – The Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) today released its first Report Card for Maine’s Infrastructure, assigning the state’s 14 infrastructure areas reviewed a cumulative grade of C-. -------------. Sixteen ASCE infrastructure leaders, a team of civil engineers, and industry experts volunteered hundreds of hours to review public records and provide this evaluation of infrastructure in Maine. They analyzed the following fundamental components of each infrastructure area: existing conditions, capacity, operations & maintenance or deferred maintenance, public safety & security, risk and consequences of failure, and current and projected levels of funding. The Report Card covers roads, bridges, railroads, ports and waterways, passenger transportation, airports, dams, municipal wastewater, municipal drinking water, contaminated site remediation, solid waste, schools, energy, and state parks. One of the areas received a D: roads; while four others received a D+: bridges, dams, municipal wastewater, and contaminated site remediation. ------------. Dams receive a D+ due to conditions and lack of funding. Maine continues to fall well below the needed funding for dam safety inspectors and ranks near the bottom nationally for dam safety program funding. Potential federal funding for 17 eligible high-hazard dams in Maine is approximately 15% of what is required; while maintenance of most dams is being deferred due to lack of funding (more than half are privately owned). (Excerpts) Budget cuts for Ohio Officials paint bleak picture of what state would look like if services were sliced by $7.3 billion December 12, 2008, By Mark Niquette, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Prisons could be closed, college tuition raised and state parks shut down in response to a mounting budget crisis under a gloomy hypothetical analysis released yesterday by Gov. Ted Strickland. --------------. It remains to be seen how large a shortfall the state may face or what cuts would be proposed. The analysis assumes addressing the budget gap solely with agency cuts based on current spending levels with no federal help. Strickland has asked the federal government for $5 billion. The incoming chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama reportedly told Strickland that Ohio will get some assistance. ---------------------. The 25 percent figure in the budget scenarios released yesterday is what would have to be cut from $28.5 billion in discretionary state spending to cover the projected $7.3 billion shortfall under the worst-case scenario. -------------------. Worst-case scenario If state agencies have to cut a quarter of their spending, here's what those cuts could look like. Important: These cuts merely illustrate the possible impact; no decisions have been made. ---------------. Inspections of Ohio's 1,600 dams would be slowed to once every 10 years instead of every five. Permitting and inspection of coal, gas and oil operations also would be slowed.

HHHyyydddrrrooo (This is true, but we have one major problem discussed in the next article – Licensing! You have to look hard, but buried in the report is this quote on Page 20 – “Higher overall carbon intensity of power generation in 2007 was the result of a large drop in generation from hydropower resources (down by 40 billion kilowatt-hours), which more than offset increases in generation from wind and nuclear power plants (up) by 6 and 19 billion kilowatt-hours, respectively). While nuclear generation rose by 2.4 percent from 2006 to 2007, generation from renewable fuels—including hydropower—fell by 9.6 percent, and generation from fossil fuels increased by 4.1 percent.”) Press Release, National Hydropower Association, December 11, 2008 New EIA report demonstrates hydropower's critical - and unique - role in climate management Washington, DC (December 11, 2008) – A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency shows the strikingly negative impact any decreases in U.S. hydropower generation have on national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “This shows vividly why hydropower must be a part

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

of our national energy and environmental strategy going forward,” said Linda Church Ciocci, executive director of NHA. “Climate policy must reflect this simple equation: Hydropower generation falls and emissions increase markedly. ” Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2007 attributes much of the 86 million metric ton increase in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions between 2006 and 2007 to “…a drop in hydropower availability that led to greater reliance on fossil energy sources (coal and natural gas) for electricity generation, increasing the carbon intensity of the power supply.” The report added that a 14 percent decrease in hydropower generation over the last year – attributable mainly to drought conditions in the South – “more than offset” increases in generation from wind and nuclear power plants. “This should be a huge wake-up call to policymakers. The decrease in hydropower generation in 2007 amounted to losing less than 1 percent of our total electric generation, yet utilities had to turn to fossil plants to replace it,” Church Ciocci said. “That created a 2.9 percent increase in CO2 emissions. We must expand our hydropower resources to avoid having this kind of emissions multiplier short-circuit our climate policy.”

Church Ciocci noted that the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) and other organizations see the potential for hydropower doubling in capacity in the next 30 years. Much of this growth will come from new applications that can harness energy from moving water at sites throughout the country. These new technologies often can generate power with less water, which helps mitigates the effects of droughts and other conditions. “EIA’s report shows that we don’t have time to wait. We must move more hydropower onto the grid as fast as we can, if are to have any hope of meeting our environmental goals as a nation,” Church Ciocci said. “When emissions increase at such a fast rate because of a modest decrease in hydropower – and no emissions-free technologies can make up the difference – we must secure and grow this resource as fast as possible.” For copies of the EIA report Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2007, visit ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/oiaf/1605/cdrom/pdf/ggrpt/057307.pdf.

(The title almost says it all, but no one says it directly. Congress has a made a total, costly, time-consuming mess of the FERC licensing process by meddling in something they didn’t understand, while ignoring the facts to do the bidding of the NGO’s.) Resurgence of old mills as hydro projects dammed up by regulation By DAVE GRAM | Associated Press Writer, December 7, 2008, Chicago Tribune WINDSOR, Vt. (AP) — More than 150 years after it helped power the industrial revolution, the waters of Mill Brook that spill over a series of dams past the old Armory may be called back into service. In other places as well, from the Stockport Mill Inn on southeastern Ohio's Muskingum River to the hydropower-rich Pacific Northwest to the old mill towns of New England, small hydroelectric projects are popping up in a bid for energy independence. Yet hopes of turning waterways like Mill Brook into power sources are being dammed up by state and federal regulations meant to regulate huge hydroelectric projects. The three-story brick armory in Windsor, which helped revolutionize manufacturing in the mid-19th century with the introduction of interchangeable parts, today is home to the American Precision Museum. The museum is working with the 58-unit Armory Square apartment building across the brook to refurbish the old dam and produce hydroelectric power. Small hydro advocates say their projects don't promise the economic payoff to justify environmental studies that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. "Mostly, what we've received so far is an invitation to finance a lot of studies around fish populations and habitat," said Andy Broderick, president of the nonprofit affordable housing group Housing Vermont, which is refurbishing the apartment building in Windsor. "It just seems like we would spend a lot of money on feasibility studies ... and never get a permit. The path to yes is not clear." Armory Square developers also plan to use boilers that will burn biomass pellets and solar hot water panels on the roof, Broderick said, but hopes for bringing the dam back to life are at a standstill. Ann Lawless, executive director of the Precision Museum, said she's also discouraged. "It looks like it's going to be very challenging to make anything happen, because of the regulatory environment or the lack of parameters." It's impossible to say how many projects have been stymied by the regulatory hurdles, as many never reach the formal permit application stage, officials said. John Seebach, director of hydropower reform with the environmental group American Rivers, said some hydro projects — particularly those that use already existing dams — can work. But he said he doesn't want to see regulations pulled back. "A lot of these smaller, sort of mom-and-pop hydropower projects are most notorious at having serious compliance issues over the life of the license," he said. "If something breaks ... they don't have the money available to fix it." Not everyone has been daunted by regulatory hurdles. At the Stockport Mill Inn in Ohio, innkeeper Dottie Singer said the regulatory process took years but the result has been worth it. Water flowing over the old mill dam adjacent to the inn is run through twin turbines that more than offset the hotel and restaurant's annual electrical usage. Excess power is sold to a regional utility. The

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

dam has generated business as well. "We're in a remote area," Singer said. "But people like to see our dam. It's green energy. It's where we should be going, because it helps to protect our fragile, damaged environment." Catherine Gjessing, director of policy research and planning at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, said the agency is working with the state Natural Resources Board to see whether a more streamlined regulatory process can be developed. Both Gjessing and Celeste Miller, a spokeswoman for the FERC, said their agencies had seen a resurgence of interest in hydro projects as measured by contacts from people researching the possibility of developing small hydroelectric sites. Several towns have installed turbines in municipal water systems, capturing energy as water flows from an uphill reservoir downhill to a population center. The southern Vermont town of Bennington has such a project under regulatory review; Boulder, Colo., already has one. A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory found 130,000 stretches of stream around the country suitable for small hydro projects, defining small as those between 10 kilowatts and 30 megawatts. Theoretically, if they were all developed, they could provide about 100,000 megawatts of power — three times that used by the six New England states put together. When environmental concerns and other limitations are taken into account, the potential likely is reduced to about 30,000 megawatts, said Douglas Hall, water energy program manager with the Idaho National Laboratory. Linda Church Ciocci, executive director of the National Hydro-Power Association, said she understands environmental concerns over the potential impact to rivers and fish. She thinks the government could help fund environmental studies for smaller projects. "Relying on a small developer to come up with these costs is unrealistic," she said. But smaller power dams should be part of any new energy plan for the nation. It's unclear how many projects around the country have been dammed up with regulatory hurdles. Gjessing said she had had inquiries about roughly 20 potential projects in Vermont in the last two years, but only two had moved forward to the permitting process. Lori Barg, a Vermont-based hydrologist whose firm, Community Hydro, has consulted on and developed projects in Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, said the biggest hurdle she faces in many places is a lack of clear regulatory guidelines. She said if that problem were fixed, Vermont could be a national leader in development of small hydro sites. "Vermont was built on hydropower," said Barg. "We have water and we have hills. Hydropower comes from water running down hills." (They have a long way to go from lighting a light bulb to producing “real” power.) Engineers Test Hydropower Technology in Monterey Bay Dec 9, 2008, Fox 35 TV SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The search for clean, renewable energy came to a small spot out in the Monterey Bay Monday. SRI International, a Silicon Valley research organization, used the waters off the Santa Cruz Harbor to test technology that it calls "artificial muscle". Researchers were looking for a way to power ocean buoys without batteries. By using "artificial muscle", electricity is generated without complicated machinery. According to SRI International's website, the Electroactive Polymer Artificial MuscleTM (EPAM) technology allows rubbery polymers to change shape in response to applied electrical energy, much like biological muscles change shape in response to an electrical stimulus. As a generator, the technology operates in reverse - changing the shape of the polymer creates electrical energy. Since this solution requires few moving parts and is based on relatively low-cost polymers, there is great potential for low-cost production of electricity. "It’s really as simple as stretching and contracting a rubber band." said Roy Kornblew, a principal research engineer with SRI. "We have a stretching material that we call the artificial muscle and if you stretch and contract it and put electricity on it off it at the right time you could generate more energy out of it than you put in. You could basically do that with no moving parts." Last year, SRI tested a similar buoy in Tampa Bay to minimal results. It was hoped the swells in Santa Cruz would yield more power, but Monday's ocean action was relatively muted. However, the new buoy was still able to generate power. Each pump of the EPAM technology produced enough electricity to power a refrigerator light bulb. Engineers hope goals realized during the test in Santa Cruz will be the start towards reaching greater goals, such as supplying enough electricity to feed a power grid from a single buoy. "70 percent of the earth is covered by water. We hope we will be able to stop global warming by using wave-power," said Shuji Yonemura of HyperDrive, a Japanese venture-backed company that has licensed the artificial muscle technology. Adds Kornblew, "We're trying to make something that's very simple and we hope that is something that translates into something very robust, meaning something that would last a very long time and of course ultimately very economical. You ultimately want to generate electricity for as little cost as possible." (Hydro brings out the little guy with a dream)

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Resident seeks to bring water power back to Henry County by Erik Owomoyela, 12/10/2008, GOLDENTRIANGLENEWSPAPERS.COM Driven largely by one area resident's efforts, conservation department workers have been taking a serious look at the possibility of restoring the hydroelectric plant built into the Skunk River dam. Though decades of disrepair have taken their toll on the facility, many of the essential components may still be intact, they say, making its restoration a very real possibility. If operational, the dam could generate an estimated $170,000 in revenue. But what it would mean for its recreational use, and just how what it will take to restore the plant, both questions fundamental to the project's viability, remains unclear. "I think this is going to be a monumental task," said conservation director John Pullis. But he also thought it was doable. The big idea Zip Mettenburg started looking at the dam in response to rising electric rates. "About three or four months ago, when I read in the paper that our utility rates were going to be going up by 23 percent over the next three years, it kind of bothered me from the standpoint of what are we doing about renewable energy in the county?" he said. That got him thinking about the dam. While it would generate only a fraction of the power used in the county, Mettenberg saw other benefits from its use. "I think it's an asset to Henry County," he said, "from the standpoint of it can generate revenue." As for how much revenue, he spoke with representatives of Access Energy and three other hydroelectric dams that are either operational or currently under restoration. And he looked at 74 years' worth of river flow data collected from the nearest available gauge, in Augusta. "Of the 74 years of data I looked at, 89 percent of the time there was over 1,000 cubic feet per second of flow in the river, which is equivalent to about a megawatt," he said. But, citing his conversations with other dam operators, Mettenburg called that figure optimistic. "You may have a capacity of a megawatt, but you'd better not figure a megawatt in your investment strategy," he said. "They're recommending 50 percent, because there's going to be generators down, there's going to be turbines down, there's going to be flow changes in the river." Assuming the dam generates 500 to 600 kilowatts continuously, he said, that comes to about $170,000. That would also turn the conservation department into an electric provider, something the board had reservations about. "I do not see us getting into the energy business," said board member Kent White. But Mettenburg pointed to an approach favored in other counties he had spoken to, which was leasing the plant to a private investor who managed the electric facility in exchange for a percentage of the income. "I think we're here to preserve and protect some of the Henry County assets, and it can be a positive impact to the economy of the county," he said. "Hydroelectric is a low-cost and a non-polluting energy." And he pointed to a 1995 study by the Department of Energy, which listed Oakland Mills as one of 69 dams in Iowa capable of being restored for hydroelectric use. If all 69 dams were operational, the study found, they could generate up to 300 megawatts of power. New form of hydropower arrives Keith Grauman, The Hastings Star-Gazette, December 11, 2008

“Delicate” probably wouldn’t be the first word one would use to describe something the size of a backyard swimming pool that weighs about as much as 14 Hummers. Now picture a crane hoisting that thing 50 feet into the air and sliding it into a tight-fitting frame. Does “delicate” come to mind now? On Wednesday morning, a revolutionary power source arrived in Hastings and was painstakingly lifted onto the barge that will become its new home. Unlike regular hydroelectric plants, which harness energy from water as it drops down man-made structures like dams, this new technology will use the Mississippi River’s natural current to create electricity. It’s the first of its kind in the world. The 35-ton unit will be

anchored on a barge about 50 feet downstream from Lock and Dam 2 and the Hastings hydroelectric plant. The energy it produces will be routed through the existing infrastructure there. The electricity will be sold to Xcel Energy via the city’s existing power purchase agreement it has with Xcel for the hydropower plant. The profits will be split 50/50 between Hydro Green Energy, the company that developed the technology, and the city. It’s expected the city will make about $20,000 annually from the deal. Running at full capacity, the new technology could generate enough electricity to power 124 homes for one year. On Tuesday morning, Mark Stover, vice president of governmental and external affairs for Hydro Green, and Wayne Krouse, the company’s founder and CEO, anxiously sipped coffee at Dunn Bros. in

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Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Hastings. Their table was littered with cell phones, Blackberrys, walkie talkies, jump drives, a camera and camcorder, laptop computers and pens and paper. Their company is based out of Houston, but they’re in Hastings, MN this week to oversee the staging of the project. Right now, the company is awaiting a final

approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) before the barge can be floated into place and begins producing electricity. But, Hydro Green has gotten permission from the state and the Army Corps of Engineers to stage the project on the Corps’ property near Lock and Dam 2. It is not known exactly when the approval from FERC will come. It could be as soon as this week, or as long as a month or two. On Wednesday, a flat-bed semi truck delivered the massive turbine that will be submerged in the river on the underside of the barge. Getting it onto the barge was a two-hour long process that took three cranes and a crew of 12 men from Rosemount-based Vic’s Crane and

Heavy Haul. The one turbine that was delivered this week represents only half of the project. A second turbine will be installed sometime in early spring once the first is up and running and Hydro Green has a chance to step back from the process and examine how it could improve energy output or cut productions costs. (OK, now turn the darn thing on so we can see how it works and what the efficiency will be) Feds approve country’s first ‘hydrokinetic’ power project by Bob Geiger Staff Writer, December 15, 2008, Finance and Commerce (Full article: http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2008/12/16/Feds-approve-countrys-first-hydrokinetic-power-project)

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt (They should have thrown the key away) Accused ecoterrorist gets home confinement THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, December 11, 2008, Seattle Post-Intelligencer SACRAMENTO -- An environmental activist who conspired to destroy a Northern California dam and a genetics lab has been sentenced to five months' home confinement. The sentence for 23-year-old Lauren Weiner of Pound Ridge, N.Y., contrasts with a nearly 20-year term for the ringleader of the 2006 plot. Federal prosecutors say Weiner and 23-year-old Zachary Jenson of Monroe, Wash., were less to blame than 31-year-old Eric McDavid of Foresthill. Weiner and Jenson pleaded guilty and testified against McDavid. Jenson was sentenced last week to six months in jail he had already served. Weiner was sentenced Thursday. Their targets included the U.S. Forest Service's Institute of Forest Genetics in Placerville and the Nimbus Dam and fish hatchery in Rancho Cordova. California Tribe Blasts Klamath Dam Demolition Deal December 15th 2008. Willamette Week Online The parties to a November Agreement in Principle to demolish four PacifiCorp dams on the Klamath River in Southern Oregon and Northern California met last week in Sacramento in hopes of advancing the tentative deal. In essence, PacifiCorp has agreed under heavy pressure from environmentalists, tribes and government agencies to remove the dams. Some California enviro groups like the agreement; some industrial customers and irrigation groups worry about the rate impact of eliminating low-cost hydro. Still other groups, such as OregonWild and the Hoopa Valley Tribe, don't like the tentative deal because they say it fails to address water quality issues between now and 2020, when dam removal first might happen. PacifiCorp says it is simply looking for the most efficient solution to a complicated multi-party brawl. But

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here's a letter (PDF) the Hoopa Valley tribe submitted recently to California regulators expressing its concerns. 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.

1 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

i 12/26/2008

HHHaaappppppyyy HHHooollliiidddaaayyysss aaannnddd aaa HHHaaappppppyyy,,, PPPrrrooossspppeeerrrooouuusss,,, aaannnddd HHHeeeaaalllttthhhyyy

NNNeeewww YYYeeeaaarrr tttooo AAAllllll

“Good wine is a necessity of life.” - -Thomas Jefferson Ron’s wine pick of the week: Orin Swift The Prisoner Red Blend (Zinfandel) 2006 OOOttthhheeerrr SSStttuuuffffff::: (One hydro project on the list) Blurred Out: 51 Things You Aren't Allowed to See on Google Maps CuriusRead.com, 12/17/08 Depending on which feature you use, Google Maps offers a satellite view or a street-level view of tons of locations around the world. You can look up landmarks like the Pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China, as well as more personal places, like your ex’s house. But for all of the places that Google Maps allows you to see, there are plenty of places that are off-limits. Whether it’s due to government restrictions, personal-privacy lawsuits or mistakes, Google Maps has slapped a "Prohibited" sign on the following 51 places. (Go to this web site for complete list: http://www.curiousread.com/2008/12/blurred-out-51-things-you-arent-allowed.html) (Some people are just plain sick. This is the historic old mill that was used in the movie “Gone with the Wind”.) Old Mill arson chars wooden roof, raises a big question: Why? “Someone in this world has an evil, evil heart to want to do this.” - Sandra Taylor-Smith, director of the city’s history commission By Jacob Quinn Sanders, ArkansasOnline.com, 12/19/08

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: “The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites.” - - Larry Hardiman

2 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

LITTLE ROCK, AR — The Old Mill survived a scorching fire Tuesday night far better than the city of Atlanta did in the movie that made the North Little Rock landmark locally famous. Flames at the historic site in the Lakewood neighborhood damaged the wooden roof, leaving the rest mostly untouched. Investigators said Wednesday that they believe the fire was arson - one that left few clues about a motive or suspects. News of the damage provoked an emotional response, even though the roof itself was not original to the Old Mill. “This is the best-known landmark in the city of North Little Rock,” Sandra Taylor-Smith, director of the city’s history... (As we see the year coming to a close, an article on Money Central MSN.com showed up that rang a bell. The highlights are listed below.) The 10 worst assumptions of 2008 (Excerpts from: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/the-10-worst-assumptions-of-2008.aspx?page=1) An old military saying has become popular on Wall Street: "Amateurs study the plan. Professionals study the assumptions."

• Real-estate values always rise over time. That was true for most of the past century, until they rose too much in too little time in the middle of this decade.

o Lesson: Never bank on outsized gains that haven't materialized yet. • The mighty consumer will keep spending.

o Lesson: You can't spend your way to greatness. • A buyer will always emerge.

o Lesson: An asset is worth only what somebody else is willing to pay for it, not what you think it should be worth.

• Banks will be careful with their money. o Lesson: Never underestimate people's ability to screw up.

• Don't worry; the smartest guys in the world are working on the problem. o Lesson: Arrogance lowers IQ. By a lot.

• Technology is the solution. o Lesson: Never let technology supersede the basics.

• The feds will fix things. o Lesson: Plan for a rainy day, and pack your own umbrella.

• There's plenty of liquidity. o Lesson: Take advantage of credit. But don't become dependent on it.

• Things will bounce back. o Lesson: Ask what will happen if you're wrong and events don't unfold the way you're sure

they will. • It can't happen to us.

o Lesson: There's always a chance you'll look stupid tomorrow.

DDDaaammmsss

County to pay $14,200 for dam study The Republican Eagle, Red Wing, MN. December 17, 2008 Goodhue County will pay Ayres Associates $14,200 to calculate the probable maximum flood model for Byllesby Dam in Cannon Falls. The probable flood will be based on the possible maximum precipitation upstream of the dam, a scenario the county has hired a separate group of consultants to determine. County officials were forced into action when the Federal Energy Regulator Commission ordered Dakota and Goodhue county officials make structural improvements at the 100-year-old dam so it passes the probable maximum flood. Improvements could cost millions, though officials hope the probable maximum flood is reduced under new recalculations so improvements are cheaper.

3 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

(Seems that the only people benefiting from studying these dams to death are the people doing the studies and it looks like more to come) What's next for Boardman Dams? By Sheena Elzie, December 17, 2008, UpNorthLive.com For years now there has been an ongoing discussion about what should be done if anything with the aging dams along the Boardman River in Grand Traverse County. Union Street Dam, Sabin Dam, Boardman Dam, and the Brown Bridge Dam are all being looked at to devise the best plan for the future. The Boardman River Dams Committee had a meeting last night to come up with a final conclusion, but by the end of the meeting there was no decision made. More than one million dollars later and three years of research and still no decision on what to do about these dams. "I thought it was not surprising that there was no conclusion because this was such a complex issue," said Boardman River Dams Committee Member Steve Larget. "I hoped some consensus could be made but it became clear there wouldn't be one when about ten people walked out," said Boardman River Dam Committee Member Beverly Cuthbert. The Boardman River Dams Committee met last night to try and put an end to a three year long debate on whether to remove all but one of the Boardman River Dams or repair them and use them for hydro electric power. The committee took into account several options in their research before last nights meeting. "Was the process perfect? No, but this was a ground breaking study we knew we were going to have bumps," said Larget. Committee members say strong opinions on both sides of the issue stalled their efforts to make anything final. So what's next for the dam project? Well since Traverse City and Grand Traverse County own the dams it's now in their hands to make the decision. And commission members say their final decision will all come down to a matter of cost. The City Mayor says removal of the dams will be less expensive for taxpayers. "Funds will be available for removal of the dams and if we don't remove them with someone helping and kicking in those costs then we're going to have to pay for the repair that could cost millions," said Traverse City Mayor Michael Estes. But the County Administrator to repair the dams could prove beneficial, but they are still outlining the cost. "We're hearing there's no money for the repair but that's likely that could change there may be new programs available," said Grand Traverse County Administrator Dennis Aloia, "It's not as simple as which one is the cheapest. There's lots of work that needs to be done everything needs to be evaluated." But all of the county and city commissioners as a whole will have to make the tough choices and decide the future of the Boardman River Dams. (A cost of over $4,800/acre-foot is high) Feds say no to Black Rock The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has decided the federal government should not build a massive reservoir called Black Rock in the Yakima Valley Seattle Times, December 19, 2008 YAKIMA, Wash. — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has decided the federal government should not build a massive reservoir called Black Rock in the Yakima Valley. A final environmental impact statement evaluated the potential for Black Rock, as well as two other projects that would improve water supplies. But the bureau determined that all three projects would cost too much. The proposed Black Rock project would have drawn water from the Columbia River to a 1.6 million acre-foot reservoir behind Priest Rapids Dam. Its cost was estimated at as much as $7.7 billion. (Holy mackerel! Now, the Corps is suing Ameren) Army Corps of Engineers sues Ameren over Taum Sauk collapse St. Louis Business Journal – by Kelsey Volkmann, December 22, 2008 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has sued AmerenUE, alleging that the Taum Sauk reservoir breach dumped sediment and debris into the Clearwater Lake Reservoir. As a result of the breach at AmerenUE's Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant, the storage capacity of the Clearwater Lake Reservoir “has been significantly reduced” and the Clearwater Dam is “undergoing a major rehabilitation project and is rated with the lowest safety rating,” according to the lawsuit, filed Dec. 12 in federal court in the eastern district of Missouri. The lifespan of the Clearwater Lake project has now been reduced as a result of the catastrophe, the lawsuit alleges.

4 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

Ameren, on the other hand, said it has studied the issue and hasn’t seen proof of that. “We are not aware of any evidence that sediment resulting from the breach has had any impact on Clearwater Lake’s operational capacity,” said Susan Gallagher, a spokeswoman for Ameren. Last year, Ameren agreed to pay the state of Missouri nearly $180 million to rebuild in the aftermath of the state’s worst man-made disaster. In 2005, the Taum Sauk reservoir at Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park in Reynolds County breached, spilling 1.3 billion gallons of water through the state park, injuring the park superintendent and his family, destroying the park and damaging the East Fork of the Black River and the lower Taum Sauk Reservoir. St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. provides electricity to approximately 2.4 million customers and natural gas to nearly 1 million customers in eastern Missouri and Illinois.

HHHyyydddrrrooo (The end of an era. This is unexpected news for the hydro industry and it’s not clear if this is good news or not) PennWell acquires world's leading hydroelectric information provider 19 December 2008 — PennWell Corporation, a diversified global media and information company, announced today that it has acquired the assets of HCI Publications, Inc., a Kansas City, Missouri-based producer of business-to-business magazines and conferences and exhibitions serving the hydroelectric industry. The company operates HydroVision and Waterpower Conferences and Exhibitions and publishes Hydro Review, HRW, and HydroNews.net, as well as other research and information products. The owners of HCI Publications, Leslie Eden and Carl Vansant, will serve as consultants to PennWell. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed. HydroVision Conference and Exhibition is hydropower's largest gathering of industry professionals worldwide. Established in 1994, HydroVision was last held in July 2008 in Sacramento, California for owners, operators, managers, engineers, consultants, designers, and manufacturers who work in the hydropower industry worldwide, with 271 exhibitors and an attendance of over 2,500 from 67 countries. HydroVision is held interchangeably every other year with its sister event, Waterpower Conference and Exhibition, which will take place July 25-31, 2009 in Spokane, Washington. HydroVision 2010 will be held July 23-31, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hydro Review, launched in 1980 by an entrepreneur in hydropower and purchased by Eden and Vansant in 1986, is widely recognized as the leading source of information about hydro and dam-related products and services. Published eight times annually for a readership of 18,000, Hydro Review focuses on industry trends, equipment, operations and maintenance, rehabilitation, dam safety, environmental effects, regulation and research. While Hydro Review primarily serves the North American hydropower industry, HRW magazine is published six times each year and distributed to readers in 130 countries. HydroNews.net is a daily information service providing international news and monitoring of hydropower projects. Noting that this is PennWell's third acquisition in the renewable industry in two years, PennWell President and Chief Executive Officer Robert F. Biolchini said, "HCI has for nearly three decades served the needs of the hydroelectric industry which provides 20% of the world's electricity. PennWell is pleased to add these outstanding publications and events to our expanding renewable energy portfolio since hydropower is an essential vertical extension for our renewable energy franchise. Leslie Eden and Carl Vansant have built their company based on editorial excellence, extensive market coverage, and a strong industry reputation – a rare and perfect fit with PennWell." HCI President Leslie Eden expressed her confidence in PennWell as the best home for the future growth of the publications and events. "We are honored that PennWell as the world's leading and most respected provider of information to multiple energy markets will advance the international reach and development of our products and services for hydropower." PennWell will manage the business from its headquarters in Tulsa under Richard Baker, Vice President and Publisher, North American Global Energy Group. Along with Eden and Vansant as consultants, seven editorial and sales employees in Kansas City have joined PennWell. In addition to the HCI publications and events, PennWell's offerings for renewable energy include RenewableEnergyWorld.com, the leading web site for renewable energy, three magazines Renewable

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Energy World, Cogeneration and On-Site Power Production, and Waste Management World, and two conferences and exhibitions Renewable Energy World North America and Renewable Energy World Europe. Last month PennWell announced the launch of Photovoltaics World magazine to address the rapidly growing global photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing industry, with the first issues to be published in March 2009. PennWell also announced two new Photovoltaics World Exhibitions, to be held in the U.S. and Europe in 2010. (Hydro has expenses other energy resources do not face) (Excerpts) Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Avista Reach Historic Agreement Settlement resolves multiple issues related to Avista's use of submerged Tribal lands and paves the way for relicensing the Post Falls Dam PRESS RELEASE, Dec. 16, 2008 SPOKANE, Wash., Dec 16, 2008 /PRNewswire - Avista and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe have reached a comprehensive agreement over Avista's past and future use of Tribal land and water in the operation of its Spokane River Hydroelectric Projects, including the Post Falls dam. The settlement is the result of collaborative efforts by the Tribe, the U.S. Department of Interior and Avista. This represents a major step in relicensing Avista's Spokane River hydroelectric projects. Avista and the Tribe have agreed to support the issuance of a single 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Post Falls hydroelectric facility and the Spokane River hydroelectric projects. The agreement also supports continuation of existing water levels on the lake. "This agreement is the result of a significant collaborative effort and lays a foundation for providing long term resource protection and building lasting relationships," said Scott Morris, Avista board chairman, president, and CEO. "Avista is very pleased to be resolving these longstanding issues on resources that are so important to our region. We highly value our continuing partnership with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe." The comprehensive settlement provides for payment over the life of the long term license of over $150 million both for environmental measures in and around Coeur d'Alene Lake and for compensation to the Tribe. Also addressed are rights-of-way for transmission lines over tribal lands and future storage payments connected to a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the Post Falls dam. Included in the settlement are provisions for Avista to make payments to the Tribe for past and future use of submerged Tribal lands and to satisfy Avista's obligation to mitigate the impacts of the Post Falls dam on the Tribe's natural and cultural resources on its Reservation. "This agreement finally compensates the Tribe for Avista's use of Tribal lands to bring power generation to the region at the turn of the 20th century," Coeur d'Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan said. "It also provides a new foundation for the Tribe and Avista to work cooperatively together." The agreement represents a unique approach by which the Tribe and Avista will work cooperatively to plan, design and implement projects to satisfy the license conditions. "The Tribe's goal has been and continues to be, to strike a balance between the health and well-being of the lake and the needs of the local and regional economy," Allan said. "This process has been long, and at times difficult, but the outcome proves that when the Tribe has the opportunity to sit down in a respectful, constructive and deliberate manner we can come to reasonable solutions to very complex problems." The portion of the settlement that compensates the Tribe for past storage of water totals $39 million, and payments will be made over three years once the agreements have been finalized. Avista and the Tribe also agreed on compensation for ongoing storage of water on the reservation. This agreement, which will be submitted to FERC, includes payments of $400,000 per year for the first 20 years of a new license, followed by annual payments of $700,000 for the remaining term of the license. Avista has also agreed to create a Coeur d'Alene resource protection trust fund. This agreement establishes a funding mechanism for the Tribe and Avista to collaborate on complying with license requirements which include shoreline erosion control, wetland restoration, replacement and maintenance, water quality monitoring, aquatic weed management and protection of cultural resources on the reservation. This fund will be initiated upon Avista's acceptance of a new license; Avista will place a total of $100 million into this fund over the term of the license, assuming FERC agrees to a 50-year license term. Avista will propose to reflect these costs, over the life of the license, in its retail rates to customers in filings with state regulatory commissions planned for early 2009. (It’s a bargain!) Hydropower Plant Anniversary BY SCOTT MILLER, 16 DECEMBER 2008, NLRDAILYNEWS

6 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

The Murray Hydropower Plant built and operated by the North Little Rock Electric Department first started generating power twenty years ago December 16, 1988. The plant was built at a site on the Murray Lock & Dam considered marginal by the Corps of Engineers for hydropower production and whenever the water level it too low or high the plant cannot generate power or generates power at a lower efficiency. The plant was built under the leadership of former Mayor Terry Hartwick and to this day costs the City approximately $1,000,000 per month in bond payments to pay of the construction costs. These payments will continue for about five more years until the bond is paid off. (Everyone should marvel and stop and think about the fact that there so many hydro projects at or approaching 100 years of operation and still going strong. There is no other energy resource near that dependable, as efficient, and it’s renewable. The anti-hydro crowd pushes junk like wind power that in many cases can’t even operate for 5 years without a major breakdown. How much more energy foolish can this Country get?) Two Local Sites Added to Historic Register December 18, 2008, Melydia Clewell, News Channel 4, Chattanooga, TN (Excerpts) Tennessee's Historical Commission announced four sites have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, including two in Southeast Tennessee. The sites in this area are the Bledsoe County Jail and Hale's Bar Dam Powerhouse. -------------------. Hale's Bar Dam Powerhouse - The powerhouse was completed in 1913 by the privately owned Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company, which was founded by prominent Chattanoogans Josepheus Conn Guild and Charles E. James to build the hydroelectric complex. Located in Haletown (Marion County), which is approximately five miles east of Jasper, the powerhouse is part of the first multi-purpose dam and lock built on the Tennessee River. It provided power and improved river navigation. The powerhouse contained the generators and transformers for electric power. In 1939, TVA obtained the complex and 1952 they added an addition to house two more generators. Leakage of the dam was always a problem and in 1968 TVA built a new dam about six miles downstream. The Hale's Bar Dam Powerhouse is an important reminder of early hydroelectric development in Tennessee. ----------------. A Cohoes Falls power play Green Island Power Authority seeks withdrawal of federal license for rival hydro plant By LARRY RULISON, Business writer, December 20, 2008, Times-Union COHOES, NY — An attempt by Green Island Power Authority to build a 100-megawatt hydropower plant above Cohoes Falls finally had its day in a courtroom Friday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit heard oral arguments in the case in New York City. A decision is expected within three to four months. GIPA, which runs its own hydro plant along the Hudson River in Green Island, wants the court to withdraw a federal license issued to an existing 38.8-megawatt hydro plant located below the Cohoes Falls so it can build its own hydro plant. The two projects cannot exist together. Brookfield Renewable Power, the company that runs the existing Cohoes facility, located at the intersection of North Mohawk and School streets, has said that it is operating the facility under the assumption that it will retain the 40-year license, which was issued last year by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Brookfield has already made many improvements to the facility, which was built in 1911, including upgrading park lands nearby that allow people to better view and enjoy historic Cohoes Falls. As part of its FERC license, Brookfield has promised $25 million in upgrades, including possibly adding a new fish-friendly turbine. GIPA is supported in its fight to reverse the license granted to Brookfield by a number of groups, including Scenic Hudson Inc., an environmental watchdog group. The court allowed Scenic Hudson to submit a friend of the court brief in the case. The group says that Brookfield's plant locks that part of the Mohawk into using outdated technology. "They will either uphold what FERC has done, or they will remand it back to FERC with instructions that they screwed up," said Scenic Hudson general counsel Warren Reiss. Brookfield officials declined to comment on the case. (Hydro from the North. Of course, the Globe had to put in its greenhouse gas dig.) Green-light this water power December 21, 2008, Globe Edi tor ia l , The Boston Globe

7 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

It didn't make page one headlines, but New England is in line to get a new infusion of electricity that will provide more power than the Seabrook nuclear plant, and with limited greenhouse gas emissions. It is the proposal of NStar and Northeast Utilities, which owns the Western Massachusetts Electric Co., to contract with Hydro-Quebec for 1,200 megawatts of the Canadian province's abundant hydropower. New England has long imported Quebec hydropower, especially in the peak summer months, when this region's electricity demand peaks. Under the proposed arrangement, which needs a green light from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Canadian electricity would be an even greater part of this region's year-round, baseload capacity. Federal approval is needed because the utilities plan a transmission line - on an existing right-of-way -into southern New Hampshire. The line that would be exclusively for this power, so that it could be accessed when needed, and customers not using the power would be spared the line's cost. FERC prefers other utilities have use of lines as well. The commission should give the project its blessing. The least polluting and least costly way to meet the demand for electricity is to reduce it through conservation and greater efficiency. The utilities acknowledge that. But if they can get a competitive price for the imported hydropower, they can curb New England's dependence on gas-fired power plants, which now supply about 40 percent of the region's electricity. The cost of that fuel is one reason New England electric rates are among the nation's highest. That is not the only drawback to over-dependence on one fuel. The operator of the region's grid, ISO New England, recently issued a report raising concern about the threat to "system reliability" posed by the large and growing role of natural gas. plays in the region's electricity picture. Hydropower is not emission-free, but compared to with fossil-fuel power it has the carbon footprint of Cinderella. The trees flooded over in Quebec behind the power dams decompose and emit methane, which bubbles up into the atmosphere. As a greenhouse gas, methane is 27 times as potent as carbon dioxide, but the total greenhouse effect, kilowatt for kilowatt, is still significantly less than a fossil-fuel plant's. Massachusetts's new green energy law stipulates that a utility using imported hydropower does not get credit for it under the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which is aimed at encouraging solar, wind, and other renewable sources. But the hydropower's reduced carbon emissions would help utilities meet the requirements of the 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The utilities' proposal will have other regulatory hurdles to clear before the line is built and power flows south. At this stage at least, the plan deserves FERC's approval. (I wonder if wind is propping up hydro (no pun intended) or is hydro propping up wind which is far more unpredictable) Associated Press - December 20, 2008. KTIV TV4 Pierre, ND PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A federal agency has taken a look at the possibility of using wind power to supplement electric production at dams on the Missouri River. The Western Area Power Administration says there's some benefit to the combination, although more study might be needed. The idea is to use wind turbines to produce electricity when there's drought and not much water is released through the dams. When that happens, WAPA has to buy higher-priced electricity from other places. WAPA says the use of wind turbines saves money in those years, but not when there's plenty of water going through the power plants. (This is a big deal. The Canadians always felt that they didn’t get a fair deal and probably didn’t so a renegotiated agreement could increase the price of hydro in the U.S. because of headwater benefits that Canadian dams provide) Columbia treaty may affect hydropower future By Associated Press, Dec 21, 2008, KEPRTV.com PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Future power production in the Northwest may depend partly on whether Canada and the United States agree to extend the Columbia River Treaty. The 1964 treaty with Canada authorized construction of three large dams in British Columbia to protect against regional flooding and boost electricity generation. Last week in Portland, the Bonneville Power Administration briefed the Northwest Power and Conservation Council on the first phase of an international review of the treaty. The initial phase includes technical studies about possible power and flood control dam operations after 2024 with and without the treaty. The treaty has no expiration date, but either country can request that it be terminated after 2024, 60 years after its ratification.

8 Copy obtained from the National Performance of Dams Program: http://npdp.stanford.edu

CNPPID may soon be selling hydropower green credits By LORI POTTER, Hub Staff Writer, 12/23/2008, KearneyHub.com HOLDREGE — Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is a step closer to meeting terms of an agreement to sell “green certificates” from its hydropower plants. CNPPID officials approved an agreement in April with Sterling Planet Inc. of Norcross, Ga., to sell credits from hydropower production in the last half of 2006 and first half of 2007 for $143,298. The payment depends on Central getting certification from two independent groups that also will do regular audits for compliance. A five-year certification was approved last week by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute, based in Portland, Maine. The other certification needed is from the Green-e program at the Center for Resources Solutions in San Francisco. CNPPID Engineering Services Manager Eric Hixon of Holdrege said now that the LIHI certification is done, he expects the Green-e approval to come quickly. The LIHI certification is for the Kingsley Dam hydroelectric project, which includes dams, reservoirs, canals and power plants on the North Platte and Platte Rivers in Garden, Keith, Lincoln, Dawson and Gosper counties. It’s the first power-generating project in Nebraska to earn LIHI certification, according to a CNPPID press release. Hixon explained that the certification includes all four hydros — Kingsley, Johnson 1, Johnson 2 and Jeffrey — but it’s only the three Supply Canal facilities that are producing the green credits for sale. He described the credit as “the renewable attribute of the power.” Hixon said the Green-e program requires that credits come from new or “re-powered” plants. Rehabilitation work done on the three Supply Canal plants qualifies, but the Kingsley Hydro doesn’t. “LIHI didn’t want to break things up,” he said. “Kingsley was included, but not because I wanted it included.” Sterling Planet buys green credits and sells them to buyers needing offsets. Hixon said that makes the company a little different than a broker who simply matches buyers and sellers. He had met company officials at a conference and Central officials also received a cold call from Sterling Planet. Hixon said market factors will determine what future contracts will pay. Central’s $143,298 contract breaks down to $1.17 per megawatt. In April, a green market Web site listed the per-megawatt price at $4. He’s been told it’s back down to around $1.50 today. More Central sales of green credits are likely. Hixon said the next offer may go out to Sterling Planet and other brokers for hydropower production in the last half of 2007 and first half of 2008. “Late 2007 needs to be sold by April,” he said.

WWWaaattteeerrr Governor's panel says Calif must fix water system The Associated Press, 12/16/2008, San Jose Mercury News SACRAMENTO—a panel of the governor's top advisers Tuesday backed a sweeping plan for water use in California, including taking a look at building a canal to pipe water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Delta Vision Committee endorsed a draft plan that asks California lawmakers to revisit the canal idea that voters rejected long ago. It also promotes building dams, which Democrats oppose, and restoring 100,000 acres of habitat in the delta, where some native fish are struggling to survive. Tuesday was the final public hearing in a two-year process to come up with ways to restore the ailing delta while shoring up California's water supplies. The committee of four cabinet secretaries and the chair of the Public Utilities Commission will give Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a final set of recommendations by the end of the year. "Our efforts really touch every citizen, not only in our state but across the country," said Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura. "A dependable infrastructure is really what this is about." The panel's meeting came a day after the Bush administration told state and federal officials that they must drastically cut the amount of water pumped from the delta in order to save a California native fish from extinction. That decision has left many farmers in the Central Valley and cities in Southern California with the prospect of water shortages next year. The new delta plan doesn't give those water users much short-term relief. Instead, it offers a broad blueprint for long-term reforms that could take decades to become reality. It envisions a new plumbing system to funnel water from rivers in Northern California to the majority of the state's population in the arid south and San Francisco Bay area. The idea is to move away from the delta—a fragile maze of levees, islands, river channels and sloughs that are susceptible to rising sea levels, earthquakes and levee breaks. At the same time, the state would launch a massive habitat restoration effort, create an investment fund to support

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farmers and businesses in the delta and fund efforts around the state to develop alternative water supplies, according to the recommendations discussed by the panel. But transforming the delta and California's water system will have its costs. That could be a hard sell to a Legislature currently bickering over how to close a staggering budget gap of $41.8 billion through mid-2010. For example, it could cost between $4.2 billion to $7.2 billion to build a canal and between $1.2 billion to $9.6 billion to fortify channels through the delta, according to estimates provided by the Department of Water Resources. That doesn't include the $10 billion bond the governor repeatedly has asked the Democrat-controlled Legislature to adopt for new dams and groundwater storage. "We are faced with a tough challenge. Everyone knows we need a delta program that's not going to cost billions, it's going to cost tens of billions," said Barry Nelson, a water expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "You can adopt the best plan in the world but if you don't have funds to implement it, it's going to fail." Exactly who would be asked to pay for a new water delivery system and the billions of dollars in ecosystem restoration is unclear. The committee suggested bond funds and water and environmental fees could be imposed. It's one of the many thorny issues the governor's cabinet panel said should be vetted next year by the creation of a new interim delta council. They also deferred contentious decisions on who should oversee the strategies called for in the plan. "What we have done here is recognize that we're going to have to do a lot more work," said Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman. (The missing link here is that no one mentions what the flooding would have been without the dam) Grand River Dam Authority facing another lawsuit Associated Press - December 17, 2008, KFSM TV News TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A class-action lawsuit filed against the Grand River Dam Authority claims the state-owned utility should pay for flood damage suffered by almost 400 Ottawa County residents since May 2007. The lawsuit was filed Nov. 26, and most of its claims stem from flooding in the area in July 2007 that resulted in $30 million to $40 million in property damage in the town of Miami and other areas of the county. It is similar to a lawsuit filed against the GRDA in the early 1990s, which has been resolved during the past year. In that case, more than 100 Ottawa County property owners alleged that the operation of Pensacola Dam by the authority caused flood damage to their property. The GRDA maintains it is not responsible for flooding because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assumes control of Pensacola Dam, which impounds Grand Lake, in high-water situations. Releases have to be coordinated with other reservoirs in northeastern Oklahoma. A GRDA spokesman said the authority had no comment on the lawsuit. (The same thing happened to a similar structure of TVA’s in the 1960’s) TVA dike bursts in Tenn., damaging a dozen homes Authorities: No serious injuries were reported By DUNCAN • MANSFIELD • December 23, 2008, TheLeafChronicle.com HARRIMAN, Tenn. — An earthen dam holding back a retention pond broke early Monday at a power plant run by the nation's largest public utility, releasing a frigid mix of water, ash and mud that damaged 12 homes and put hundreds of acres of rural land under water. The 40-acre pond was used by the Tennessee Valley Authority to hold a slurry of ash generated by the coal-burning Kingston Steam Plant in Harriman, about 50 miles west of Knoxville, said TVA spokesman Gil Francis. The dam gave way just before 1 am, burying a road and railroad tracks leading to the plant under several feet of dark gray mud. Authorities said no one was seriously injured or hospitalized. Rain, freezing temperatures may be to blame Investigators were trying to determine exactly what caused the breach, but the TVA spokesman said heavy rains and freezing temperatures may be to blame. Forecasters said the overnight temperature dropped to 14 degrees in Harriman, and Francis said there had been 4.9 inches of rain this month so far compared to 2.8

inches in a typical December. "I am still in shock," said Crystell Flinn, 49, whose ranch-style house was pushed off its foundations and driven more than 30 feet onto a road. "I don't think it really has hit me yet." Flinn was traveling back from Knoxville when a friend called her cell phone to say she had heard that the flood hit Flinn's house and that her 53-year-old

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husband James Schean was trapped inside. Schean escaped cold and shaken but not injured. Flinn told his story while he slept at a temporary shelter at a community college. Schean, a boilermaker at the TVA plant, was in bed when he "heard a loud clap like thunder," she said. Pieces of the ceiling began falling, wood was popping, glass breaking and furniture falling. And then the house started to move. "He didn't know what was going on," his wife said. "He couldn't see anything. He had to tear one door off the hinges to get out of the bedroom, and he couldn't get out the front door so he had to kick out a window." Flinn cried as she looked at aerial photographs of the home, which she and Schean had spent the past 31/2 years remodeling and recently filled with Christmas presents. "I seriously doubt they will let us (rebuild)," Flinn said. After losing another house on the same property to fire 20 years ago, "I am not sure we want to," she said. "The next time we might not make it out." Emergency workers rescued people from two partially collapsed homes and used four-wheel drive vehicles to help others who couldn't get out of their driveways, said Roane County Rescue Squad spokesman Brian Grief. Officials originally said 15 homes were flooded, but Francis later said 12 homes had been damaged to some degree. Flinn's house was the worst hit. Only Flinn's family came to the emergency shelter, which closed later Monday. TVA offered them and others needing help motel rooms. Francis said 30 pieces of heavy equipment and nearly 100 people were involved in the cleanup effort. He said water flow through a dam on the Clinch River — which flows into the Tennessee River — has been reduced to prevent pollution from runoff from the flood. Howie Rose, the director of the Roane County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said a train carrying coal to the plant reached the point on the tracks that was covered in mud and couldn't go forward or back up. He said authorities were trying to assist the train. The broken dike left about 4 to 5 feet of water and mud over 250 to 400 acres, Francis said. The Environmental Protection Agency was notified. The pond is used for dumping a slurry of waste from burning coal at the steam plant, Francis said. TVA will check for signs of problems at its 10 other coal-fired plants, most of which were built in the 1950s. "They're going to look at that for sure, but we have not had one of these (breaks) like this anywhere," Francis said. Knoxville-based TVA supplies electricity to 8.8 million consumers in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

EEEnnnvvviiirrrooonnnmmmeeennnttt (Sometimes blackmail works) Tacoma settling lawsuit with Skokomish Tribe December 16, 2008, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, seattlepi.com TACOMA, Wash. -- The Tacoma City Council is considering an agreement to settle a lawsuit with the Skokomish Tribe over two dams the city built in the 1920s on the Skokomish River. At Tuesday's council meeting, the Tacoma News Tribune reports the council will take up a settlement that would pay $13 million and transfer 1,100 acres of Tacoma Power property to the tribe. In return the tribe would drop all claims in its lawsuit. The Tacoma Public Utilities Board approved the deal last week, contingent on the utility receiving a 40-year federal license to operate the hydroelectric project. It generates enough electricity for 25,000 homes. The tribe says the dams wiped out fishing and hunting grounds. 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.