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Other Stuff: The Hydro Clock – my new device!

(Does anyone know where this stuff comes from? Did dam failures cause that many the fatalities, and why is hydro mentioned? Nuclear energy safer than hydro Victoria Times Colonist, Canada.com, 8/30/07 Evan Saugstad, the mayor of Chetwynd, is reported to have said he would rather live beside a hydroelectric power plant than a nuclear power plant. Why? Does he not know that about 16 per cent of the world’s energy comes from hydroelectric plants and 16 per cent from about 400 nuclear plants and between 1970 and 1992 nuclear had 56 fatalities in one event (Chernobyl); whereas hydro had 4,015 fatalities in 13 events?

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: “They say George Washington never told a lie. Today he would have been first in war; first in peace; and last to make it in politics.” - - Robert Orben

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Dams Small bomb detonates near Flathead dam Aug 30, 2007, Montana's News Station Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking into the detonation of a small bomb which happened near a dam just north of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Tribal leaders are remaining tight-lipped about when and just exactly where the explosive detonated while the FBI is investigating the possibility that it may just be a prank. On another front Confederated Salish and Kootenai Spokesman Robert McDonald says tribal leaders and the Federal Land Bureau are looking at closing roads that surround several dams on the Reservation. "People might think there's not a security risk here, but the fact is there's so much water moving through these dams, that God forbid that someone would park a truck with explosives on one of these dams it would cause a quick sudden flooding near some of our small town communities, which really could impact the elementary schools, the daycare, and Salish and Kootenai College." If the proposal does go through then roads surrounding seven of the 16 dams on the reservation would be closed to vehicle traffic while foot traffic would still be allowed. The dams being considered for closure are the Pablo Dam, Kicking Horse Dam, Nine Pipe Dam, Mission Dam, McDonald Dam, the Upper Dry Fork Dam and the Tabor Dam. Officials tell us they're still not sure when the closures would take place. The Department of the Interior conducted a national study on dams in 2006 and released it in November. After officials with the Bureau of Indian Affairs saw the report and then made this road closure recommendation and officials say that the study and the incident are NOT related. The ‘1,000-year flood’ of 2007 will long be in our memories August 29, 2007, by Matt Johnson, The Vernon Broadcaster They call it a “1,000-year flood.” It’s the standard to which they built the 20-plus flood-control dams in Vernon County. That standard is to withstand a flood that statistically may happen only once every 1,000 years. According to Vernon County’s Land and Water Conservation Department, those who built the county’s dams in the 1950s and 1960s did a pretty good job, because after dealing with the rain we received on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19, they, in some cases, withstood pressure two times greater than that for which they were designed. There have been bad floods in Vernon County stretching through history, but as far as recorded history, we only know of two other floods, the flood of 1951 and the flood of 1978 that rival the flood of 2007. And in places like Chaseburg and Gays Mills, the flood of 2007 takes the cake. Perhaps overall, countywide, it does as well. According to Cindy Ackerman, the county’s emergency management director, areas of the county received between 6.5 and 11 inches of rain on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19. It was ironic that in the Aug. 16 paper, the Broadcaster ran a story in which agricultural agents for both Crawford and Vernon Counties said recent rains had produced enough moisture to sustain us through the rest of the growing season. Little did we know what was coming next. Meteorologist Dan Baumgardt with the National Weather Service in La Crosse, said the magnitude of the Aug. 18-Aug. 19 flood waters might be something a meteorologist deals with, “only two or three times over their entire career,” and that’s covering an area of thousands of square miles. Seven people in Minnesota died because of the flooding. While there was no loss of life in Wisconsin, the damage totals are not yet fully tallied and already at unbelievable levels. Ackerman said Vernon County’s totals are $24.8 million for public property and $8 million for agriculture. That’s $32.8 million. Private property hasn’t even been totaled yet. We’ve been heartened that President Bush and the folks at the Federal Emergency Management Agency moved up their timetable for dealing with Wisconsin’s storm damage. Bush has ruled that this flood, in five Wisconsin counties, is a major disaster and worthy of FEMA aid, which we have detailed starting in our page A-1 story this week. We’re glad to see the federal government come through, especially after getting turned down for aid during the Viola tornado in 2005. But aside from the damage, there is the ongoing fear of more flooding and the mental toll this has taken on everybody who has to deal with it. We asked Baumgardt how meteorologists at the NWS deal with handling weather conditions that cause property damage and destroy lives. “That’s an interesting side of the story that people don’t ask us about,” Baumgardt said. “We’re all people, too. When we hear of people having to be rescued, it’s not easy for us. (Aug. 18 and Aug. 19) was a

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historic event. You stop thinking about it in terms of weather and start thinking about it personally.” Consider the plight of David Thomas Blackburn, 37, of Lewiston, Minn., who died in the flood only after pushing his wife, Dawn, to safety. Blackburn drowned in the fast-rising flood waters Aug. 19 in La Crescent Township in rural Houston County, Minn., after his foot became wedged between his vehicle and a tree. A car carrying Blackburn, his wife, Dawn, and a friend was swept off Houston County Road 6 by high water. He helped his wife and their friend into a tree before he and the vehicle were swept away. Mr. Blackburn left behind two young sons. The flood waters will recede. The millions of dollars of damage we have suffered will have been recorded for history and, if handled properly, the thorn in the side of every property owner involved will be relieved, should local, state and federal authorities act accordingly. It is the young who will lead us, and hearing the story Friday that the De Soto High School football team was helping flood victims in that area was most heartening. The human side will stay with us who experienced the “1,000-year flood” for a long, long time. (This is an issue that comes up with respect to dams? Who are the “scientists” that disagree?) Retain levee trees, shrubs 30 August 2007, Tracy Press, CA U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials could have climbed down from their graders and land-levelers and reached a compromise with Delta landowners. But imposing rigid flood-control regulations is a game they love to play, even if the rules are debatable. Regulations to remove all the trees and bushes from the top and sides of levees in the Delta are shortsighted. It follows a maintenance inspection that failed 32 Central Valley levee districts because their levees contain too many bushes and trees. Scientists disagree, contending that these forms of vegetation actually prevent levees from crumbling because they improve the sheer strength. Denuding the levees will destroy the ecological balance in the Delta without providing sufficient security from flooding. (Here’s a novel idea. Duh!) Editorial: Move safety of dams higher on priority list 09/01/2007, San Antonio Express-News A recent report by the International Boundary and Water Commission found that the four Rio Grande dams between Del Rio and the Gulf of Mexico are adequate during normal conditions, but none is completely safe. The report, the result of a five-year dam safety inspection, is a reminder that maintaining infrastructure along waterways is necessary to avoid potential hazards. The four dams — Amistad, Retamal, Falcon and Anzalduas — were rated according to the commission's five-stage classification system. Amistad, in particular, was classified as "urgent" or "potentially unsafe." The Commission report said that naturally occurring sinkholes in the limestone foundation of the reservoir are part of the problem. The other dams were rated either conditionally or marginally unsafe. In the case of Amistad, "urgent actions are needed based on the high risk in terms of the combination of potential loss of life and economic damages."

Commission spokeswoman Sally Spener told the Express-News the dams do not present immediate danger, but "what the inspectors are saying is that they need to take a closer look at those structures." The commission report stated that all the dams are "generally well-maintained and are currently capable of operating under normal conditions." All dams also are capable of operating under flood conditions, except for Retamal Dam, which experienced a gate malfunction two years ago. Joseph Coulter, president of the Lower Rio Grande Water Committee, told the Express-News that the federal commission is low on the list of priorities when it comes to funding. That should change, and the issue should be given more attention. If there is anything to be learned from tragedies like Hurricane Katrina, it's that we, as a nation, must be vigilant when it comes to maintaining important infrastructure.

Hydro OHIO GOVERNOR PUSHES FOR RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO

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ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, 31 AUGUST 2007 Ohio is set to join the list of states requiring renewable sources as a significant percentage of its energy portfolio. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's newly introduced Energy, Jobs and Progress plan will require at least 25% of the electricity within the state come from renewable and "advanced" energy technologies. That figure must be met by 2025. Within that 25% portfolio, at least half of the energy must come from renewable sources including solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and biomass fuel. The plan defines "advanced" energy as including nuclear energy, fuel cell and clean coal. In announcing his plan, Strickland stated this initiative would ensure stability for the state's electric power supply and would also help attract new jobs to a nascent local renewable energy industry.

Hydropower sees peril, promise in climate change September 1, 2007, By CURT WOODWARD, ASSOCIATED PRESS, Seattle Post-Intelligencer TACOMA, Wash. -- It's been likened to a giant bellows or a massive fire hose, sending huge amounts of water roiling and churning between Puget Sound's southern and northern basins with every change of the tides. Some entrepreneurs, however, see the mile-wide channel of the Tacoma Narrows as more than a natural wonder. It's also the next frontier of green energy. "It's awe-inspiring," said Burt Hamner, chief executive of Puget Sound Tidal Power. "There is so much power out there that it boggles the mind." Hamner's firm is part of an emerging industry that hopes to turn the Pacific Northwest's wind-swept coasts and powerful tidal currents into a bountiful source of electric power. Their pursuit is one of the big changes on the horizon for the Northwest's hydropower industry, which faces both peril and promise from the projected effects of climate change. On one hand, dam operators who helped build the region's economy face a big worry: that climate change will disrupt runoff cycles, increasing tension between utilities, farmers and fish when the water supply is short. But proponents of both old and new hydropower technologies see the chance to claim a bigger slice of the nation's energy plans, as policy-makers look for sources of power free of greenhouse gases. "I think we're probably going to need to do everything when it comes to climate," said Dan Adamson, a Washington, D.C., attorney who served on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission during the Clinton administration. "It's going to take a lot of different technologies to solve the problem. It's pretty unlikely that there's going to be one technology that's going to be the magic bullet," he said.

Hydropower is by far the largest renewable source of electricity in the U.S., dwarfing the contributions made by wind, solar and other green technologies. Even so, there's still plenty of room to grow. The Electric Power Research Institute, an industry group, has estimated the U.S. could increase its hydropower capacity by 23,000 megawatts in the next two decades. That's enough power to equal nearly two dozen nuclear power plants - all without significant greenhouse gas emissions. A good portion of that capacity could be wrested from traditional hydropower systems. For instance, the National Hydropower Association says only 2 percent of the nation's dams presently generate electricity. Dam operators like Tim Culbertson, general manager of the Grant County Public Utility District, say their task is wrangling more incentives from government, which has tended to favor wind development in recent years. At the same time, Culbertson and others are looking over their shoulders at the ways climate change could alter the timing of the natural water cycle. In a warmer climate, dam operators might face the need to spill more water for farmers or fish during a dry summer, cutting into electric generation.

A 2005 report from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council showed that by 2020, the Columbia River hydropower system could lose as much as $230 million per year due to climate change. "We've lost roughly 2,000 megawatts of this hydro system for fish passage and spill issues. The concern is, do we lose more of that capacity?" Culbertson asked. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Cascade Range, utilities are lining up for a chance to launch the next generation of hydropower systems. There are presently about 10 projects in various stages of federal permitting - including the Tacoma Power project on the Narrows - that aim to capture energy from the movement of water around Puget Sound. Entrepreneurs and utilities also are focusing on technology that could generate power from the undulations of ocean waves. In Oregon, a British Columbia-based company called Finavera Renewables is about to test one such system based on a floating buoy. Conservation concerns apply here as well.

The technology is still in the experimental stage, but environmentalists such as People for Puget Sound's Kathy Fletcher worry that large arrays of electric turbines could harm threatened killer whales, salmon and other species. "For a lot of reasons, including protection of Puget Sound, we need to develop clean energy," Fletcher said. "But it would just be unfortunate if we do that at the expense of Puget Sound." Developers say those concerns aren't falling on deaf ears. Hamner, who is working with Tacoma Power to study the Narrows

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project, says new hydro technologies will only get off the ground in the Northwest if environmental worries are satisfied. "The bottom line is, the power's out there. But it's got to be developed in an environmentally sustainable fashion," he said. "We believe that is absolutely the core of our being."

Tacoma Narrows tidal project: http://www.tacomapower.com/Tidal/default.htm (It’s tough building a new project north of the border too.) Hydro plan generates controversy Ian Urquhart - Aug 31, 2007, Toronto Star In the current debate over Ontario's future choices for electricity, coal and nuclear are often demonized while hydroelectric power is portrayed as saintly. After all, hydro is clean and green, with zero greenhouse gas emissions and a relatively low cost. Not surprisingly then, the government's electricity planning agency – the Ontario Power Authority – included significant additions to the province's hydro capacity as part of its latest plan to keep the lights on in the province over the next 20 years. The plan, released this week, is the third attempt by the power authority to provide a road map for the province to wean itself off coal without increasing reliance on nuclear power. The two previous plans were found wanting by the government, especially in the areas of conservation and "renewable" energy (primarily hydro and wind). So in an effort to be more environmentally sound, the power authority's new plan includes almost 3,000 more megawatts from hydroelectric power, which is about the equivalent of a nuclear plant. But environmental soundness is in the eye of the beholder. Back in the 1970s, for instance, major hydroelectric initiatives like the James Bay projects in Quebec were vehemently opposed by environmentalists on the grounds that the dams would flood vast plots of land and disrupt flora and fauna. In 1972, the Sierra Club produced a book on the Quebec projects called The Plot to Drown the North Woods describing them as "a brutal assault on nature." Flash forward to today, when the Ontario Power Authority envisions new hydro dams on several northeastern Ontario Rivers, including the Albany. Located north of the 51st parallel, the Albany runs 980 kilometers through Precambrian shield in a series of falls and rapids from Lake St. Joseph to James Bay. The flooding that would result from a dam on the river would be even worse than on the Quebec side of James Bay as the vertical drop is not nearly as big. Nevertheless, wouldn't environmentalists support such projects today, given that more hydroelectricity would enable the province to close the coal-fired power plants or opt for fewer nuclear reactors? No, according to Keith Stewart of World Wildlife Fund Canada. He said the environmental groups have discussed this trade-off among themselves and decided they still have to oppose major new hydroelectric dams. There is another problem with hydroelectric projects in northeastern Ontario: the land belongs to aboriginal peoples. The Albany, for example, runs through the Eabametoong First Nation at Fort Hope and the Marten Falls First Nation at Ogoki. I contacted Chief Sol Atlookan of the Eabametoong First Nation yesterday. He said it was the first he had heard of a proposal for a hydro dam on the Albany and expressed concern that it would show up in a government plan without prior consultation. Brian Hay of the power authority said he had spoken to other representatives of First Nations in the Albany River area but conceded: "There's still a lot of consultation to be done." Hay also described the Albany project as more of "a high-level concept" than a concrete proposal. In other words, it has a lot of hurdles left to clear. Energy Minister Dwight Duncan acknowledged this in an interview. "But we have to look at every available opportunity," he added. Fair enough, but these new hydroelectric projects may prove to be more in the category of pipe dreams than opportunities. (Looks like Littleton has found “another benefit of hydro”.) Littleton, NH Utility sues town over taxes on hydro plant Concord Monitor, September 02. 2007 TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc. has taken Littleton to court, arguing the town is charging too much in taxes for the Moore hydroelectric station and dam. The utility is challenging a 240 percent assessment increase that prompted a $4 million tax bill last year, according to its lawsuit. TransCanada argues

Littleton's assessed valuation is based on a flawed value estimate. "Consequently, TransCanada Hydro was forced to pay an illegal, excessive, disproportionate and unjust share of Littleton's taxes for the taxes assessed as of April 1, 2006," the lawsuit said. TransCanada filed for abatement, but it was denied in July. It is asking a judge to establish "the true value" of the Moore station, abate the taxes and determine the true amount of its property in the town.

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City weighs restarting old hydroelectric station September 02, 2007, Ann Arbor News The Huron River swells behind the Peninsular Dam in Ypsilanti, MI forming a small lake and bypassing the former hydroelectric station that has been home only to spiders and sparrows for nearly 30 years. But that could change as city officials consider the possibility of restarting the power generation as a way to generate revenue. A Wisconsin company, North American Hydro, evaluated the dam recently and more studies are planned, said Bill Bohlen, the city's director of public works. If Ypsilanti decides to re-commission the hydroelectric station, it will become the third Washtenaw County municipality to produce electricity on the Huron River. The city of Ann Arbor owns two Huron River hydroelectric stations that produce between 4 million and 8 million kilowatt-hours a year. Editorials, 89/3/07, Redding.com Plan to keep Kilarc at least deserves a look Our view: PG&E intends to abandon the old hydroelectric project near Whitmore, drying up its beloved lake, but an outside company’s proposal is at least worth studying. Kilarc Reservoir must be the best-loved orphan since Oliver Twist. Its parent, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., wants to unplug the power station and let the lake dry up, but both Whitmore-area residents who adore their neighborhood fishing hole and profit-minded energy entrepreneurs are trying to save Kilarc. The latest would-be adoptive parent is Davis Hydro, a green-energy company whose owners think they can both keep Kilarc's hydroelectric generators humming and improve habitat for wild rainbow trout along Old Cow Creek, whose water is diverted to feed the reservoir. The costs of maintaining the canals and improving the century-old power system to meet modern environmental standards led PG&E to abandon Kilarc when its federal license expired. The company made a deal to restore Cow Creek and donate its water right, in essence, to the fish. Every north state resident ought to enthusiastically support the goal of reviving wild fisheries, but Kilarc is also a recreational gem even if purists turn up their noses at its hatchery-stocked waters. And the 5 megawatts of energy it produces isn't much, but it is renewable energy under California law. It is a paradox that one arm of the state government is pushing to increase our use of green power even as another -- Fish and Game -- is working to dismantle an existing source. Does Davis Hydro have a viable plan? Not yet, but a "scoping document" released at the end of July sketches out ideas about how to preserve the Kilarc system and make room for spawners. Hydroelectric revenues would pay the bills. Part of the lengthy environmental studies that go into any major project, such as dismantling a dam, is exploring alternatives. At a minimum, options to keep Whitmore's favorite fishing hole in place deserve a serious look. Kilarc's waters have taught countless Shasta County children how to fish. It wouldn't show much gratitude to abandon this orphan to its fate. R.I. looks to save with purchase of hydroelectric plant Sept. 3, 2007, By Jonathan Turner, QuadCities.com ROCK ISLAND, MI -- While the growth of hydropower lagged in the past 20 years, environmental and cost concerns have improved its prospects, according to an industry leader. The city of Rock Island is one of

many governments in recent years turning to hydropower for a cheaper, greener alternative to meet electricity needs. "One of the advantages is the lower cost, generally speaking," said Jeff Leahey, senior manager for government and legal affairs for the National Hydropower Association. "Hydro is a non-carbon resource, meaning no air pollution," he said. "That's also attractive with climate change and other issues. Another thing is, hydropower is very good for meeting demand quickly at any particular time during the day. As demand increases, it's a very good resource to meet those fluctuations." Rock Island plans to buy the 95-year-old White Hydropower Company (WHC) plant at 5200 11th St., and double its capacity, at a cost of $2.1 million. While most hydro-plant projects have large up-front costs, in

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building or site acquisition and rehabilitation, the energy cost savings over time are substantial, Mr. Leahey said. "What we're seeing is use of existing infrastructure and maximizing their efficiencies," he said. "Over the last 10 to 20 years, I can't say many dams were built solely for hydropower purposes. We're looking at improvements to equipment, and expansion, to create better efficiencies and better capacity." By the year 2017, Rock Island expects to save an average of $100,000 a year on electricity costs -- compared to paying MidAmerican Energy -- by operating the plant. The savings would grow after that, most dramatically after a 20-year bond is paid off, public works director Bob Hawes said. Engineer Mitchell White took over operation of the hydroelectric plant on the Rock River in 1985 and supplies 600 kilowatts of energy an hour (or about 0.5 megawatts) to MidAmerican Energy, enough to power 3,000 homes.

The city plans to double its capacity and provide the five largest city-owned facilities with 83 percent of their electricity. The remainder would be bought from MidAmerican. Rock Island currently pays MidAmerican about $1 million a year for electricity at all its facilities, and faces a 35 percent increase in 2011, after 10 years of a rate freeze, Mr. Hawes said. Nationally, about seven percent of all electricity comes from hydropower, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Hydropower facilities in the United States generate enough power to supply 28 million households with electricity, the equivalent of nearly 500 million barrels of oil, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Of 2,388 licensed hydro plants in the U.S., 24 percent are operated by non-federal public entities, a 2006 report from Idaho National Laboratory said. In Illinois, the city of Kankakee operates a 1.2-megawatt hydro plant on the Kankakee River. The 16-year-old plant provides all the electricity for the city's Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant. Other Illinois cities operating hydro dams are Peru and Rock Falls. Mr. Hawes toured the Rock Falls facility with other Rock Island officials. South Bend, Ind., and Ottumwa, Iowa, also operate plants, according to the national association. "We're a municipally owned electric agency, so instead of having to buy, we sell energy we create off the hydro plant," said Rock Falls city administrator Richard Downey.

The Rock Falls plant, more than 20 years old, allows the city to save more than $200,000 a year compared to buying all its power from the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, of which it's a member. "It's definitely worth it," Mr. Downey said. "It's green power and it doesn't affect water levels." The federal government's adding financial incentives in recent years also has boosted hydro production, Mr. Leahey said. They include tax credits and no-interest renewable energy bonds, which Rock Island will take advantage of. Many states have renewable portfolio standards they have mandated for electric utilities, which dictate the percentage of power they provide that comes from renewable resources, Mr. Leahey said. Four states -- including Illinois -- have set voluntary goals. Illinois' electric utilities are expected to use renewable resources to generate two percent of their retail load this year, increasing to eight percent in 2013. MidAmerican Energy operates a 3-megawatt hydro plant in Moline and has 696 megawatts of wind-energy facilities in operation, under construction or under contract in Iowa. MidAmerican is planning another 540 megawatts of wind energy in Iowa. Rock Island doesn't plan to add any public-works employees to operate its hydro plant, but shift responsibilities with existing staff, Mr. Hawes said. General operation and maintenance costs are estimated to be $45,578 in 2009, rising to more than $71,000 in 2024.

It will function as a "business" within the city, covering its expenses (including for debt service) through sale of electricity, Mr. Hawes said. Since the plant will serve the sewer and water treatment plants, and lower energy costs, the rate increases for water and sewer customers citywide could be slowed, he said. Closing on the city purchase may not be for about six months. Closing cannot take place until five conditions are met, including the city and state agreeing to the transfer of the Sears powerhouse lease to Rock Island, and the city obtaining all necessary environmental and regulatory approvals for an expanded plant. How hydropower works:

Hydroelectric facilities represent the largest source of clean energy in the United States, according to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Renewable Energy Trust. Hydro facilities feature turbines that spin when in contact with moving water, and generators that convert that energy into electricity. In Rock Island's case, the electricity will be connected into MidAmerican Energy's power grid and transmitted to the designated city facilities served by the plant. Hydropower is a renewable resource because it uses the continuous flow of rivers and other water bodies to produce electricity without using up the water. It is a clean technology because it does not rely on the burning of fuels like oil, coal or natural gas. Hydro plants also are a more consistent, continuous energy source, compared to renewable resources like the wind and sun.

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Environment (Is this a hydro project or a recreation project?) Water-level issues still cause ripples of worry Sep. 02, 2007, The State.com, — Tim Flach, Columbia, SC

Boaters are happy — but not satisfied — with South Carolina Electric & Gas’ (SCE&G’s) promise to keep Lake Murray’s water levels higher. But the pledge is not the firm commitment many groups want. “SCE&G is putting its best foot forward, but a lot of variables affect what they do,” said Larry Michalec of Batesburg-Leesville, a leader of the Lake Murray Home Owners Coalition. It’s vital to nail down the conditions under which the lake’s level can fall when hydropower is needed, south shore community leader Bob Keener of Gilbert said. SCE&G’s pledge lake levels won’t dip more than four feet from their normal high means many — but not all — shallow coves will be navigable at any time. The pledge came after the utility was criticized during four years of low water levels that resulted from dam repairs and drought.

Power production at the dam formerly caused the lake to drop up to eight feet, drying up many coves for up to half the year. However, SCE&G relies less on the lake for power now. Still, it is wary of restricting its ability to respond to sudden jumps in demand for electricity. Keeping the lake at levels that make it usable year-round also affects the flow of water downstream into the lower Saluda and Congaree rivers and Congaree National Park. River groups want a plan that allows more water in the rivers, creating rapids for kayaking among other things. But there’s also pressure on SCE&G to lessen water releases that swell the Saluda rapidly, endangering those who are boating and wading there and might not hear warning sirens. “We have high hopes there will be significant changes,” American Rivers spokesman Gerrit Jobsis said. “We don’t expect something that is going to be a window dressing.”

Other Articles on Lake Murray (Note: Hold down Ctrl key and click on link.) http://www.thestate.com/news/story/161848.html http://www.thestate.com/local/story/161850.html http://www.thestate.com/local/story/161851.html http://www.thestate.com/local/story/161852.html

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.

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Other Stuff: (Now, this one will stretch your imagination.) Billboards Calling Pa. Coal Clean-And-Green July 25, 2007, WTAE Channel 4 Action News Have you noticed new billboards on area highways, telling you that Pennsylvania coal is now clean and green? Most people think of coal as black and dirty, so what are the signs all about? The organization posting the billboards claim it's a grassroots group of families. The name is Families for Pa. Coal, and it claims that coal is now a clean and renewable energy source. But critics said the group is nothing more than

the coal industry itself, trying to put a new spin on an old fossil fuel. The message is hard to miss when you're driving on the turnpike, Interstate 79 or Route 51. The billboards are part of a statewide advertising campaign by the four-year old organization, which is also known as Force. "We got tired of just hearing the negative and seeing the negative in the paper and decided that we wanted to have a voice," said Force Executive Director Jeanine Rainone. But who exactly is "we?" According to brochures Force was handing out at the Longwall Mining Convention in Pittsburgh last month, it's a nonprofit, grassroots Pennsylvania corporation. "It obviously gives them a better, more sympathetic viewpoint to say that families say that coal is clean, even if it's really dirty, than if Consolidated Coal is saying it," said Jim Kleisser of

the Center For Coalfield Justice. Kleisser said Force emerged in 2003 in response to public outrage over homes in Greene and Washington counties being damaged by the effects of Longwall Mining. Force's founder doesn't dispute that. "There was a huge impact of a lot of people driving against coal because of Longwall Mining and Longwall Mining legislation, so when you'd hear something bad in the papers, there was no one standing up to support the other side," said Force President Doug Farnham. Force claims in its brochure that it provides information on coal-related issues in a factual and unbiased manner. "We're in favor of the coal industry," Rainone said. "But we're not saying that other energies aren't needed as well." "Force is CONSOL Coal and these other companies because in order to be a member of Force you have to be a member company and that's who their members are," Kleisser said. "Can an individual become a member of force? If they're related to the coal industry, if they make a living from the coal industry," Rainone

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: “Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man

can't retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more

with less energy and time.” - - Bernard Baruch

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said. But even coal industry workers have to join Force through their employer. When asked if he could sit with a straight face and say Force is a grassroots organization of the common people, Farnham said he could. Farnham, owner of Farnham and P-File, a coal industry supply company that shares its office building with Consol Energy and Force, said his company helps Force with its bills. "We subsidize all we can to make this successful," he said. In fact, Force doesn't pay any if its own expenses, according to the group's IRS tax return. In the meantime, Farnham has formed a new company that's working with CONSOL Energy on a combustion technology that will burn coal waste without emitting as much particulate matter into the atmosphere. Gov. Ed Rendell gave Farnham's company a $1 million grant to develop the technology, and Farnham has given Rendell $21,000 in political contributions since 2005. "I support politicians who I think can get the job done," Farnham said. "And we were fortunate to support some of the ones who got this job done." And Farnham wants you to know about that job getting done and so he's telling you that coal is now clean and green. "If you can take coal and transform into energy and not have any pollution, that's green energy," Farnham said. "I believe it's just a complete oxymoron," said Lisa Marcucci, the founder of the Jefferson Action Group. "There is no such thing as clean coal in my opinion." Marcucci's group is an organization of citizens fighting to clean up the air around USX's Clairton Works. "I don't care how you try to dress it up, coal is dirty by its nature," she said. "Coal pollutes." "Coal is less dirty than it used to be, but it's still not clean," Kleisser said. But what about the claim that coal is green and, in other words, renewable, like wind and solar energy? Farnham said it is absolutely clean. The executive director of Force however disagrees, saying coal is not a renewable, clean resource. New coal-burning technologies are a part of Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed $850 million energy independence fund. Rendell wanted to pay for that fund with a new $6 a year surcharge on electric utility consumers. The legislature said no to that idea earlier this month, but special hearings on the issue are planned for September.

Dams (How come they don’t just call them reservoirs?) Exhibit shedding some light on need for dams in county The Enid News & Eagle, Enid, OK, September 07, 2007, By Robert Barron Staff Writer

People attending Garfield County Fair will get to see everything from political candidates to winning photographs and vegetables. A telling exhibit in the fair is a simulated watershed that shows how to prevent an area from flooding. Sheri Nickel, of Garfield County Conservation District, said recent flooding at Kingfisher shows there are an insufficient number of watersheds in the area. A watershed is a retention dam that holds water temporarily and lets it out slowly downstream, she said, so it doesn’t cause flooding and does not wash away valuable topsoil. Garfield County has a number of watersheds, she said, mostly on the east and south parts of the county. They were built after previous floods. “Most of the watersheds are reaching the end of their 50-year life expectancy, and there isn’t money available to rebuild them,” she said. Water always flows downstream, she said, and watersheds are built to contain water. They have a tower that releases the water through a spilling pipe. An emergency spillway will allow the water to overflow the dam, but it still will flow slower than it normally would have, she said. There are watersheds in Garfield County along Black Bear Creek and upper Red Rock Creek. There also are plans to build a watershed on Turkey Creek in the Lahoma and Drummond areas. Garfield County Conservation District maintains 47 dams in Garfield County. One common problem is people wanting to develop in the flood plain below the watershed because it is flat land, Nickel said. However, that area would be considered a flood plain, and conservation officials discourage development. Watersheds work, Nickel said. During heavy rain in June, she said, only one road in the county, near Hunter, was washed out. No bridges were washed out.

(There is something very wrong with this picture. We know why American Rivers, and advocate for removing as many dams as possible from the landscape, is issuing this press release. It’s because the “unsafe dam data” serves their purpose as the No.1 advocate for dam removal. This subject should be the exclusive domain of engineers interested in making dams safe! Carpe Diem!)

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

Unsafe High Hazard Dams Litter the U.S. 1333 Reasons for Action By: American Rivers, Sep 6, 2007 More than ten thousand dams across America could become killers if they fail and 1,333 of those dams are considered unsafe. This Sunday, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) holds their annual conference in Austin, TX. Statistics developed by ASDSO show that an alarming number of dams in the United States pose a threat to human life and many of them are structurally unsafe. Congress will soon consider the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007 (H.R 3224) which would direct $200 million to states for improving the safety of publicly-owned dams, through either repairing or removing problem dams. To date, only 11 members have signed on to co-sponsor the bill introduced by Congressman John Salazar (D-CO). "Dams across the country are living on borrowed time, and many of our communities are at risk," said American Rivers' President Rebecca Wodder. "Closing our eyes to the problem doesn't make it disappear; Congress needs to take action now." The raw numbers facing every American are alarming. According to the ASDSO: - There are more than 87,000 dams currently under state regulation - 10,127 have been classified as high hazard, meaning they pose a serious threat to human life if they should fail - Of those high hazard dams, 1,333 have been identified as structurally deficient or unsafe - The average dam inspector in the US is responsible for more than 400 dams. The ASDSO recommends that each inspector is responsible for fewer than 50 dams. Even more disturbing, there is no accurate count for just how many dams there actually are in the United States. The National Inventory of Dams, maintained by Army Corps of Engineers, tracks about 80 thousand dams. And when state dam inventories are totaled, there are more than 100 thousand. But neither number is particularly reliable, since states have varying definitions of dams. In some states, such as Missouri, a 34-foot high structure isn't even considered a dam. Alabama doesn't even have a dam safety program and doesn't track the number of dams in the state. "The first step in solving a problem is identifying just what the problem is," added Wodder. "By not even knowing how many dams there are, lawmakers are gambling with people's safety." Many Americans live in the shadow of high hazard dams -- some of which are structurally unsafe -- and don't even know it. Most states don't require that people are notified if they live within a dam failure inundation zone, and evacuation plans in the event of a dam failure are rarely well-publicized. The American Society of Civil Engineers grades the nation's infrastructure on a regular basis. Dams have repeatedly received a D. The same group has given the nation's bridges a C. Armed with such statistics, communities all across the country are finding that removing many of these dangerous structures is often the safest, most cost effective way of fixing the problem. Many dams in the America have outlived their usefulness, and about 10 percent have no known owner. Getting rid of these relics not only removes a hazard to the community, but can also provide natural flood protection by allowing the river to flow freely. "This past summer in Minnesota, we all got a horrific wake up call on the state of our nation's infrastructure. We simply cannot afford to press the snooze button. We must get out of bed, and get to work," added Wodder. See all the ASDSO Statistics at: www.americanrivers.org/nationaldamstats County says dams in good shape 9/8/07, The Chronotype, Rice Lake Online Barron County, WI officials said this week that the six dams it owns are in good condition despite a recent investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that found the state has fallen far behind on dam inspections. The newspaper found that 67 high- or significant-hazard dams have not been inspected by the state within the last 10 years as required by state law. Six of those dams are in Barron County, and three of them are owned by the county. The three are the Rice Lake Dam over the Red Cedar River, last inspected when it was rebuilt in 1984; the Haugen Dam on Bear Lake, not inspected since 1989; and the Big Moon Lake Dam, last inspected in 1992. The county also owns the Chetek Dam at Chetek, the Cedar Lake Dam at Mikana and the Little Sand Lake Dam northwest of Cumberland. The county does not own the significant-hazard dams on Beaver Dam Lake, Upper Dam at Barron or New Auburn Area Wildlife Dam. The recent I-35W bridge collapse in the Twin Cities and heavy flooding in southern Minnesota and Wisconsin have focused much attention on the region’s infrastructure. But in a news release Tuesday by the county administrator Duane Hebert’s office, county officials say they have been “working hard to ensure the county-owned dams are safe.” The release states that 4 years ago the county set out on a program of “maintenance and repair of our dams to assure that they can handle anything Mother Nature throws at them.” In 2004 the Rice Lake Dam underwent significant maintenance and repair, and recently the Chetek Dam was renovated. The replacement of the Big Moon Lake Dam is in the planning stages, county officials said.

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

Dams rated as significant- or high-hazard sites are not an indicator of the condition of a given dam, but reflect the potential damage that would result from a failure of other structures, according to the Department of Natural Resources, which regulates and monitors many dams in Wisconsin. Many of the largest dams in the state fall under federal regulation. The newspaper investigation found that the DNR has not inspected 26 high-hazard and 41 significant-hazard dams since August of 1997. Earlier this year the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Wisconsin a grade of C-minus on dams and river infrastructure. Meg Galloway, a state dam safety engineer, told The Journal Sentinel that even the 10-year inspection schedule is not adequate for significant- or high-hazard dams. CA guv resurrects plan to build two new dams Watertech Online, 9/6/07 SACRAMENTO, CA — A federal judge’s August 31 decision ordering cutbacks in water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to other parts of California has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration once again urging lawmakers to reconsider a $5.9 billion plan to build two dams and improve the Delta. California Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman and Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow want lawmakers to immediately reconsider Schwarzenegger’s plan, which was originally proposed last January, according to a September 5 Associated Press story from the San Jose Mercury News. According to a September 5 Fresno Bee story, Schwarzenegger said he is considering calling a special session to address major issues concerning the pending water shortage from the water delivery cutbacks. The plan includes $4 billion for the two new dams — $2 billion of which would be funded by growers and other beneficiaries. Money also would go toward groundwater storage and improvements to the Delta. Snow said at a news conference that new dams would give California more water to be used during the dryer years. (The reservoir is drawn down, so it is NOT a threat to anyone. Why do these media folks have a problem with facts?) Fish Creek Dam deemed high hazard As dam loses water, residents lose crops, money by TREVOR SCHUBERT, Idaho Mountain Express, 9/6/07

Fish Creek Dam near Carey has been named by the Association of Dam Safety Officials as one of four "high-hazard" dams in Idaho. The dam was included on a list of 14 dams in the state considered structurally deficient. The "high-hazard" designation means that if the dam fails, it poses a significant threat to human life. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials is a non-profit organization of state and federal dam safety regulators, dam owners and others interested in dam safety. "Dams across the county are living on borrowed time, and many communities are at risk," said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers, a non-profit organization promoting river conservation and, in some cases, dam removal.

However, the level of threat posed by the Fish Creek Dam, 11 miles north of Carey, is a matter of debate. The 92-foot-high, 1,700-foot-wide dam has been on the radar of the Idaho Department of Water Resources for years now. The concrete structure, built in the 1930s and privately operated by Fish Creek Reservoir Co., was originally sanctioned to hold roughly 12,000 acre-feet of water. It currently holds about half that, and delivery to farms was between 17 percent and 20 percent of normal flow this year. Rights to hold full capacity will not be reinstalled until the Idaho Department of Water Resources deems it safe. Repairs have been ongoing since 2003. The Fish Creek Reservoir Co. is comprised of 35 families who hold water rights for crop irrigation and are in charge of maintaining the dam. The families are looking for a way to raise $6 million for a new dam—a difficult task when crops, and thus income, are presently stifled by the lack of water flowing from the nearly defunct dam. A large section of the dam has been removed while contractors working for Fish Creek Reservoir Co. complete the latest series of required repairs.

The Idaho Department of Water Resources is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring dams are safe. "We have required the owner to open sections of the structure," said Charles D. Galloway, the department's chief of resource protection. "The structure will not store at capacity until all repairs are approved and completed." The department called on Fish Creek Reservoir Co. to install an early-warning system in the area below Fish Creek Dam. The warning is triggered by water flow and is tested twice a week. However, one Carey resident, who did not want to speak on the record, said the dam has undergone several safety-related improvements, none of which seem to appease the Department of Water Resources. The resident contended the department has overreacted, and in the process the families who depend on consistent flow of water have suffered. "We have done everything we can to keep that creek system in business," said state

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

Sen. Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, in a phone interview. "Even if there was a huge event, an earthquake for example, the highway would be in danger, but there's not a huge danger to homes or residents." Galloway said no dam in Idaho that the department considers deficient is permitted to be filled to capacity.

"In Idaho we (Department of Water Resources) have the authority to shut down a dam or limit the pool level behind dams we find to be deficient," he said. "Many states do not grant that authority." Galloway said that if a dam is found to be suspect, the Department of Water Resources will sanction the operation of the dam, though limiting the amount of water that can be stored until repairs or improvements are made. The department monitors the Fish Creek Dam through annual inspections and additional site visits. Most dams in Idaho are on a two-year inspection cycle. On July 30, Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., introduced the Dam Rehabilitation Repair Act to direct $200 million to states to improve safety on publicly owned dams. Idaho spends $250,000 annually on dam safety, Galloway said. The bill would not affect the Fish Creek Dam because it is privately owned.

(The media is in a contest to see who can quote the world’s foremost experts on dams – American Rivers –NOT!) UPDATE — Concern raised about state dams September 07, 2007, Associated Press, The Times West Virginian

CHARLESTON, WV — A group that monitors the health of the nation’s rivers is raising concern about West Virginia’s dams, but the manager of the state’s dam safety program says improvements have been made in recent years to protect downstream residents. The Washington, D.C.-based American Rivers said Thursday that 30 dams in West Virginia are deemed deficient and represent a threat to residents and property downstream. The list was compiled by the Association of State Dam Safety officials using 2006 statistics. “Is that good? No,” said American Rivers spokesman Garrett Russo. “One isn’t good, but there are states like Georgia and Ohio that are in triple digits.” Georgia has 156 and Ohio 170 high hazard dams, according to the association’s list. West Virginia last ranked the number of deficient dams in 2004, said Brian Long, manager of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Dam Safety Program. In 2004, 38 out of the 350 dams under the program’s jurisdiction made the deficient list. None of the dams are coal-related.

Rock Lake Dam is the only one in Marion County on the list. To make the list, a dam has to have one or more problems that could lead it to fail during a heavy rain. Since 2004, the office has worked to remove six from the list and is working on a seventh, Long said. Dams, however, will stay on the list until they are either removed or repaired. Earlier this year, state lawmakers took a step toward making money available for dam repairs by creating a revolving loan fund, but didn’t allocate any money for the program. Congress is considering legislation that would provide $200 million for dam repairs. Russo said West Virginia’s congressional delegation should be encouraged to co-sponsor the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act.

(Could we have a few other State dam safety folks tell American Rivers what they think? The notion of having American Rivers carry my bucket is the ultimate “fox in the chicken coop”. If the engineering profession cannot convince Congress and everyone else that the legislation and money are needed to do the job, then we should think about selling used cars instead.) State inspector says South Dakota dams are safe The Associated Press, The Rapid City Journal, 9/11/07 PIERRE - Despite a warning by an environmental group that dozens of dams in South Dakota could become killers if they fail, the state official in charge of inspecting those dams said none are unsafe. "Not in my mind," said Tim Schaal, an engineer in the state Environment and Natural Resources Department. Schaal, the state dam inspector, is a member of the national Association of State Dam Safety Officials. ASDSO is

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

holding its annual conference this week in Austin, Texas. Schaal, who is in attendance, chairs the Awards Committee of ASDSO. Issuing a statement in advance of the conference, American Rivers, a group dedicated to river preservation, said "an alarming number of dams in the Mount Rushmore State pose a threat to human life and many of them are structurally unsafe." The group, which said dams in many states are not safe, is pressing Congress to pass a measure to give states $200 million to repair or remove dams with serious problems. "Dams across the country are living on borrowed time, and many of our communities are at risk," said American Rivers' President Rebecca Wodder. "This past summer in Minnesota, we all got a horrific wake-up call on the state of our nation's infrastructure," she added. "We cannot afford to press the snooze button. We must get out of bed and get to work." About 2,300 dams in South Dakota are subject to state regulation, Schaal said. "Most of our dams are low-hazard dams," he said. Schaal said 47 state-regulated dams are classified as high hazard, and 11 from that group are further classified as structurally deficient or unsafe. But he said that does not mean the dams are dangerous or people are at risk. "It's more that they need maintenance or repair work and not necessarily that I consider them unsafe," Schaal said. "There are several steps between needing maintenance and what would be structurally deficient and after that unsafe." None of the 11 dams are actually unsafe, he stressed. "The classification of the dam doesn't reflect on the condition of the dam," Schaal said. He agrees with American Rivers, however, that it would be good if funding becomes available to ensure the integrity of dams that need work. "We could use some money to repair these dams," Schaal said. The natural resources engineer said he inspects state-owned dams and those classified as high hazards every three years and reports any deficiencies. (Having adequate signing at or near dams once again comes to our attention. People just don’t understand the power of water.) Lawsuit says officials knew dam's dangers The Roanoke Times, By Jay Conley, 9/11/07 The family of a Rockbridge County teenager who drowned last year after being swept over a low-head dam on the Maury River in Lexington has filed a $3.35 million lawsuit against the city. The suit claims that Lexington officials were negligent in allowing the old dam to remain at Jordan's Point Park without posting any signs warning of its hazards. In April 2006, Charles Volpe, 16, drowned after strong currents swept him and a friend over the dam. Volpe had entered the recreation park and was swimming in a popular area just above the dam. While the surface water appeared to be calm, a strong undercurrent pulled Volpe over the dam, the lawsuit said. Also according to the suit, the hydraulic force created by the dam pinned the boy to the bottom of the river and caused him to drown. Since then, Chuck Volpe, the boy's father, has conducted an impassioned effort to get the dam and other low-head dams in the state removed. Based on Volpe's lobbying efforts, the General Assembly passed a bill in February that urges localities to warn people of the dangers of low-head dams. The lawsuit, filed last week, alleges that city officials were aware of the hazards posed by the dam before the drowning accident and were negligent by not posting warning signs to alert park visitors to the danger. In July 2006, such safety measures were erected, including warning signs on the river and a series of buoys upstream to give kayakers and swimmers something to grab onto before being swept over the dam. Volpe said that city officials had refused to meet with him privately, and that he publicly badgered city officials for months before the measures were put in place. "They were not going to do anything until somebody pushed them," Volpe said. Other Lexington area residents who attended city council meetings last summer also said at the time that the city wasn't doing enough to warn park visitors that the dam was a safety hazard. The lawsuit seeks $3 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. The city will have 21 days from the time it receives the lawsuit to respond. Lexington City Manager Jon Ellestad and members of the Lexington City Council could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit. The stretch of the Maury River upstream from the dam has been a popular swimming area for years. But when the water level of the river rises, strong currents can form beneath the water's surface. There have been three other deaths on the river in the vicinity of the dam in the past four years, but it's unclear if the dam was a factor in those deaths. Lexington police said the river was more than a foot higher than normal and currents were about 12 knots the day that Volpe's son drowned. In an effort to get the dam removed, Volpe organized sediment and engineering studies on the dam last week that were paid in part by private donations. He said that he plans to use the results to persuade the state that the dam needs to be removed. "When the engineer left the water, he said that the dam was in very poor condition, that there were several large holes in the bottom of it, and he really felt like ... it needed to be removed," Volpe said. Last month, the historic Woolen Mills dam on Rivanna River near Charlottesville was torn down at a cost of about $250,000. "That was a big dam that killed one or two people a year," said Volpe, who has established a scholarship

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

fund in his son's name and has been following efforts in other localities to get rid of low-head dams. "There's an interesting thing happening all over the country, kind of quietly," he said. "Every municipality I contact that has these dams, they're just taking them out." Del. Ben Cline, R-Rockbridge County, sponsored House Bill 2695 that passed in February. It states that localities that post warning signs are relieved of major liability if someone is injured or killed near a low-head dam in their jurisdiction. (And, finally we can see clearly why American Rivers has no business in the dam safety or security business. We need to see their involvement for what it is – a smoke screen for their dam removal crusade. We need to get them off the front page and organizations like USSD and ASDSO on the front page. Dam security is a National security priority in case someone has forgotten.) Dam Safety Information Classified Amid Security Concerns Sep 11, 2007, KXAN.com, AUSTIN, TX On the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, groups in Austin are taking a close look at dam security in the state. Numbers show Texas has more than 100 high-hazard dams that are considered structurally deficient. Because of Homeland Security concerns, officials from the Lower Colorado River Authority said Mansfield Dam is structurally safe, and officials have tightened safety measures since 9/11. Finding dams in the state that don't meet safety standards can prove to be extremely tough. "It's a small amount of information that we have to safeguard," said Eric Halpin of the Army Corps of Engineers. Information about dam safety could save your life or could someday lead someone to kill you. "If you gave an indication of how much risk is at every dam, and you're one of the very few folks that want to do someone harm, they're able to go in and sort that information," Halpin said. Laura Wildman of the American Rivers Association said she thinks Texans should know more than government officials are telling them. "Keeping that information from the public, completely like when you buy a home and not having any idea, makes the public very unaware, so they don't know how to evacuate," Wildman said. A recent inventory from the association reported more than 3,000 U.S. dams are structurally deficient. More than 1,300 of those dams were deemed to be high hazard, which could kill people if breached. The National Inventory of Dams Web site allows residents to see what dams are in their area, but users can't click to find ones that are structurally deficient or high hazard. "We have complete release to those that need the information: emergency management agencies, state and local governments, folks that use it to develop their own emergency action plans," Halpin said. "When you buy a home, you really don't have a way of knowing, you don't even know to ask the question, because a lot of these dams aren't visible from your house," Wildman said. "It's a balance of sorts between safeguarding the information and getting that information to the public," Halpin said. The information has been held back since 9/11, leading dam safety officials to disagree. Texans can call a dam's owner for information. On Tuesday the LCRA said it would try to answer questions about the safety of its dams in Central Texas. The state of California allows homebuyers or residents to request reports about dam safety from a private company with security clearances.

Hydro (The takeover of a privately owned project hasn’t happened yet, but there’s always a first time. All the Company has to do is say “me too” to the City’s proposal and the City loses.) NPU Trying To Take Over Hydro Plant Utility's Generation Capacity Could Double By Claire Bessette, 9/7/2007, The Day Publishing Co.

Norwich, CT — Norwich Public Utilities has started a process akin to a hostile takeover to try to take control of a dam through the federal licensing process. NPU General Manager John Bilda announced Thursday the utility has submitted a preliminary application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take over the operating license for the Scotland Dam, located on the Shetucket River at the Windham-Scotland border. The license is up for renewal in 2012, and NPU hopes to prove to regulators that it could operate the dam at

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

higher capacity, better efficiency and with more sound environmental practices. Under federal law, regulators could award the license to NPU and force the current owner, FirstLight Hydro Generation Co., to sell the dam and hydropower plant to the Norwich utility for the “net investment value,” estimated at $1.64 million, Bilda said. Bilda said NPU soon plans to file similar license applications for the Taftville Dam on the Shetucket River behind the Ponemah Mill and for the Tunnel Dam on the Quinebaug River at the Lisbon-Preston border. Those two hydropower plants, also owned by First Light, predate federal licensing requirements, but NPU could apply for new licenses for those dams under the same process. If the entire plan is successful, adding these three dams along with NPU's proposed upgrades to its current hydropower generation systems could double the utility's power generation ability, Bilda said. NPU now generates 8 percent of its power needs through its two hydropower operations at the Greeneville and Occum dams. The utility purchases the rest of its power wholesale. Adding the dams would bring NPU's total capacity to 16 percent, saving money for NPU ratepayers.

Bilda estimated the entire project would show a return on financial investment within five years, and would not require raising electric rates in the meantime to finance the purchases. Bilda declined to discuss financial details as they could become part of future negotiations with FirstLight. Adding the Scotland Dam alone would increase NPU's generation capacity by 3 percent, Bilda said. NPU has been interested in buying the dams for the past two years. The Taftville dam is between the two hydropower dams NPU already owns. The Tunnel Dam is on the Quinebaug, a short distance upstream from where that river joins the Shetucket. The Scotland Dam is “7 river miles” upstream of the Occum Dam, according to NPU's application to regulators. NPU had hoped to purchase the dams last year at auction from Northeast Generation Services Co., a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities. But NPU was not allowed to bid at the July 2006 auction that included all 15 hydropower plants the company had owned in Connecticut and Massachusetts, because the Norwich utility wanted only the three small units in eastern Connecticut. The entire package of dams was sold to Energy Capital Partners of Short Hills, N.J., for $1.34 billion. Energy Capital then created FirstLight Hydro Generation Co. to operate the dams. The Federal Power Act allows for competing applications to be filed in relicensing cases, regulatory commission spokeswoman Celeste Miller said Thursday. In the case of the Scotland Dam, FirstLight has filed a notice of intent to seek another license when the license expires in August 2012, Miller said. NPU filed a notice of intent to file a competing application for the Scotland project, she said. The final applications are due in August 2010. “We typically do not get a lot of competing applications for relicenses,” Miller said.

Bilda said he hopes to avoid the competing license applications by negotiating with FirstLight to purchase the dams. But the company rejected NPU's first effort to buy the dams in January. “The discussions were very, very limited,” Bilda said. “FirstLight told us they had no interest in selling any of the assets. ... My sense is we were not taken seriously, and we are very, very serious.” James Ginnetti, vice-president of external affairs for FirstLight, said the company had no comment Thursday on NPU's announced plans or application.

Bilda believes NPU has a compelling argument to present to regulators for all three dams. NPU is embarking on a broader plan to add electricity-generating capacity. Bilda said the utility is looking into a co-generation deal with a large company that produces a lot of steam. NPU also hopes to add generation capacity during peak hours to cut power purchase costs and ease demand burdens. The dams would be part of that effort. Purchasing the three dams on the Shetucket and Quinebaug also would give NPU control of miles of local waterways to coordinate hydropower production on all five dams, Bilda said, improving generation efficiency and capacity. NPU's improvements to Scotland Dam would raise its electric generating capacity from 2 megawatts to 2.4 megawatts. In its Notification of Intent to regulators, NPU officials said they plan to convert the Scotland Dam from a “store and release” system during the summer to a “run of the river” system throughout the year. The change would eliminate the need for a large millpond upstream of the dam and would improve the river's ecosystem as well. NPU also would add a fish ladder to Scotland Dam. “There will be coordinated operations with the other downstream NPU-owned hydroelectric facilities for generation, trash removal, safety, fish protection, recreational access and training,” the letter stated. “Existing structural deficiencies in the (Scotland) Dam will be corrected and full-river fish protection will be added and coordinated both upstream and downstream of the project.”

Dam Construction Going Forward By Colin Hickey, Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel, 9/8/07

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

WATERVILLE, ME -- The Union Gas hydroelectric dam on Messalonskee Stream could be generating electricity again by year's end after being off line for more than six years. "We are about 50 percent complete," Synergics Inc. President Wayne L. Rogers said. "We think by the end of November we will be back and finished." Rogers said he expects his company, which is based in Annapolis, Md., will invest about $1.7 million in the project, which generates 1.6 megawatts, or enough energy to power about 1,000 homes. The rebuilding of Union Gas Dam became necessary after 30 feet of the dam, constructed in 1924, collapsed on June 23, 2001.

FPL Energy owned the dam at the time, but subsequently sold it to Synergics. Synergics also bought two other hydroelectric dams on Messalonskee Stream from FPL Energy, according to Rogers. Douglas H. Watts, Friends of Kennebec Salmon director, opposed the plan to rebuild the dam, first through an appeal to the Board of Environmental Protection and then through a legal challenge at Kennebec County Superior Court. Both bids proved unsuccessful. The Board of Environmental Protection in November 2005 saw no legal basis to reverse earlier decisions by the Department of Environmental Protection that made possible the plan to rebuild the dam. Watts said his subsequent challenge in Superior Court was thrown out on a legal technicality. He said he made the mistake of filing the appeal himself on behalf of Friends of Kennebec Salmon. "Under Maine law," he said, "you can't file a suit on behalf of a group unless you are an attorney." Watts, though, said he is not done.

He said he has filed an appeal to the Board of Environmental Protection seeking to modify the dam rebuilding. Watts expects the board will consider the appeal later this month or in early October. "I'm not saying don't have a hydro here," Watts said. "I'm just raising the height issue." Watts said his hope is to reduce the size of the dam so it is no higher than the natural 12 to 13 feet height of the natural fall. His concern all along, he said, is the ability of native fish to swim past the dam. Rogers said he understands the desire to revert some waterways back to free-flowing rivers. But Messalonskee Stream, he said, has been used for hydroelectric power for more than 100 years. Rebuilding Union Gas dam simply is in keeping with that tradition, he said. At the same time, the project is the latest example of Synergics commitment to renewable energy, he said. "When it comes back online, we will sell energy from the plant," Rogers said, "and we hope to sell it for the next 80 years. It is a long-term investment obviously." Rogers added that the project will restore about a-mile-and-a-half impoundment. He said once the dam is complete, people will be able to fish and put in boats by the hydroelectric facility.

Environment Feds reel out third salmon plan Northwest - U.S. officials hope their latest proposal to protect fish, yet keep dams, pleases a skeptical judge September 07, 2007, MICHAEL MILSTEIN, The Oregonian

The federal government took its last, best shot Thursday at convincing a tough Portland judge that it can keep churning hydroelectric power out of Columbia River dams while also undoing the damage the dams wreak on salmon. The judge, U.S. District Judge James Redden, threw out the last two federal blueprints for operating the dams because they did not fulfill federal obligations to protect salmon. He has said he will not tolerate another faulty proposal and warned the government of "very serious" consequences if it gives him one. He already voiced skepticism of the government's newest attempt, released in draft form in May and in final form Thursday. It now goes to federal fish biologists, who must decide by Oct. 31 whether it jeopardizes salmon. Hanging in the balance are the region's hydroelectric dams, a valuable source of cheap power; and salmon, a vital resource to tribes and fishermen. The Bush administration has refused to consider tearing out dams to help salmon, but courts have repeatedly belittled the plans the administration had come up with instead. Federal officials insisted Thursday their newest plan is different, with nearly $1 billion in extra funding over the next 10 years for equipment to deflect fish away from deadly dam turbines and restore salmon habitat in tributaries and the estuary near Astoria. Money will also go to control predators that gobble salmon and fine-tune hatchery programs.

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"We spent thousands of hours trying to understand and implement the judge's orders," said Steve Wright, administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, which markets power from the dams. His statement came in audio interviews federal officials posted on their Web site promoting the new federal plan for dams. He praised new collaborative efforts among tribes, states and federal agencies to forge a new path for salmon. But tribes and fish advocates, including some who originally took the government to court, said the government still is not offering much new help for salmon and still overlooks the serious toll dams take on the fish. "The federal agencies can and have to do better than this," said Charles Hudson of the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, which represents the Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes. "Our first reaction is that it's filled with denial, contradictions and half-truths." He said, for instance, that the new blueprint proposes making up for declining sockeye salmon by producing more fish in hatcheries, but without altering dam operations contributing to the declines. He said salmon are suffering as the government spends increasing time and resources on ineffective proposals.

On the other hand, Northwest River Partners, an organization of farmers, electric utilities and others, praised the government's more thorough analysis of what each salmon species needs to recover. But the group said federal agencies need to better address the impacts of fish hatcheries and fishing on troubled species. Raising salmon in hatcheries and releasing them for fishermen to catch conflicts with hopes for salmon recovery, because fishermen also catch the wild salmon species that are in trouble, said Terry Flores, the group's executive director. Some groups were looking for more aggressive changes in the way dams are operated, such as drawing down reservoir levels in spring and early summer so fish do not have to migrate through deep pools on their way to the ocean. But they did not find them. "Show me where the major changes are, because I don't think they can point to them," said Nicole Cordan of Save Our Wild Salmon in Portland. "It's a beautiful wrapping job, but there's nothing inside." Lingering in the background is a provision that Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho added to a federal budget bill telling federal agencies to carry out their earlier plan for dams on the Snake River that Redden ruled illegal. Conservation groups fear the provision may reflect an attempt by Congress to overrule Redden. With Craig intending to resign, they hope other lawmakers may remove it. (No one that advocates dam removal will ever like any plan unless it is dam removal – do I repeat myself?) Another flawed fish plan: Latest version fails to consider major dam changes A Register-Guard Editorial, Eugene, OR, September 8, 2007

Despite a clarion warning from U.S. District Judge James Redden, the Bush administration has failed to make major improvements in its strategy for boosting imperiled Columbia River salmon runs. That could mean serious consequences from a no-nonsense judge who has thrown out the last two federal plans for protecting salmon because they did not satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act. As recently as June, Redden directed federal agencies to fix glaring deficiencies in a draft version of the latest plan. "I'm going to be very picky because I want a bi-op that works," the judge said. "This is a very, very, very important document." Based on the final plan submitted Thursday, it doesn't look as if the federal agencies responsible for crafting the strategy were listening. While the plan has yet to be formally assessed by federal fish biologists, it appears dismayingly similar to the previous plans that have been ruled illegal. The new version includes a billion dollars in extra funding over the next decade for equipment to protect fish from the turbines that chew up young salmon, habitat restoration, hatchery productions and other measures. But it fails to consider any major changes to the region's hydroelectric dams, in particular the four dams on the Lower Snake River that represent the greatest threat to the survival of salmon runs in the Columbia basin.

Four years ago, the administration proposed a salmon strategy based on the ridiculous premise that dams are permanent fixtures of the ecosystem and therefore not subject to removal to help endangered salmon. Judge Redden ruled that plan illegal, in part because it refused to consider major changes to the dams. Earlier this year, that ruling was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. While the wording has changed in the latest plan, the administration has done nothing to change the underlying premise that the dams are here to stay, regardless of their debilitating effects on migrating salmon. Nor does the new plan, referred to by federal agencies as a biological opinion or "bi-op," provide the increases sought by the state of Oregon and others in the amount of water spilled over the dams to help juvenile fish migrating downstream. It's an approach that seems unlikely to pass muster with a judge who has already warned that another faulty proposal will result in "very serious" consequences that could include breaching the Lower Snake dams, if necessary, to ensure the survival of Columbia River salmon.

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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.

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i 9/21/2007

Dams (Although this article has a later date that some of those that follow, I thought it should be the lead article this time. The following is my letter to the author: “It is professionally and intellectually irresponsible for American Rivers to imply that 10,000 dams "have the potential to become killers". You do not have the expertise and are not qualified to make such judgments. You're statement is corrupt on its face. The high hazard classification of dams has absolutely nothing to do with their condition or safety. In fact, dams that have a high hazard rating are required to meet very stringent standards so that they can withstand all credible extreme events such as floods and earthquakes. These dams are NOT unsafe. And, people living downstream are not in danger of inundation from a failure flood wave. You're misrepresentation of dams with a high hazard classification is a disservice to citizens and an affront to the people responsible for ensuring the safety of dams. It is clear that your only agenda is dam removal and that you will use any means to achieve your goals, even to the point of misrepresenting the facts about dams.”) Deficient dams litter the U.S. Posted on September 17, 2007 Serena McClain, Associate Director of River Renewal River Renewal, Restoring Rivers

Following the latest anniversary of 9/11, Americans were encouraged to not forget the fact that the threat of another terrorist act still looms over us and that the threats against the U.S. from countries such as Iraq and Iran must be quelled. However, there are very real threats within the United States that also need the attention of Congress. More than 10,000 dams in the U.S. have the potential to become killers (American Rivers press release) if they fail and more than 1,300 of those have already been deemed unsafe. Since 9/11, the amount of information available to the public about the location of unsafe dams has been severely limited due to security concerns. However, the public has a right to know when they live or buy property in a dam failure inundation zone or when dams near them are not being properly maintained or are in a state of

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: “There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old

things we don't know.” - - Ambrose Bierce

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disrepair. Currently the unsuspecting public can easily buy a home directly in the path of a dam breach flood wave with no way of knowing because disclosure is not required on realty disclosure forms in most states, nor do dam safety laws ensure full disclosure. Are the dam inspectors to blame? No! Currently, the average dam inspector is responsible for more than 400 dams, 350 more than recommended by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Dams across the country are living on borrowed time, and yet state dam safety offices remain largely understaffed and under-funded. The American Society of Civil Engineers grades the nation’s infrastructure on a regular basis. Dams have repeatedly received a D. Watch Texas news coverage. Armed with such statistics, communities all across the country are finding that removing many of these dangerous structures is often the safest, most cost effective way of fixing the problem. Many dams in the America have outlived their usefulness, and about 10 percent have no known owner. Getting rid of these relics not only removes a hazard to the community, but can also provide natural flood protection by allowing the river to flow freely. Congress will soon consider the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007 (H.R 3224) which would direct $200 million to states for improving the safety of publicly-owned dams, through either repairing or removing problem dams. To date, only 14 members have signed on to co-sponsor the bill introduced by Congressman John Salazar (D-CO). Closing our eyes to the problem doesn’t make it disappear; Congress needs to take action now.

Canyon Lake to close during draining Mike Branom, East Valley Tribune, September 14, 2007, Phoenix, AZ Canyon Lake soon will be drained of water and closed to boaters so Salt River Project can perform scheduled maintenance at Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa dams. The drawdown begins Sept. 29 and is expected to last until late January. Last fall, Apache Lake was lowered about 50 feet during a similar drawdown for maintenance work at Horse Mesa Dam. According to SRP, Canyon Lake will be gradually lowered to about 50 feet below the normal levels. Currently, the water level is at an elevation of 1,658 feet, and the reservoir formed by Mormon Flat Dam is 96 percent full. During this time, the U.S. Forest Service will close the lake to all recreational boating and motorized vehicles. Also closed will be the Canyon Lake Marina Campground. The Dolly Steamboat, a popular cruise excursion, will suspend operations from October until the lake is refilled. But, the Lakeside Restaurant and Cantina will remain open, as will the Acacia Picnic Area. Art Wirtz, Mesa District ranger for the Tonto National Forest, said officials will keep the lake open to foot access as long as possible, as anglers will find good fishing in the smaller lake. Following the drawdown, structures and equipment, including the dams’ hydroelectric facilities, will be examined for wear and repaired if necessary. In addition, SRP will perform channel-improvement work downstream of Horse Mesa Dam to maintain performance of the hydroelectric pump and turbine, and to improve barge access to the power plant. Drawing down the lake will prevent any water from being spilled as a result of dam maintenance and will limit the loss of hydroelectric generation during times of lower energy demand. Also, Wirtz said four sunken boats may be raised from the lake floor. Finally, the Arizona Game and Fish Department plans to install fish habitats in Canyon Lake similar to a project completed during Apache Lake’s drawdown. The lakes have smooth bottoms that are not conducive to the breeding of fish, and these habitats are man-made structures laced with places to hide. At the completion of the drawdown project, a grand re-opening event has been scheduled for Feb. 9 by the Canyon Lake Marina, the Lakeside Restaurant and Cantina and the Dolly Steamboat. Mont.: Dams Rent Dispute Heads to Trial Montana's Claim for Rent on Land Under Dams Heads to Trial September 18, 2007, CNN.Money.com

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - The state's claim that private utilities should be paying rent for use of the riverbeds where hydroelectric dams sit has been strengthened by a series of orders from a judge in advance of next month's trial, the attorney general said Monday. Attorney General Mike McGrath also said settlement negotiations with PPL Montana and Avista Corp. have so far failed. The state earlier reached a settlement with PacifiCorp, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Corp. PPL Montana argues that the dams are governed by the federal licenses it holds for the projects, and are not subject to the state claims. McGrath on Monday told the state Land Board that the lawsuit is going well. McGrath is one of five members of the board, which oversees management of Montana's 5.2 million acres of school trust land. He said District Judge Thomas Honzel in Helena already has decided that the land under the dams is state school trust land and has rejected a claim from the companies that the rivers should not be considered navigable, which can determine ownership. The state, however, did lose on its claim that the land submerged by reservoirs should also be considered school trust land. Honzel sided with PPL on that point. McGrath said he believes the only issue left to be decided at a trial is the formula used to determine

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the amount of rent the companies should pay, and how far back the companies should be charged for rent. State lawyers meeting with PPL and Avista earlier this month were unable to reach a settlement, McGrath said. A settlement still could come, though. PPL spokesman David Hoffman said the judge's orders, which are subject to review, do not resolve what could be a very long legal battle. Hoffman said others who use streambeds, such as irrigators and people with docks, should be worried about the case because he speculated they might also be forced to pay rent. "How can you single out only one user?" he said.

PacifiCorp, which owned just one dam involved in the lawsuit, agreed in June to pay about $50,000 a year for the land under the Bigfork Dam on the Swan River. The money goes into an account used to support state schools. McGrath said Monday he couldn't comment on how much the state is seeking from the other two companies. The dispute began in October 2003 when two Gallatin County residents, later joined by the state and Great Falls elementary and high school districts, sued the utilities for compensation for use of the riverbeds for their dams. They argued that the state riverbeds are part of the school trust lands, but the utilities hadn't paid to use them. The courts later said only the state had standing in the case, and the others were removed from the lawsuit.

(IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN GET AMERICAN RIVERS OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION? HAS IT OCCURRED TO ANYONE THAT THEY ARE NOT DAM SAFETY EXPERTS?) PROBLEM DAMS ON THE RISE IN US Pennsylvania has seen a fivefold increase in deficient dams since 1999. By Mark Clayton, The Christian Science Monitor, September 13, 2007

The Kaloko dam in Hawaii stood 116 years – until last year when it collapsed after heavy rains, killing seven. Potential disaster was averted in April in Hollis, N.H., when a dozen families were evacuated and engineers made a controlled breach of an old pond dam to keep it from failing . Such incidents are warning signs that many of the nation's more than 87,000 dams are in need of repair. Last month's high-profile collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis focused America's attention on bridge problems. The nation's dams are worse off. In 2005, the last time the American Society of Civil Engineers rated America's infrastructure, bridges received a "C" grade; dams earned a "D." Even that rating may be generous, a Monitor analysis of dam-inspection data shows. Since 1999, the number of "high-hazard" dams rated "deficient" has more than doubled, according to data from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) in Lexington, Ky. High-hazard dams are those whose failures could cause fatalities. In 1999, the US had 546 such dams rated deficient. By last year, it had 1,333. A second category of "significant-hazard" dams (so-called because they threaten substantial property loss) saw a rise from 339 to 949 deficient dams over the same period. In all, 2.6 percent of the nation's dams are deficient, according to the ASDSO. "The growth of deficient high-hazard dams in this country is a major issue," says Brad Iarossi, legislative chairman for the ASDSO, which represents dam-safety inspectors in all states. "The trend is rising at such a steep slope, much faster than states can do [dam] rehabilitation. Without question the overall trends are clear." Several factors are behind the rise. Old dams continue to deteriorate or may fail suddenly because of inadequate spillways and trees growing on dams. Many states don't have enough dam engineers to keep up proper maintenance, causing the repair backlog to grow. And as more homes and businesses are built closer to dams, the hazards increase, a phenomenon dam-safety experts call "hazard creep." Some experts claim that some of the rise is due to better reporting, an encouraging sign. "To be frank, there's been in the past a reluctance in some quarters to identify too many

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dams as deficient," says Mark Ogden, administrator for dam-safety engineering at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in Columbus. "But there's also been a strong effort by our association to increase awareness of this problem. We all are realizing we need an honest assessment." Some states are seeing a faster rise in deficient dams than others. Pennsylvania leads the pack with 215 deficient high-hazard dams, 172 more than in 1999. Not far behind is Ohio, with an increase of 158 . Other states, such as Colorado, New Jersey, and California have seen declines. Some of that is due to better funding, experts say. All three have boosted dam budgets by a third or more since 1999. Those increases are in contrast to federal dam spending. The nation's dam-safety program, which helps fund safety inspector and engineer training, has not been fully funded in at least five years, Mr. Iarossi says. Actual funding is about $5.9 million, well below the $9 million budgeted, he says. As a result, the number of full-time inspectors has not increased since 1997 (excluding Florida, which claims to have hired 45 inspectors). That leaves each inspector responsible for about 195 dams on average; the ASDSO recommends no more than 50. "We have seen increased awareness over the importance of adequate funding for state inspectors, but these offices are still understaffed," says Stephanie Lindloff, of American Rivers, an environmental group. After safety issues, consider fisheries By FRANK FISS, The Tennessean, 09/13/07 Below Center Hill Dam, a scenic cascade of water leaks into the Caney Fork River. To an engineer, this is probably a frustrating sight, but to trout anglers and paddlers the leak has been a blessing. When the hydropower turbines are operating, there is plenty of water — too much, at times. But when the turbines stop, the river can get quite low. For decades, this leak has provided the only source of cold water between periods of hydropower generation. It makes you wonder how low the river would get if the leak was fixed. I think we all expect the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take the proper steps to maintain a safe structure. As a fisheries manager, I am optimistic that these steps will include projects to improve water quality and provide optimum flows. Our trout fishery depends on flowing, cold, oxygenated water. Water quality is crucial The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and trout anglers have a lot at stake. TWRA, in cooperation with Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, annually stocks about 160,000 rainbow and brown trout into the Caney Fork River. Each year, about 25,000 anglers visit the river — a fishery valued at $2 million. Talk of major dam repairs is coming at a time when most anglers have been enjoying good fishing. With improvements, we could expect even better fishing in the years ahead. However, neglecting water-quality issues would be disastrous. I am optimistic. In recent years, the Corps has taken steps to improve water quantity and quality in the Caney Fork River. The most effective is the seasonal operation of sluice gates to improve oxygen levels each fall. The Corps also schedules hydropower on intervals that will ensure some flow from turbines, throughout the day, year-round. These are welcome improvements, but they are not the best solutions. Even with sluice gates delivering highly oxygenated water, it still takes about four miles for that water to mix with turbine releases and meet state minimum standards for oxygen. Low oxygen reduces trout growth and survival, and makes for bad fishing. I hope the Corps will be funded to do some relatively small projects to improve water quality along with the massive project of fixing the leaks. First, we need some sort of valve or small turbine to replace the leaking water and provide optimal flows to the river. The Corps' research has determined that the optimum low flow should be about double the existing leakage. TWRA supports this target, which would increase trout habitat and still allow fishermen to wade safely. Second, they need to get the oxygen levels in the turbine discharge to meet state minimum standards. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which is faced with similar oxygen deficits, routinely increases oxygen levels using a variety of mechanisms. The TWRA and anglers have been waiting a long time for the right fixes on the Caney Fork River. This seems like a good opportunity. (Wow! It’s refreshing to hear something out of the NW other than dam removal frenzy. Someone recognizes that there are benefits from dams.) The Northwest's own great lakes In many ways, they're superior to Superior and the others By Sharon Wootton, Special to The Herald Mount Rainier, the ocean coast and white-water rivers typically come to mind when we think of the Northwest. But we're also blessed with great lakes that offer prime recreation opportunities. We have bragging rights to the deepest lake in the United States, Crater, seventh in the world, and the third-deepest in the United States, Chelan, ninth in the world. Here is a look at several of the Northwest's Great Lakes.

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Washington Chelan: The showpiece of Central Washington, the 55-mile, nearly 1,500-foot-deep lake runs from the North Cascades east into Central Washington. The Chelan Glacier and the continental ice sheet pushed and pulled in this valley, creating a broad lower section and a narrow upper lake nearly surrounded by sky-piercing spires. From Chelan, roads go only about halfway up the lake, making the tiny town of Stehekin at the west end accessible only by float plane, private boat, foot or a trip aboard Lady of the Lake II or Lady Express. Stehekin is often used as the take-off point for hikers heading into the mountains. A battle rages over whether to repair or permanently shut down the 12-mile Stehekin Valley Road, washed out by flooding in 2003. September and October are great months to explore this east-of-the-mountains lake because while the temperatures are cooler, the sun still shines. Roosevelt: The 130-mile-long lake in the northeast corner of the state was created

by the Grand Coulee Dam across the Columbia River in 1941, yielding the typical water-related recreational opportunities. One of the largest human-made lakes in the United States is known for houseboat rentals. All 650 miles of shoreline in this national recreation area are open to the public. Because there are no large towns nearby, stargazing from the top of a houseboat or along the shoreline is a treat. Ross Lake: This spectacular reservoir in the North Cascades has ramps for easy access for boaters. Power or paddle your way to lakeside campsites complete with vault toilets, accessible only from the water. Skagit Tours by Seattle City Light run through September and showcase three hydroelectric projects; Diablo Lake Adventure includes a scenic bus trip up the gorge and a boat trip to Ross Powerhouse, including a run through the narrow canyons. Lake Crescent: The Olympic Peninsula lake-mountain combo is a winner, with dozens of miles of trails spreading away from the lake into the mountains. While there are beaches and boats, it's the Spruce Railroad Trail along the north side of the lake that draws many visitors. It follows a World War I rail bed and has great lake views from Harrington Point and Devils Point, the latter with a view of Mount Storm King. The most scenic part of this easy hike begins in about a mile, including an arched bridge across the Devil's Bathtub, about 1.5 miles from the trailhead. The 9-mile-long lake is the third-largest natural lake in Washington. Oregon Crater Lake: The country's deepest lake sits in the collapsed caldera of the ancient Mount Mazama volcano. The 6-mile-wide basin holds some of the purest water in North America; its average clarity depth is about 95 feet. In 1886, a U.S. Geological Survey crew conducted soundings with pipe and piano wire,

recording the deepest point at 1,996 feet. That's only 64 feet off a state-of-the-art multi-beam side-scan sonar that recorded the current official depth of 1,932 feet in 1959. Last year the Crater Lake Science and Learning Center opened in Crater Lake National Park to offer education and research opportunities. Learn about geology, legends and research during bus tours that circle the lake on the 33-mile Rim Drive. There are short strolls (Sun Notch Viewpoint) and strenuous hikes (Garfield Peak) leading to panoramic views of the lake. The only legal access to the lake is on the Cleetwood Cove Trail, a 1-mile, 700-foot descent. It's the same trail that must be hiked to take a boat tour of the lake. Think about the return before you start. Upper Klamath Lake: The largest freshwater body, about 30 miles by eight miles, is known for fishing and paddling opportunities as well as

blue-green algae blooms of up to 60 feet in its relatively shallow waters. Although the blooms are an annual nuisances, the algae is harvested by local companies as a food supplement. Take a tour on the paddle-wheeler Klamath Belle or head to the north edge of the southern Oregon lake to explore Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, which includes a marked 9.5-mile canoe trail. Idaho Coeur d'Alene Lake: According to American Indian legends, there were monsters in the 30-mile-long glacially formed lake. The lake, a mere 183 feet deep, is home to Chinook salmon that weigh up to 42 pounds. Several drowned Model-T's share the lake with fish. Folks in the early 1900s would drive across the lake on the ice during the winter to save time and gas. Occasionally the ice wasn't thick enough. Dozens of trails near the lake include the in-town hike around Tubbs Hill, with views of the lake from Caribou Ridge. The 24-mile North Idaho Centennial Trail runs from Higgens Point on the lake to the Idaho-Washington state line. Watch for migrating bald eagles in the late fall and early winter from Higgens Point, or see eagles feeding on kokanee in Wolf Lodge Bay. The downside to the lake is that heavy metal contaminates exist because of a history of mining and ore-processing upriver, leaving some experts to suggest a shower after swimming. Pend Orielle: The state's largest at 43 miles long, six miles wide, and deepest at 1,158 feet, fifth deepest in

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the United States, is blessed with many access points, activities and wildlife. About 60 mountain goats live on Bernard Peak near Echo Bay on the south end of the lake. Boaters can get the best views but there are viewing scopes at Farragut State Park's Sunrise day area. A 1.5-mile Forest Service trail takes hikers to Maiden Rock, the huge granite formation on the west side of the lake, previously accessible only by boat. Bring your boat, rent one or board an excursion boat to roam the lake. Letter to the Editor, Concord Monitor, 9/16/07 State is gouging dam owners Al Maclellan, Pittsfield One of the better things about living in New Hampshire is the many ponds that serve private communities as a source of beauty and recreation. This is being threatened by the outrageous fee increases for dam permits and annual fees the state Department of Environmental Services just put in effect. The annual fee was raised 150 percent and construction permits 300 percent. Many privately owned dams will be threatened by these increases. Privately owned dams like ours are not part of a luxury resort but an in-town community around a small pond with two dams. Many of our members are senior citizens and most of our members are of modest means. Escalating taxes and dam insurance costs have already proved a burden to many of us. These increases can cause us to lose a 100-year-old pond that has served Pittsfield as a resource for all that time. It is time for the state to start working to solve the problem of dams in New Hampshire and stop gouging a captive audience with outrageous fees.

Hydro ******************************************************************************* (Here’s an interesting history of Hydropower in BC, Canada. It’s worth viewing!) http://virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Hydro/en/index.php (Hold done the Ctrl key and click on the link) ********************************************************************** Dam water flowing too quickly PAM DAWKINS, Connecticut Post, 9/13/07 The Housatonic River is not meeting its full power-production potential because, according to the owner of the lowest dam, the water is coming too fast out of the river's second-to-last hydroelectric plant. McCallum Enterprises owner Joseph W. Szarmach Jr.'s lawyer is working on a formal complaint about the river flow rate from the Stevenson Hydroelectric Project, which will probably be filed with the Department of Public Utility Control next week. Szarmach said Thursday the owner of the Stevenson project — Hartford-based FirstLight Power Resources — is ignoring a 15-year-old agreement that limits the flow of water to the level the two generating units at McCallum's Derby Dam could use to create power. "Now we've got all this water that's just going flat over the dam," because his generators can't use it all, he said. Szarmach estimates his hydroelectric plant — and the power grid — is losing out on about 2.4 megawatts of electricity, which his lawyer, Greg Pepe of Neubert, Pepe & Monteith in New Haven, says will cost the company $150,000 to $200,000 in annual power sales if it continues. According to Independent System Operator-New England, which operates the power grid, hydroelectric plants using river water generated 3.2 percent of the region's power in 2006, up from 2.1 percent in 2000. In 2006, nuclear plants generated 28 percent of the region's power. This is up from 27.5 percent in 2000, but the increase wasn't enough for nuclear power to retain the top generation spot, which now belongs to natural-gas fired plants. In 2006, those plants generated 29.8 percent of the region's power, compared to 12.9 percent in 2000. FirstLight owns five hydroelectric plants on the Housatonic River, including sites in Falls Village, Rocky River in New Milford, Shepaug in Southbury and Stevenson in Monroe. DPUC spokeswoman Beryl Lyons said the department licenses these plants but doesn't otherwise get involved. ISO-NE oversees the wholesale electricity market and provides dispatch instructions to generators, spokeswoman Erin O'Brien said, but it's the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that regulates the

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plants. A FERC spokeswoman did not have information available to comment on the plants Thursday afternoon. According to McCallum's information, FirstLight purchased the Stevenson in 2006 from Northeast Generating Co., which bought the property from Northeast Utilities' Connecticut Light & Power Co. division after Connecticut legislators deregulated the power generating business in 2000. This meant utilities had to sell off their generating facilities. Pepe said Thursday the water flow obligation dates back to CL&P's ownership, and McCallum is asking for an arbitration, to determine if that agreement passed to FirstLight with the property purchase. When Szarmach's grandfather built the Derby Dam in 1987, he became a power wholesaler to CL&P. But because of federal rules designed to lessen the country's dependence on foreign oil, CL&P had to agree to pay the Derby Dam owner more than the market price for power, Pepe said, so the company could build the plant. So, according to Pepe, CL&P asked the DPUC for permission to pass through that added cost — the "front-end-loaded contract" included price breaks later on — to consumers. The DPUC agreed, Pepe said, but with the caveat CL&P regulate the water flow in a way that maximized Derby Dam's ability to make power. But CL&P spokesman Mitch Gross said the company's part in this ended when it sold the property. "CL&P and its parent company, Northeast Utilities, have no current connection whatsoever. It is our expectation that the current owner would have responsibility." A spokesman for FirstLight did not return a call for comment. Szarmach said FirstLight, which is not locked into a contract to sell its power, is controlling the flow of water to take advantage of higher daily prices — making the most power for the peak demand times. "The financial incentive is there for them," he said, while McCallum Enterprises still has more than 15 years to go on its existing sales contract. (Is this the future for dams?) First big step in Elwha Dam removal taken By Brian Gawley, Peninsula Daily News, 0/17/07 PORT ANGELES, WA - Federal, city and tribal officials marked the start of a project necessary for the planned removal of the Elwha River dams Friday. "This has been a long time coming," said Port Angeles Mayor Karen Rogers at the groundbreaking ceremony on the southwest corner of the city's landfill site at the end of West 16th Street. "The world will be watching," she said. "The world will be coming. They already have started." Removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams to restore salmon habitat won't begin until at least 2012. The construction begun Friday - which is expected to last two years - is one of the first of two water treatment plants required to protect water quality as decades of trapped silt washes downstream when the dams are taken out. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, said that the Elwha River project "will be a real world test to see if nature can protect itself. "It seems the light finally is visible at the end of this long tunnel," he said Friday, speaking over the noise of construction. Continued funding is assured because the project has been in the budgets of presidents stretching back to George H.W. Bush, he said. "This is not an earmark," he said. "It's in the president's budget." The National Park Service awarded the $24,482,750 contract for the first treatment plant on Sept. 7 to Watts/Korsmo A JV of Gig Harbor, a joint venture of Watts Constructors LLC and John Korsmo Construction Inc. The project, which was last estimated at $185 million, has attracted worldwide attention from biologists, environmentalists and others interested in not just removal of the two concrete structures but how the river's ecosystem will be restored. Olympic National Park Superintendent Bill Laitner said this would be the second largest ecosystem restoration project in National Park Service history. The first project was a $7.8 billion restoration effort in Everglades National Park in Florida. The Elwha River restoration is expected to increase the current fish run of 4,000 to 400,000, Laitner said. None of this could have happened without Dicks and the park is fortunate to have his full support, Laitner said. Dicks' efforts Dicks, who represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties, said he sent a staff member to Port Angeles in 2004 and told him not to return until he had a memorandum of understanding between the city of Port Angeles, Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and the National Park Service for the project. That 20-page document was the first important milestone in the project, he said. Dicks said he inherited the Elwha project in 1994 from the late Sen. Brock Adams, D-Seattle, and Rep. Al Swift, D-Bellingham, who passed the 1992 Elwha River Restoration Act legislation. "There was, to say the least, some opposition here to dam removal," he said. Only five people of about 120 at a town hall meeting in Port Angeles supported dam removal when it was first proposed, Dicks said. "This is exciting that it is finally starting after all these years," Dicks said moments before the ceremony. "We got a good bid, which is a rarity in these days of increasing costs for concrete and steel. "I compliment the National Park Service for the way they handled it." Salmon runs Frances Charles, Lower Elwha Klallam tribal chairwoman, said she remembered the tribe's ancestors telling of plentiful runs of large salmon. The effort to remove the two dams and restore the river's ecosystem was begun by the Elwha in 1968 when the tribe challenged the re-licensing of the Elwha Dam. "I want to thank the elders, tribal councils and our ancestors that are smiling down upon us," Charles said. "I want to thank

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Norm Dicks for really staying with us." The Elwha River's fabled 100-pound salmon will come back, Charles predicted, citing renewal of elk herds and plant life in the area of Mt. St. Helens after the May 18, 1980 eruption devastated the region. The plant will treat up to 10.6 million gallons of water. The project also includes excavation of 21,500 cubic yards of earth and modifications to the city's Ranney Collector well on the Elwha River. Proposals for the second water treatment plant are due at the park service's Denver Service Center by Oct. 22. A pre-proposal meeting for contractors is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Juan de Fuca Room of the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St., in Port Angeles. The estimated cost is between $50 million and $70 million. Construction is expected to take three years. The 108-foot Elwha Dam at 541 Lower Dam Road, about eight miles southwest of Port Angeles, was built in 1913, creating Lake Aldwell. Glines Canyon Dam, 210 feet high and eight miles up river from Elwha Dam, was built between 1925 and 1927 and created Lake Mills.

Water (Excerpts from full article.) Water on governor's special session plan By E.J. Schultz, Fresno Bee, 09/12/07

SACRAMENTO -- A day after he said he would call a special session to address health-care reform, Gov. Schwarzenegger on Tuesday added water supply to the list -- another politically charged issue that lawmakers failed to solve during the regular session, which ends this week. The inclusion of water projects on the agenda delighted Valley leaders who are fighting for state money for a new dam near Fresno. But with two other dams on the table as well as proposals to fix the delta, it's not clear how much money will come the Valley's way, or whether any deal is even within reach. The special session began almost immediately after the governor called it and will likely last weeks.

------------ Finding consensus on water has eluded the state's leaders for decades. This year, the governor put the issue at the top of his list. But he was unable to strike a deal with legislators during the nine-month regular session. Schwarzenegger blamed the 52-day budget impasse, saying leaders "ran out of time" to take on big issues. -----------.

The need to boost the state's water supplies has taken on new urgency in the wake of the recent court ruling to reduce delta water pumping. State officials say the decision -- designed to protect an endangered fish -- could lead in average years to a 35% cut in deliveries to San Joaquin Valley farmers and urban water users in the Bay Area and Southern California. In the special session, lawmakers must find common ground on competing proposals. Schwarzenegger's $5.95 billion plan puts an emphasis on new dams, while Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata's $5 billion proposal frees local water agencies to spend money how they see fit -- for dams, ground-water storage or water recycling. Both plans also would spend money to repair the deteriorating Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the source of much of the state's water. Leaders hope to put a bond on the Feb. 5 ballot, meaning a deal would have to be struck by late September. The governor's $5.95 billion plan originally included money for two new dams: one east of Fresno in an area known as Temperance Flat and one on the west side of the Sacramento Valley called Sites Reservoir. A third project recently added to the list is the expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County. A version of the plan would dedicate $2 billion in state bond money for the three projects, with remaining costs paid by growers and others who would benefit. A dam at Temperance is estimated to cost at least $2 billion. State Sen. Dave Cogdill of Modesto, the Republicans' lead negotiator on water, said $2 billion in state money was "nowhere near enough." For three dams, "we probably need more like $5 billion plus."

But Democrats -- who have long resisted using state money for dams -- might not be willing to spend that much. That's a "heck of a lot of money for water," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, when asked about the $5 billion figure at a news conference. "But I'm not afraid of having a conversation about it." Perata, who will be the Democrats' lead negotiator on water, told reporters that "unlike health care, I think there is no

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alternative than to get something done on water." He referenced the court decision by U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger, who ordered less pumping to protect the delta smelt, an endangered, 3-inch-long fish considered to be an indicator of the delta's health. If "people's water starts getting cut off, they are going to come looking for someone to blame and I suspect they are going to come right here," Perata said. -----------.

Southeast Water Alliance Hosts Telephone Town Hall Meeting on the Economic Impact of the Drought 09.13.07, Southeast Water Alliance, Press Release MONTGOMERY, Ala., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Southeast Water Alliance (SWA), a coalition dedicated to educating the public about the importance of the region's waterways, hosted a virtual telephone town hall Thursday night where more than 100 participants from Alabama and Georgia discussed their concerns about the current drought conditions and the resulting economic impact on the region. "The effects of the drought have been felt by everyone throughout the region," said SWA Co-Chair Jerry Sailors. "We believe that this telephone setting provides a unique opportunity for everyone from homeowners to farmers to engage in a meaningful discussion about how the drought has impacted their daily lives." The telephone town hall was moderated by Sailors. Panelists included Alabama Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks, Charles Stover of the Alabama Power Company, Roy McAuley of the Alabama Pulp and Paper Council, Manufacture Alabama President George Clark and Jesse Cunningham, President of the Lake Martin Home Owners and Boat Owners Association. Participants on the call ranged from homeowners to business owners and local leaders who asked questions or expressed concerns regarding business development, navigation, recreation, hydropower, property ownership and agriculture. Callers emphasized how water systems in the Southeast are a large component in keeping the area competitive and enticing to new business and job opportunities. Sailors stressed that without navigable waterways, the economic livelihood of the region is in jeopardy. "Our waterways are the heart of our region. From tourism to manufacturing, we depend on our rivers and lakes to keep our economy strong. The SWA is working to educate and engage the community and public officials to work together to find solutions to help alleviate the strain of this problem on our economy," said Sailors. Recent reports indicate that the drought could last through the winter. With that in mind, the SWA urges officials to remain steadfast to finding ways to mitigate the continued affects of the drought as residents, businesses and communities continue to cope with the drastic economic impacts that the drought has already had on life in Southeast.

Environment (Interesting Opinion piece, but the project stats are a little off target. It may be that the 1022 MW is some sort of average number based on average energy production. Usually, the value of a hydro project is based on two components, i.e. the dependable capacity (kW) and the average energy production (kWh). The four projects have an installed capacity of over 3 million kW that produce over 10.7 million MWH’s annually. If dam removal would require replacing lost energy with coal, oil, or natural gas, it would require using the equivalent of 17.9 million bbl. of oil, 4.5 million tons of coal, or 109 billion cu. ft. of gas annually. If oil were the replacement energy, the increase in oil imports would cost about $1.25 billion dollars annually (assuming $70/ bbl for oil).) Opinions Salmon plan's critics locked on single issue September 17th, 2007, Tri-City Herald Critics of the latest salmon recovery plan instantly dismissed it as more of the same. "This is the same plan with a new ribbon on it," Nicole Cordan of Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition told The Associated Press. "The only thing they are committing to is something they are already doing and that isn't working," said Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. The problem, of course, is that the proposal doesn't call for breaching dams, and anything less is anathema to these true believers. Their knee-jerk position, however, is scientifically suspect and politically futile. The four Lower Snake River dams produce 1,022 megawatts of energy annually, enough to power the city of Seattle. The Bonneville Power Administration estimates it would cost $400 million to $550 million yearly to replace that power. Other benefits include irrigation, recreation and transportation. River users comprise a big constituency.

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Overcoming political opposition to dam breaching would be difficult under any circumstances. Such hurdles might be cleared if removing the dams meant saving endangered salmon runs. That result is far from certain, however. It's wishful thinking at best. On the other hand, efforts to improve fish passage in the Columbia Basin are reaping proven results. It's possible to build on success without sacrificing a much-needed source of clean, cheap energy and other benefits. The latest strategy for salmon recovery that critics dismiss offhand is the result of nearly two years of negotiations and study. The strategy is now in the hands of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, which is conducting its own analysis. The agency is due to issue a draft biological opinion on the plan by Oct. 31. All this work is in answer to a lawsuit against the previous biological opinion -- or BiOp in Endangered Species Act jargon.

In October 2005, U.S. District Court Judge James Redden identified several problems with the document. One of the biggest was that the government was counting on recovery efforts it couldn't guarantee. No one knows whether Redden will be satisfied that the next BiOp addresses all the concerns he outlined in 2005. But the recovery strategy that NOAA is reviewing right now is a sincere and exhaustive attempt to appease the judge. At Redden's direction, the federal agencies with a stake in river operations worked with Columbia Basin tribes and the basin's four states -- Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana -- to develop the new proposal. The strategy would put real money -- around $1 billion -- into actions that good science indicates will have positive results -- dam modifications, predator management, habitat rehabilitation and hatchery improvements. Those are good ingredients for a real solution -- a broad-based collaboration of stakeholders, good science and money to carry out the plan. But for some, any proposal that doesn't include dam removal is dead on arrival. Litigation sparked by that mindset is likely to carry a lot of lawyers into retirement. But can the fish outlast the stalemate?

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.

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i 9/28/2007

************************************************************************************************* Other Stuff:

New Hope Mill (Cayuga County, NY) Another benefit of hydro or old hydro: The buttermilk pancakes are the best- http://www.newhopemills.com/

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Dams **************************************************************************************************** (From ASCE eNewsletter 9/2/07, dam safety legislation rundown now before Congress.) • House Passage of the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act (H.R. 3224) to assist in the repair of the nation’s most critical publicly owned dams. The bill was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in early August. • Funding for the Small Watershed Dams Rehabilitation Program in the Department of Agriculture FY 2008 appropriations to help fund repairs to ailing small watershed dams. • Reauthorization of the Small Watershed Dams Rehabilitation Program at $50 million a year for four years as part of the Farm Bill *****************************************************************************************************

SSoommee DDaamm –– HHyyddrroo NNeewwss aanndd OOtthheerr SSttuuffff

Quote of Note: “Another flaw in the human character is that everybody

wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.” - - Kurt Vonnegut

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EDITORIALS section, Sacrament Bee, 9/18/07 Jim Cook: Behind the dams on the Klamath River There is a clamor on the Klamath River for the removal of dams. As representatives of the region that encompasses all three California dams on this important river and the people who will be most affected by dam removal, we have serious doubts that this is the best environmental strategy, or even the best solution to enhance our fishery resource, the driver of this policy choice. Unfortunately, this has become one of those issues in which reasoned discussion and scientific due diligence has given way to the power of important political interests, ideological stances and romanticized visions of run of the river results. This debate has intensified, and is now coming to a head, as a result of a request by PacifiCorp for a new federal license to continue to operate its California and Oregon hydro-electric facilities on the Klamath River. Despite the fact that PacifiCorp has agreed to invest more than $300 million to provide significantly greater protection for Coho salmon and other fishery resources, opponents are nonetheless insisting on dam removal. Yet, there is a very important reason why PacifiCorp has made it absolutely clear that it will not bear any responsibility for taking out dams. They have no clear idea as to what is in the tons and tons of sludge and sediment that have been collecting at the bottom of these structures for more than 50 years or how to remove the material safely. Quite simply, they are scared stiff by the prospect of so much legal liability. As a result, if the dams are to be removed, it will only be if some other entity is created to buy them and take them out. If the utility that owns them is so fearful that removal could potentially unleash an environmental disaster, it naturally makes those of us who live here very apprehensive. Given these legitimate concerns, which no definitive studies have yet to allay, it is particularly frustrating that so little focus and creative energy have been expended on looking at other options to help promote our fishery resource No community in Northern California has done more to lead in Coho recovery than Siskiyou County. We are the home to two pilot projects that the Department of Fish and Game believes will be a model for the state in working collaboratively and with a minimum of bureaucracy to promote Coho recovery. And certainly more must be done on the Klamath, including the installation of more fish ladders and ensuring that those upstream are prudent in their use of water for irrigation and agricultural purpose. There is much evidence to suggest that these, and other similar measures, would substantially improve Coho conditions without the fear of an environmental catastrophe that dam removal poses. Moreover, scant attention has been paid to the other major environmental consideration -- in an era of global warming consciousness, substantial amounts of clean, cheap hydro power is being precipitously removed and potentially replaced by coal-fired power. This is hardly a plus for our planet or our ratepayers. Finally, there needs to be some appreciation of the cumulative impacts of environmental regulations on communities such as Siskiyou County. The natural resource industry that historically employed our citizens and gave us the tax base to provide services to our people is now a shadow of its former self. Totally apart from the environmental considerations, dam removal will, among other things, further harm our tax base, reduce property values, dramatically curtail world-class white water rafting recreational opportunities, and, unless fully mitigated, negatively impact the quality of life in our community. We understand that we are swimming against the current on this issue. Yet, we hope that this explanation of the perspective of those whose day-to-day life would be most affected promotes a more rigorous and thoughtful public discourse over the most prudent approach to returning the Klamath to health.

• Jim Cook is chairman of the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors. Marcia H. Armstrong is a member of the Board of Supervisors. Other supervisors who signed on as authors of this commentary are La Vada Erickson, Michael Kobseff and Bill Overman.

Dam repairs could cost $11.6 million By Tim Hundt | Lee Newspapers, LaCrosse Tribune, 9/20/07 VIROQUA, Wis. — While the emergency repairs still are happening at a furious pace, the Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Department is starting to get a rough estimate on fixing damage done to its 22 flood control dams in August. All of the 22 structures need repairs, ranging from almost $3.4 million at the Runge Hollow dam to as small as $1,000 at Bad Axe No. 24, County Resource Conserv-ationist Phil Hahn told the Land and Water Conservation Committee. Other large repairs include the Yttri-Primmer at about $1 million, Sidie Hollow at $1.7 million, Seas Branch at $1.3 million, Hidden Valley at about $1.8 million and the already scheduled repair to Jersey Valley at $1.8 million. With all of the other “smaller” repairs added in, estimates at this point total about $11.6 million, Hahn said. He showed a series of photos of the damage, much of which was large washouts below dams caused by leaks through hillsides. That could cause a

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structure to fail if left unrepaired, he said. The county will receive emergency federal aid to help repair the Runge Hollow and Hidden Valley dams, Natural Resource Conservation Service District Conservationist Sam Skemp said. Hahn said repair work is being done from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily and will continue until it’s completed. The effort so far has focused on Hidden Valley Dam, Runge Hollow Dam, Coon Creek No. 17 (Melby) Dam, and Bad Axe No. 11 (Duck Egg) Dam. County Parks Manager Rod Engh said he has submitted some preliminary cost estimates to FEMA, but it may be awhile before the county knows whether park damage will be covered. Even if it is, it will take additional time to get the parks back in shape — many have washed-out bridges and crossings, missing picnic tables, damaged campsites, damaged roads and down trees, he said. (More on the American Rivers foray into the world of dam safety.) http://thenewdominion.com/?p=1381 My letters to the writer of the following article below: “Why would you interview American Rivers on the subject of dam safety? They do not have the expertise or background to speak knowledgably or responsibly on the subject. They have a single purpose regarding their position on dams, i.e. dam removal. Many of their statements are incorrect or overstated at best. Your article does a disservice to the public because it miss-informs them on the status of the safety of dams in Virginia and the Country. The high hazard classification of a dam has absolutely nothing to do with a dam's condition or safety. The purpose of the classification is to ensure that such dams are designed and maintained to a higher set of safety standards to ensure that they will not fail. Most high hazard dams are in fact safe. In addition, the term “deficient” does not necessarily mean a dam is in danger of imminent failure. It means that the dam, which was most likely built many years ago, should be upgraded to meet today’s more conservative design standards. It may be of interest to you also to know that a number of the 100 dams in VA classified as high hazard were either built by the Corps of Engineers or are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. All of those dams do meet today’s dam safety standards and are considered safe. You should be interviewing individuals who are qualified on the subject, such as the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, U.S. Society on Dams, or the American Society of Civil Engineers.” “One follow-up comment -The legislation that is supported by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, U.S. Society on Dams, or the American Society of Civil Engineers and others is absolutely critical. There is a dire need to have greater inspection coverage for all dams, not just high hazard dams, and there is a critical need to upgrade all dams that do not meet today's dam safety standards, not just high hazard dams. Dams are an important part of the nation's infrastructure that provides water supply, flood control and other critical benefits to society as a whole. The need to improve the Nation's infrastructure is without question the most critical and overlooked area and its neglect is a National disgrace. Congress needs to realize the need and urgency of the matter.” How safe is your dam? Story by Chris Graham, 9/21/07, The New Dominion More than 100 dams in Virginia are considered threats to human life - and the sad thing is, there isn’t much being done about them. “At the moment, there’s a real discrepancy in the number of dams versus the number of dam-safety officials out there. It’s really an underfunded area,” said Serena McClain, the associate director in charge of the River Renewal Campaign at the Washington, D.C.,-based American Rivers, which is partnering with a number of other environmental groups in an effort to get Congress to increase funding to states to go toward dam safety. The Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2007 would direct $200 million to states for improving the safety of publicly-owned dams. “What we’re asking Congress to do is to take a look at this new bill that has been proposed that actually puts additional funding to the states so that they can improve the safety of publicly-owned dams through either repairing those dams or removing them,” Rivers said in an interview on “The New Dominion Show.” One area where the most help could be offered is in increasing the number of dam-safety officials at the state level. Virginia, for instance, employs five dam-safety inspectors to monitor the dam infrastructure - one for every 320 dams. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials recommends a ratio of one inspector for every 50 dams. “What we’re asking Congress to do is to take a look at this new bill that has been proposed that actually puts additional funding to the states so that they can improve the safety of publicly-owned dams through either repairing those dams or removing them,” Rivers said in an interview on “The New Dominion Show.” One area where the most help could be offered is in increasing the number of dam-safety officials at the state level. “What can those few dam-safety officials do? Where is the money that is available to handle these deficient dams? The problem is that that money hasn’t been there either. States have been forced to kind of

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scrape together pots of money from all over to see what they can do to address these structures,” McClain said. “There are over 10,000 dams across the United States that are classified as high-hazard and could pose a serious threat to human life. Most people don’t even know that they live downsteam in a flood-inundation zone until there is a dam break. So this money is at least a step in the right direction to addressing this problem and providing states with that funding to address these dams,” McClain said. (Here’s a State dam safety official who has set the record straight, yet the media keeps quoting the unqualified American Rivers.) “The article below speaks for itself. The State Dam Safety Official in South Dakota has put the dam safety issue into proper perspective, but American Rivers chooses to ignore an expert and continues to push its agenda by twisting the facts and ignoring the opinions of the experts on the subject. American Rivers is not being honest with the facts and is not qualified to speak to the condition of the dams in South Dakota. That should be left to the State Dam Safety Official.”) Three dams in region on state 'high hazard' list Austin Kaus, The Daily Republic, South Dakota, September 22, 2007 Of the 47 state-regulated dams classified as “high hazard” by the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, three can be found in The Daily Republic coverage area. DENR Engineer Tim Schaal said the Lake Wanalain Dam in Brule County, Lake Corsica Dam in Douglas County and Lake Menno Dam in Hutchinson County not only are listed as “high hazard,” but also are categorized as “structurally deficient or unsafe.” Despite the classification, Schaal said there is no reason to be concerned about safety. He said the “high hazard” designation comes from the fact that people live below the dams and shouldn’t indicate that the dams are necessarily dangerous. “There’s always going to be maintenance issues with these dams,” Schaal said. “They’re not that big of projects. ”Each of the three dams has different repair issues. Schaal said the dam on Lake Wanalain, constructed in 1936, has suffered some cracking on its spillway. The Wanalain dam is located on American Creek, just east of Chamberlain.

At Lake Corsica — about six miles east of the town of Corsica — tree growth near the dam has caused some minor damage. As for Lake Menno — located northwest of the town of Menno — Schaal said the dam suffered erosion in the secondary spillway last spring. He expects repairs to take place later this year. The process, he said, should be simple. “It’s just a matter of hauling in some dirt and grass seed,” he said. “(None of them) are that big of projects.”

One group disagrees. “Dams across the country are living on borrowed time, and many of our communities are at risk,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of an environmental group called American Rivers. Schaal, however, has said it’s not as bad as American Rivers says. Schaal said most dams are inspected every three years and the most recent inspection looked at dams in the eastern part of the state. “The classification of the dam doesn’t reflect on the condition of the dam,” Schaal said, adding that he’s comfortable with the overall safety of dams in South Dakota. Congress will soon consider the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair act of 2007, which would direct $200 million to states for improving the safety of publicly-owned dams. The money, Schaal said, would allow for more repairs on dams throughout the state, although the state would still be required to match funds. “It would improve our situation,” he said. “It’s a 65/35 match, so there’s still going to be some issues of having to match money.”

Hydro (See letters at end of article - challenging American Rivers!) The truth about the lower Snake dams and energy production Posted on September 19, 2007, Amy Kober, American Rivers blog

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http://blog.americanrivers.org/wordpress/index.php/2007/09/19/the-truth-about-the-lower-snake-dams-and-energy-production/#comment-5825

It’s time to set the record straight. When you look at the big picture and do the math, the four dams on the lower Snake River just aren’t that critical when it comes to energy production. Bill Eastlake, an energy economist and former policy advisor to the Idaho PUC commissioners, just published a thoughtful opinion piece in the Idaho Statesman.

First, the numbers: The lower Snake dams’ maximum generation capacity is 3,400 megawatts. But Eastlake calls this number “almost irrelevant” because the situation is hardly ever right for that kind of production (for example, only during a giant spring flood). He says a more relevant number is the dams’ average generation — about 1,075 megawatts, or about the amount Seattle City Light customers’ use. But even that number overstates the dams’ importance. Eastlake writes: …the figure greatly overstates the value of that contribution. After a burst of productivity during the spring snowmelt, the dams’ potential quickly dwindles. By winter, when Northwest residents need power the most, through late summer, when Southwest air-conditioning demand boosts the market price of power, the Lower Snake dams can be counted on for only 425 to 525 megawatts.

In other words, while the dams nominally produce enough electricity to meet 5 percent of the regional need, they supply less than 2 percent of the need when the power is most valuable. So while the dams’ annual production roughly equals Seattle’s consumption, that city’s lights would go out for months at a time if it had to rely on those dams. So, we have to ask, when the Bonneville Power Administration calculates the power-replacement costs associated with removing the four lower Snake dams, why does BPA use 3,400 megawatts as the starting point? Eastlake writes that it’s no surprise the federal agency arrived at the grossly inflated replacement-cost estimate of $400-550 million a year.

Further, he writes, BPA based its analysis on replacing the dams’ nameplate power with 3,400 megawatts of carbon-emitting natural gas-fired turbines, providing bushels of grist for the mills of longtime global warming skeptics who now employ climate change arguments in their fight against effective salmon restoration efforts. A more accurate calculation was done by the Northwest Energy Coalition, a regional association of businesses, organizations and utilities. The coalition said replacing the electricity the dams actually provide with energy efficiency (90 percent) and wind power (10 percent) would cost $79 million to $179 million per year for 20 years, with zero increase in greenhouse-gas emissions. That’s worth repeating: we can remove the lower Snake dams and replace their energy production without increasing greenhouse-gas emissions. The bottom line is, there’s a lot of misinformation swirling around about the lower Snake dams. We need to get the facts on the table. We need to talk about the real costs and benefits of these dams. We need to look at how removing the dams could create jobs and new opportunities — not to mention restore one of the most amazing salmon and steelhead runs in the world. We need to craft a plan for replacing the benefits the dams provide, and for helping local communities and economies through the transition. I’m hopeful. I believe we’re making progress. And voices like Eastlake’s are helpful additions to this ongoing debate.

Letters to author: 2 Responses to “The truth about the lower Snake dams and energy production”

1. Ron Corso on September 20th, 2007 7:38 am “It would better if American Rivers would stick to information that is accurate. Just as with dam safety, American Rivers persists in its barrage of miss-information about dams and hydropower. While Mr. Eastwood is indeed a well-founded expert on economics, it is clear that he knows very little about hydropower economics. The economics of a hydro project requires two components, i.e. the dependable capacity (kW) and the average annual generation (kWh). The dependable capacity of a hydro project is that output that can be delivered at the critical point in time when power demands are at peak. The dependable capacity is based on the worst case water availability scenario for the Columbia River system. With the upstream reservoir storage available, project dependable capacity is enhanced. If the 4 projects can in fact deliver the more than 3000 MW at peak power demand periods for short durations of time to serve peak power demand in the NW then BPA correctly used that amount of output. The energy component is the average kWh that can be delivered annually. Both components are used to calculate a project’s value. Mr. Eastwood is wrong and American Rivers is wrong to adopt his view.”

2. Ron Corso on September 20th, 2007 7:46 am

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“On another point regarding the value of power lost if the Lower Snake River dams are removed, we need to look at reality and today’s energy costs. The loss of the power produced by the dams represents 5 % of the NW power which is very significant. We’re discussing over 3 million kW that produces over 10.7 million MWH’s annually. Dam removal would require replacing lost energy by burning coal, oil, or natural gas or the use each year of the equivalent of 17.9 million bbl. of oil, or 4.5 million tons of coal, or 109 billion cu. ft. of gas. The increase in oil imports alone would cost about $1.25 billion dollars annually (assuming $70/ bbl for oil). And, you can’t replace that much power easily with undependable power sources such as wind. We hear all too much about using wind power as a replacement, but wind power cannot be depended upon to be available when you need it. You need to build backup power sources also. I’m a great believer in anything renewable and conservation, but an honest assessment tells us that we need more than that.”

Quincy gauging interest in hydroelectric power plan September 19, 2007, By Edward Husar, Quincy Herald-Whig

Power companies serving the area are getting a chance to tell Quincy if they would be interested in buying electricity if the city proceeds with plans to install hydroelectric generators at three locations on the Mississippi River. Jim Benz, vice president of the Adams Electric Cooperative's board of directors, has no doubt there will be sufficient interest from power companies. "That is a 100 percent guarantee," Benz said. "Everybody is looking for 'green' energy." Benz was one of about 50 people attending a two-hour meeting Tuesday at the Oakley-Lindsay Center hosted by the city and its consultants. One purpose was to gauge interest by power companies in partnering with the city. Mayor John Spring said he detected strong interest during conversations afterward. "People seemed generally enthused about it," he said. Power companies were asked to submit letters by Oct. 31 indicating their non-binding level of interest in buying or distributing the generated electricity. Companies also were asked to comment on the possible location of transmission lines. Interest in the project has been heightened by state legislation that requires Illinois utilities to use renewable energy for 2 percent of their retail power by 2008 and 10 percent by 2015. Spring said this should trigger more interest in hydroelectric projects like Quincy's.

"We wanted to invite the various utilities and power generation companies to take a look at what we have going," he said. "The ones in Illinois are going to be dependent on renewable energy to be part of their portfolio, so we're very interested in them getting a glimpse of what we're doing." The City Council in June authorized the next phase of the project, which will involve "pre-engineering" for hydropower plants at Lock and Dam 20 at Canton, Mo., Lock and Dam 21 at Quincy and Lock and Dam 22 at Saverton, Mo. Costs could reach $180 million if hydropower plants are built at all three locations and made operational by 2016. However, city officials say the revenue payback over time could be significantly greater. The city not only would be able to use some of the generated power to meet its own electrical needs, but it could sell the surplus to power companies. "We're very excited about this project," said Mike Klingner, president of Klingner & Associates of Quincy, which is overseeing the proposal. In May, Klingner presented findings from the Mead & Hunt engineering firm, which updated a 1983 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study showing the three locks and dams have favorable capabilities for producing hydropower. Klingner said the findings indicated the project would be feasible technically and financially — especially at Lock and Dam 22, which has the most attractive financial projections. The council commissioned the report after Quincy received permits in November from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission giving the city exclusive rights for three years to investigate the feasibility of building the plants. Klingner said not as much hydropower would be generated in wet periods, when the river is high. More power would be generated during dry conditions when the river is low and there's a greater drop between the headwater above a dam and the tailwater below it. Conditions are typically optimum in the summer and winter. Tentative plans call for installing nine turbines at each lock and dam location. Each location would be able to produce up to 17 megawatts of electricity — enough to meet Quincy's residential needs.

Benz praised city officials for taking the initiative to tap into the Mississippi's natural power-generating ability. "It's always fascinated me that the Europeans have been using low-head hydro for years and years and years. And they're doing it with rivers that we would consider a creek. And here we've got this humongous Mississippi," he said. John Dalton, representing Prairie Power of Jacksonville, agreed there should be plenty of interest from utility companies in buying the city's surplus hydropower. "I definitely think so," he said. "The cost of traditional power is increasing so much that renewable power is becoming on par cost-wise, so it makes sense from a lot of different perspectives."

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LOCKPORT'S CENTURY OF NATURAL POWER A HYDROELECTRIC MARVEL, THE POWERHOUSE IS STILL HARD AT WORK AFTER 100 YEARS OF HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE CANAL IN LOCKPORT. September 20, 2007, By TONY GRAF, The Herald News

LOCKPORT -- Beneath this winding placid sheet of blue, there is power. For a century, the flowing waters of the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal have provided power to generate electricity. And the current of history underlying Lockport's stretch of the waterway is deep and strong. On Wednesday, leaders gathered to celebrate 100 years of operation at the Lockport Powerhouse, recognized as the oldest hydroelectric project in Illinois. "It's a great facility. It's paid dividends for the agency in terms of electricity credits on an annual basis," said Terrence O'Brien, president of the board of commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The district operates the powerhouse.

In recent years, the system has changed from credits to money. ComEd cuts a check directly to the district for power generated. On average, it's $2 million a year. During Wednesday's ceremony, just south of the old structure, O'Brien mentioned another important use of the powerhouse. "It's a crucial part of our storm-water management during heavy rainstorms in the region," he said. During heavy rainfall, the powerhouse's sluice gates are opened to relieve excessive flow upstream. However, the powerhouse's role goes far beyond power generation and storm-water control. The facility regulates water levels on a vital shipping canal in the heart of the United States. "This provides an economic base for this area," said Frank Avila, a commissioner for the water reclamation district. Avila described the path of shipped goods from other countries to New Orleans, up the Mississippi River, up the Illinois and Des Plaines rivers, and through the Lockport lock, just east of the powerhouse. The lock allows canal traffic to traverse the great difference in elevation along the waterway. Then, goods continue through channels to the O'Brien Locks, and onto a second great American watershed -- Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Avila, a professional engineer, sought to place the Lockport Powerhouse in a historical perspective. "As tourists, we go to Europe to see structures built during the Romans' time -- they built the aqueducts, they built the roads," Avila said. "Here in the state of Illinois, we have a similar type of structure: the Lockport Powerhouse, which was built 100 years ago, is in perfect condition, and is still serving the Chicago waterway system." "Two thousand years from now, people will still be coming to Lockport to observe the Lockport Powerhouse," he said.

Powerhouse and locks Jim Yurik, principal civil engineer for the district, gave a tour of the operation. Philip Nieman, powerhouse mechanic lead-man, also led the tour. Highlights included: • East of the powerhouse, the Army Corps of Engineers operates the Lockport lock, 600 feet long and 110 feet wide. It is used an average of 10 to 12 times a day, Yurik said. • Just west of the current lock is the old lock, which was operated from 1907 to 1933. It's 22 feet wide and guided canal traffic through

a difference in elevation of 38 feet. At the time of its construction, it was the highest lift in the world, according to district literature. • West of that, Yurik guided a tour group along the north side of the powerhouse, pointing out the nine sluice gates. During heavy rainfall, these nine gates can be opened, and each one allows 80 tons of water to flow through per second. This provides relief if the flow is heavy upstream. • Within the powerhouse, Yurik showed a group the two generators. Underneath a generator, water flows and spins a large shaft with blades resembling a propeller. The shaft spins a little more than 2½ times per second and generates power for electricity. • That power is sent to a transformer southwest of the powerhouse. ComEd uses the power -- previously in exchange for credits, and now for a check. • Finally, the group passed the old horizontal generators -- resembling large green wheels. The last of these generators was used in May 1976.

Larry O'Brien, 81, now of Willowbrook, led operations at the Lockport Powerhouse from 1970 to 1984, when he retired after 38 years with the water reclamation district. "We used power for our own use, and whatever

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excess ... we put into Edison's grid," he said of the present-day ComEd. "That's where we derived revenue. Edison would pay for any power." "When I worked here, I knew this place had a lot of potential for generating electricity," he said. "It's environmentally friendly -- no gases, no smoke, no carbon footprints here. We had a flow of water anyway, and we put it to use for generating electricity." The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recognizes the Lockport Powerhouse as the oldest hydroelectric project in Illinois, according to water reclamation district literature. The powerhouse also is listed on the Illinois Register of Historic Places. "I knew when I came here that a lot of history was behind it," Larry O'Brien said.

Corps Blamed for Shoddy Everglades Work By BRIAN SKOLOFF, The Associated Press, September 12, 2007, Washington Post

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A major Everglades restoration project is stalled because of shoddy work managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a reservoir that could threaten an interstate and nearby communities if levee walls failed, state officials said Wednesday. Although the corps hired an outside contractor to do the work, the agency "was ultimately responsible," said George Horne, deputy executive director of the South Florida Water Management District. "If it were filled to capacity and it were to rupture, you would certainly flood" Interstate 95 and surrounding communities, Horne said. The Ten Mile Creek reservoir, about 130 miles north of Miami, needs about $13 million for repairs to fix leakage in levee walls and embankments, parts of which are already crumbling, among other problems, he said. The project is intended to help restore natural flow to the Everglades ecosystem. Construction was completed last year, but the district has been able to fill the reservoir with only about 684 million gallons _ 38 percent of the intended 1.8 billion gallon capacity _ because of safety concerns. The project also does not meet new safety requirements developed after Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed New Orleans' levee system, Horne said. "It does not and cannot operate as intended," he said. It was initially a $27 million project, including state and federal funds, but eventually climbed to about $35 million. With the needed repairs, the total project will now cost about $48 million, Horne said. Alan Bugg, chief of construction and operations for the corps' Jacksonville office, assured water district board members the problems would be fixed. "Public safety is our No. 1 priority," Bugg said. "Shame on us," Bugg repeatedly said for failing to provide the district with information on the problems and a timetable for repairs. The 550-acre reservoir is supposed to be storing storm water runoff to keep deluges from flowing into the Indian River Lagoon, part of the overall Everglades ecosystem and one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America. A water district subcommittee on Wednesday recommended giving the reservoir back to the corps to fix the problems. Corps spokeswoman Nanciann Regalado said the agency would decide how to move forward with repairs.

Water *********************************************************************************************** (From the Encyclopedia of Earth, an article on water resources.) http://www.eoearth.org/article/Water_resources ************************************************************************************************ CA: Governor proposes $9 billion bond plan, dams centerpiece (up from ~$6B proposed in July) Free Republic, AP on Bakersfield Californian, 9/18/07

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday proposed a $9 billion water bond measure that would earmark more than half the money for dams opposed by most of the Democrats who dominate the Legislature. The proposal eclipses the governor's previous $5.9 billion bond plan, in large part by adding a third dam project in Contra Costa County. Whether the lawmakers will go along with dams - and how much they are willing to

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pay for them - will be a key part of the negotiations in the Legislature's upcoming special session on water projects. Senate President Pro Tem. Don Perata, D-Oakland, has introduced his own $5.4 billion water bond proposal, but his plan would allow communities to apply for state grants to build their own dams if they want to spend the money that way. Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, said the Assembly would need weeks to go through the details of the competing bond proposals, all but assuring lawmakers would miss a Sept. 27 constitutional deadline to put a bond proposal on the Feb. 5 presidential primary ballot. However, both sides acknowledged that deadline could be extended.

Schwarzenegger's proposal was introduced by Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, and includes $5.1 billion to expand the Los Vaqueros reservoir built by Contra Costa County, build a dam above the existing Friant Dam north of Fresno and another in a valley north of Sacramento. The state would pay as much as half of the construction costs on each project, a sticking point with Democrats who say the state has never paid more than 3 percent of a dam. The Schwarzenegger plan would not allow money to be used to build a peripheral canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, although the state could study the project. The remainder of the governor's proposal would provide $1.9 billion to restore the delta, $1 billion for water recycling, conservation and other supply reliability projects and $500 million to help local agencies undertake environmental restoration projects around the state.

Environment Federal, state agencies reach agreement on Calif. levee trees The Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News, 09/21/2007 SACRAMENTO—California's tree-lined levees—labeled a hazard earlier this year by federal flood officials—must no longer be cleared of vegetation, according to an agreement announced Friday by state and federal flood officials. At issue are trees and shrubs on about 1,600 miles of Central Valley levees that the U.S. Corps of Engineers had said in April should be cut down because tree roots sometimes destabilize levees and dense vegetation impedes routine maintenance inspections. The April directive was issued as part of a national policy that California wildlife officials said failed to look at how trees and shrubs provide precious habitat for hundreds of native species. Local levee districts that failed to comply were told they would not be eligible for federal assistance to repair levees after a flood. After months of negotiations, eight local, state and federal agencies have agreed to craft a separate standard for inspecting California levees as it relates to trees and shrubs. "It relieves a tremendous amount of pressure on local maintaining agencies," said Ben Carter, president of the State Reclamation Board. "We'll be able to preserve a lot of the habitat resources we have along rivers." New paper examines dams' effects on California salmon September 25, 2007 - DURHAM, N.C. -- Spring-run Chinook salmon and other fish in the rivers of California's Central Valley could be harmed by more water-storage dams, according to researchers at Duke University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The findings of a recent paper may serve as a cautionary tale to policymakers, scientists and resource managers currently embroiled in a debate about the construction of new dams in the region. The paper, "Directed Connectivity Among Fish Populations in a Riverine Network," was published in the September 3 online issue of Journal of Applied Ecology. Robert S. Schick, of the University Program in Ecology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, used analytical techniques from network science to study the relative importance of individual populations of salmon within the valley and examined how the addition of large water-storage dams blocked access to habitat and fragmented these populations over time. "We found that fragmented populations became increasingly vulnerable to disturbance and extinction," said Schick, who co-wrote the paper with Steven T. Lindley of NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz, Calif. The paper has become topical thanks to a recent $9 billion bond proposal by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to construct two new dams and expand a third in the environmentally fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Schwarzenegger says the new dams could help alleviate water-shortage problems associated with frequent droughts in the region. Some money from the bond would be used to pay for

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conservation improvements such as increased seasonal river flows to aid Delta Smelt, salmon and other species of fish that live in the delta area or swim upriver to spawn. After first establishing the historical structure of the San Joaquin and Sacramento River systems, Schick and Lindley studied the progressive impact of dams on spatial connectivity among Chinook populations. In addition, they established the spatial structure of the current surviving populations in the Central Valley. "We were able to document reduced spatial and demographic connectivity between salmon populations in the rivers as a result of the dams, and we identified several populations that had become vulnerable to, and dependent upon, production in fish hatcheries," Schick said. In addition to identifying problems linked to the dam, their network analysis identified potential solutions. "By highlighting the demographic impact of individual populations of fish, network science allowed us to propose a recovery pathway for spring-run Chinook salmon in the Central Valley," Schick noted. "This pathway highlights dams whose removal would have the greatest positive impact on the species." The methods he and Lindley employed to do their analysis can be applied broadly across taxa and systems, he added, and would be useful tools for scientists, policymakers and environmental managers in California who want a better understanding of the structure and function of impaired ecosystems. "We feel our work documents the harmful role of dams on spring-run Chinook salmon and can be used as a cautionary tale," he said. Duke University 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.