Enloe Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 12569
Public Utility District No. 1 of Okanogan County (PUD, Washington) filed its Draft License Application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on November 7, 2007. The public comment period on this draft is due by February 4, 2008 and comments can be sent electronically to Enloe@okpud.org
Written comments can be submitted to:
Enloe Hydroelectric Project
Draft License Application Comments
1331 Second Avenue North -- P.O. Box 912
Okanogan, WA 98840
Enloe Dam is located on the Similkameen River, just above Similkameen Falls in North Central Washington, just eight miles south of the Canadian border. This 156 mile-long tributary flows from the east slope of the Cascade Mountains and British Columbia (BC) and into the Okanogan River, a tributary of the Columbia River. Most of the 3,600 square mile Similkameen watershed (79%) is in BC, and the river is fed by three main tributaries, which include the Pasayten River near Manning Park, BC (most of which is in northern Washington), the Tulameen River at Princeton, BC and the Ashnola River near Keremos, BC.
Enloe, a 54 foot concrete dam, was originally built for hydropower in 1920 but project economics never came to fruition and the project was decommissioned in 1958. Since that time, the PUD has attempted to license the project three times, but in all cases the application was rejected due to the federal reservation of authority for fish passage.
a. 1956 license. 1959 PUD ends Enloe production, citing old facilities need upgrading, not economic given fish passage issues. Somewhat later, (see referenced brief) PUD asks FERC to reinstate license so that they can continue to hold lease on land, in order to build recreational facilities. FERC refuses this, citing fish passage issues----- go to b.
b. 1974 (FERC finally terminates 1956 license)
c. 1983 FERC issues Enloe license; 1986 rescinded by FERC
d. 1991 FERC issues EA for new license. 1993 FERC denies new license.
The PUD has continued to pay annual power licensing fees to maintain an exemption from relinquishing its water rights. Since its completion, Enloe Dam has blocked all salmon and steelhead migration into over 90% of the Similkameen watershed.
Today, the PUD considers redevelopment of this project to once again be economically feasible with new generating facilities on the east bank (original facilities were located 880 feet downstream on the opposite bank). The new project capacity is proposed to be 9.0 MW and the project will generate about 47.3 GWh annually.
Fish passage is the big issue at Enloe Dam. According to the PUD, Similkameen Falls, just below the Enloe Dam, is a documented barrier to fish migration. This is a contested issue, and studies need to be undertaken to study the possibility that fish were historically present above the falls. If studies lead to a change in the need for project fish passage, it will affect the financial value of this project and its proposed power generation, as well as the value and cost associated with the proposed new Shanker's Bend dam just upstream. Enloe Dam also offers potential impacts on fishery flows in the Columbia.
Other issues include project economics, as sufficient stream flow needed to operate the project at full capacity is only available during spring/summer runoff (29% of the year). And FERC's jurisdiction to permit projects that impact areas outside of US boundaries is a huge issue and one that increasing in frequency with a number of existing and proposed projects along the US/Canada border, including Shanker's Bend, Boundary Dam, and Sullivan Creek.
Shanker's Bend Project
In May 2007, Okanogan PUD filed for a preliminary permit to study construction of hydroelectric facilities on a new dam on Shanker's Bend of the Similkameen River, just upstream of Enloe Dam. The Washington Department of Ecology has earmarked $300,000 to assess the feasibility of constructing Shanker's Bend Dam. The proposal will examine three alternatives ranging from a 90-foot dam to a 260-foot tall dam. The largest proposal would create an 18,000 acre reservoir, half of which would be located in BC and which would flood Palmer Lake and other Canadian lands.
The fate of Enloe and Shankers Bend dams are deeply intertwined. Shankers Bend is a water storage project that can provide storage and timed flows to boost hydropower production downstream at Enloe Dam. Currently, there is no analysis demonstrating need for storage in the Okanogan region. However, if Shankers Bend is built, the economic value of Enloe increases dramatically. Likewise, if fish passage is required at Enloe, then Shankers Bend becomes the next blockage for migrating fish, and the cost of building Shankers Bend goes up dramatically. You can get additional information at the Center for Environmental Law and Policy's Website (including the history of the earlier project) or on the Okanogan PUD's website.
For more information, contact Rich Bowers, Pacific Northwest Coordinator for the HRC. Rich@hydroreform.org