Hydropower Reform Coalition - North Carolina

New License Issued for Tapoco Project

John Seebach — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 06:00:00 -0600

Tennessee's only licensed hydropower project was granted another license today. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new license for ALCOA's Tapoco project on the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Coalition members American Rivers and Tennessee Clean Water Network (TCWN) were signatories to the settlement. Coalition member American Whitewater's concerns were never properly addressed, and they did not sign.

From the FERC press release (scroll to page 2):

"[T]oday, the Commission issued a new license and approved a settlement agreement for the Tapoco Project on the Little Tennessee and Cheoah Rivers in Graham and Swain counties in North Carolina. "

A key aspect of this case was a land exchange negotiated between the licensee, Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI), and the National Park Service. The exchange resulted in land, originally located within the project boundary and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, being removed from the park and exchanged for other lands. Congress enacted legislation in 2004 authorizing the exchange, which would eliminate issues raised by the fact that a portion of the project is currently located in a national park.

"The project will provide 380 megawatts of electricity generated from a renewable resource while protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife, recreation and aquatic resources near the project."

Whitewater Boating Tests a Great Success at Catawba's Great Falls

John Seebach — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Catawba-Wateree : P-2232

Located just one hour from the Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC metropolitan areas, the Great Falls of the Catawba River has potential as a whitewater boating hotspot for the area. On October 23 and 24, a flow study conducted by Duke Power and attended by kayakers from throughout the region confirmed that Great Falls holds great promise as a highly coveted recreational boating stretch.

The Catawba River, dammed since the early part of the century for hydropower development, is almost dry through the Great Falls channel due to diversion dams that shunt the river's flow to a powerhouse. Duke Power Company, seeking a new license for their operations on the Catawba, conducted the study to determine the recreational potential of this two-mile stretch. Recommended instream flows, for both recreational and ecosystem benefits, are taken into consideration by FERC while determining license conditions for hydropower operations. Duke is negotiating with environmental and outdoor groups on how much water should be put back into the channel, and how often whitewater releases would occur.

Providing a continuous stretch of Class II-III whitewater, kayakers participating in the recreational flow study praised the stretch as having opportunities to do tricks on waves, as well as providing a chance to practice technical maneuvers while running the river. The kayakers tested both channels of the whitewater stretch at three different flows that were comparable to flow levels of the Catawba before construction of Duke's dams.

The results of the flow study are encouraging for whitewater enthusiasts in the region. River advocates continue to push for flows to restore aquatic habitats and create recreational opportunities as conditions of a new operating license. Settlement negotiations are scheduled for completion by August 2006.

Great Flows for Great Falls, North Carolina!

John Seebach — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Catawba-Wateree : P-2232

In late 2002, Duke Power applied to FERC to amend its license for the Catawba-Wateree project requesting modification of the project boundary to exclude two bypass reaches – stretches of riverbed where the natural water flow is diverted to generate power. One of these bypassed reaches was once the Great Falls of the Catawba, a series of high rapids neighboring a town which took the name Great Falls in regard for the local scenery.

State and federal agencies and several conservation groups filed motions to intervene, protesting the assertion that a bypass reach is not a part of project works and could be excluded from the project boundary. The interveners also challenged that there was no good reason to amend a license only months before relicensing was set to begin.

FERC agreed, and on April 18th issued a decision dismissing Duke' s application to amend their Catawba-Wateree license to remove the Great Falls of the Catawba from the project boundary. In the meantime, high flows overtopped the diversion dam and sent glorious rushes of water into the Great Falls.