Hydropower Reform Coalition - Utah

Editorial: Lake Powell Pipeline project needs better assessment

Rupak Thapaliya — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:47:48 -0500

There have been increasing concerns in Utah about the proposed Lake Powell pipeline project which will also include hydropower projects.

Although the project is primarily a water supply project, FERC has been charged to conduct the environmental analysis due to the proposal for power production. A recent editorial on Salt Lake Tribune questions the adequacy of the study to be performed by FERC claiming that FERC does not have the capacity to assess the geological, aquatic, aesthetic and economic aspects of the proposed project. With FERC being the lead agency for the project, other agencies including the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service will have to base their recommendations and decision based on FERC's study.

While this ambitious project claims to address water needs of growing southern Utah, a recent study by UC San Diego scientists warns that Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two major sources of water for southwestern United States could go dry by 2021.

The proposal seeks to build a 158-mile-long, 66-inch-diameter pipeline from Lake Powell to a reservoir in Washington County, and a separate 38-mile-long, 30-inch pipeline from Washington County to Iron County at an initial estimated cost of $842 million, which is expected to grow over time.

Governor opposes Bear Lake project in Utah

Rupak Thapaliya — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:48:34 -0500

Project: Hook Canyon: P-12707

The proposed 60-MW Hook Canyon project in Utah received a huge blow when the Governor of Utah decided that the voice of the general public and the value of the Bear lake for tourism and local ecosystem should not be compromised. Gov. Jon Huntsman recently directed the Division of State Parks and Recreation to drop negotiations for an easement, effectively killing the project.

The proposed project was never received well by anyone. At a public meeting on April 9, residents, environmentalists, economists, engineers and civic leaders gathered together to oppose the project which would have altered the natural environment that supports four endemic species of fish that are not found anywhere else in the world. A resident in the Bear Lake area said, "The potential to harm the area, is far too large to allow this type of an experiment to be continued. The risks are too great."

Read the transcripts of the meeting here.

Huge Opposition to Bear Lake Pumped Storage Project

Rupak Thapaliya — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:32:06 -0500

Project: Hook Canyon: P-12707

Citing the project as expensive, inefficient and environmentally unsound, there has been a huge public opposition to the proposed Hook Canyon project which would require construction of a new 160 foot high dam on the Fish Hook Creek in Rich County, Utah. FERC granted a preliminary permit for the project in September 2006.

There have been concerns that the energy required to pump water would exceed the energy output of the project. EPA, on the other hand, is concerned that construction and operation of the proposed facility would have significant impacts on environmental resources such as the aquatic ecosystem of Fish Creek and Bear Lake, including potential adverse changes in water quality of Bear Lake. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is concerned about the potential harmful effects on fish species.

An individual in her comment to FERC wrote "The proposed pump storage project will, with no doubt, affect the lake and its ecosystem, and thus its natural beauty and functionality... It would be a shame to take away from the natural ecosystem of the Lake. Please leave it so that my children's children will be able to enjoy the lake as it is, undisturbed."

To get more input from the general public on this project, FERC is holding two scoping meetings on Wednesday, April 9 2008. Details of the meeting are given below.

Daytime Meeting
Date: April 9, 2008
Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Venue: Bear Lake West Restaurant and Sports Bar
554 Lewis Loop
Fish Haven, Idaho

Evening Meeting
Date: April 9, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Venue: Oregon Trail Center
320 North 4th Street
Montpelier, Idaho

FERC issues preliminary permit for Hook Canyon Pumped Storage project

John Seebach — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:00:00 -0600

Project: Hook Canyon: P-12707

FERC issued a preliminary permit for a proposed 60MW pumped storage project on Fish Hook Creek in Utah. From FERC's order (for docket P-12707):

On July 3, 2006, Hook Canyon Energy, LLC (permittee) filed an application for a three-year preliminary permit under Section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to study the proposed Hook Canyon Pump Storage Project No. 12707. The project would be located on Fish Hook Creek, in Rich County, Utah. The proposed project would consist of: (1) a proposed 160-foot-high dam; (2) a reservoir with a surface area of 65 acres and a storage capacity of 1,210 acre-feet at normal maximum water surface elevation of 6,726 feet; (3) a proposed 144-inch diameter, 4,600-foot-long steel penstock; (4) a proposed powerhouse containing two generating units having an installed capacity of 60 MW; (5) a switchyard; (6) a proposed 10.6-mile-long, 67-kV transmission line, and (7) appurtenant facilities. The project would have an estimated annual generation of approximately 175 GWh (gigawatthours). The permittee plans to sell the generated energy.

Dam removal possible on Utah's Bear River

John Seebach — Sun, 03 Jul 2005 07:00:00 -0500

Project: Bear River : P-20

The Bear River project, a series of four dams, was consolidated under a single license in 2003 after a comprehensive settlement involving a broad group of stakeholders, including members American Whitewater, Trout Unlimited, and Idaho Rivers United. Now in license and settlement implementation, a stakeholder consensus was reached to remove one of the older developments, Cove Dam.

A description of the project and potential removal from Utah Power's (PacifiCorp) March 7th press release:

Proposal will outline Cove Project decommissioning

PORTLAND— An agreement has been reached on a proposal to retire the Cove Project, one of four PacifiCorp hydroelectric developments in Idaho on the Bear River. The proposal must be accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which granted a new federal license to the plants in December 2003. The process to evaluate the proposal could take about a year.

PacifiCorp reached agreement on the proposal among the same parties that reached settlement for the new Bear River Project license. The utility and these parties organized the Environmental Coordinating Committee (ECC), which is charged with helping implement the terms of the license.

A requirement to evaluate decommissioning the Cove Project was included in the new 30-year license issued by the FERC to PacifiCorp' s four Bear Lake hydroelectric projects in Idaho. If the plan is approved by the FERC, PacifiCorp would remove most of the Cove facilities from the site, including the 1-mile concrete and timber flowline. The Cove powerhouse would remain and PacifiCorp would conduct certain restoration work of the river in the vicinity of the Cove forebay and flowline.

Retirement of the Cove Project increases connectivity for fish and other aquatic resources in Bear River. This action will also enhance the generation potential of the Grace Plant, directly upstream, by reducing the bypass flow requirement.

Removal of the Cove Project will in no way affect or impair PacifiCorp obligations to deliver irrigation water through the Bear River system.

“This proposal will enhance aquatic resources in the Bear River and dovetail with PacifiCorp's FERC license commitment to participate in conservation of the Bonneville Cutthroat Trout,” said Therese Lamb, PacifiCorp' s Director of Relicensing and Compliance. “It will also protect irrigation water deliveries through the Bear River system.”

Bear River Project details:

The Soda Project, 14 megawatts, located 44 miles downstream of Bear Lake, completed in 1925. The Soda dam is 103 feet high and 433 feet long. The Soda reservoir has a surface area of 1,100 acres, and active storage capacity of 16,300 acre-feet, and a maximum water surface elevation of 5,720 feet.
The Grace Project, 33 megawatts, located six miles downstream of the Soda Project, completed in 1912 and enlarged several times through 1927.
The Cove Project, 7.5 megawatts, built in 1917 just downstream of Grace, to take advantage of the tailrace waters of the Grace powerhouse.
The Grace/Cove project features an upstream diversion dam 51 feet high and 180-foot-long; a 26,000-foot-long flow-line to carry water to the power house, and a 6,125-foot-long concrete and wood flume that carries water from the Grace power house to Cove.
The Oneida Project, 30 megawatts, 22 miles downstream of the Grace/Cove Project, built in stages between 1912 and 1920. The project dam is 111 feet high and 456 feet long; the reservoir has an active storage of 10,880 acre-feet and a surface area of 480 acres.
The Cutler Project, 29 megawatts, Cache County, Utah, first began producing power in 1927. The 109 foot-high Cutler Dam forms a 5,500 acre reservoir which is also a major recreation area. The reservoir includes a large wetland complex that is important habitat for dozens of bird species. The area surrounding the reservoir is mostly agricultural land. Cutler was granted a new license by the FERC in April 1994.

For information, contact:

Kevin Lewis, Idaho Rivers United, 208-343-7481

David Eskelsen, Utah Power, 801-220-2447

Utah Power Media Hotline, 800-775-7950

Dam Removal on the American Fork River in Utah

John Seebach — Mon, 02 Jun 2003 07:00:00 -0500

Project: American Fork : P-696

On February 6th, several stakeholders signed a settlement agreement to decommission and remove a small diversion dam and a two-mile pipeline that make up the American Fork project in Utah. Owner PacifiCorp, Trout Unlimited, American Whitewater, the Forest Service, National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and several state agencies agreed to take out project works in Lone Peak Wilderness, Uinta National Forest, and the Timpanogos Cave National Monument in American Fork Canyon.

Originally constructed in 1907 before public lands and water protections, this dam adversely affects the American Fork River, has structural problems, and generates very little energy. Under the agreement, PacifiCorp plans to close the power plant in September 2006 and remove the diversion structure and pipeline by the end of 2007.