1 / 11

On the Ground... In the Water... Practical Lessons learned

On the Ground... In the Water... Practical Lessons learned. David Heintzman PGE Hydro Licensing NWHA February 20, 2008. NWHA February 20, 2008. “Practical” Lesson Flavors. Painful Surprising Anticipated Fortuitous Unfortunate Insightful. NWHA February 20, 2008. The Project.

fairly
Download Presentation

On the Ground... In the Water... Practical Lessons learned

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. On the Ground...In the Water...Practical Lessons learned David Heintzman PGE Hydro Licensing NWHA February 20, 2008 NWHA February 20, 2008

  2. “Practical” Lesson Flavors • Painful • Surprising • Anticipated • Fortuitous • Unfortunate • Insightful NWHA February 20, 2008

  3. The Project Willamette Falls Hydroelectric Project • Located at Natural Water Falls/Barrier • Highly modified over prior 150 years, • Physical development (other industry) • Fish resources (State fish ladder, hatchery ops) End of prior 50-year license • Totally different landscape • Resource management • Relicensing process and expectations NWHA February 20, 2008

  4. Challenge(s) • Fish • Fish • Fish & • Lamprey Fish Provide safer downstream passage of juvenile salmonids past the Project (i.e., through the Powerhouse AND over the Falls.) NWHA February 20, 2008

  5. Challenges Find alternative to Criteria Screening of Powerhouse intake of 7,000cfs and large forebay elevation changes. “Modified” flow around Falls leading to responsibility of fish over Falls. Survival standard goal (99.5%) vs. Actionable survival standard (>98%). NWHA February 20, 2008

  6. Implemented Actions Alternate Powerhouse Bypass systems • Improved Forebay hydraulics • New Fish Bypass Route (2 total) • Test to prove performance Safer passage over Falls during the adverse conditions • Flow Control Structure to focus low flows. • Test “passed” fish to prove performance NWHA February 20, 2008

  7. New and extended guidewall Curved rack entrance Paved forebay floor Existing bypass outfall link chute New Bypass System chute NWHA February 20, 2008

  8. Flow Control Structure (FCS) Three 50’ wide flow bays (inflatable bladder gates) Natural chute into deep pool NWHA February 20, 2008

  9. Lessons Learned • Engaging participants responsible for the resource to help protect the resource works...but it takes time and effort. • Testing performance of alternate structures is time consuming and expensive. • Things change, but frequent stakeholder site visits and conversation during construction makes field changes easier and acceptable. • Settlement vs. FERC license: How to satisfy both as well as parties. NWHA February 20, 2008

  10. Other Lessons Learned • Lamprey (the ‘other’ fish) proved difficult to manage...not well understood, not listed. • Older Project details not well documented • Field fit -> performance->more testing • “Make it happen” construction needs restraint (air-raid horns at ‘oh-dark-thirty’ not good!) • Be open to, and watch for, gifts (ingenuity, agency ideas, secondary benefits, etc.) • Settlement vs. FERC License....longer term!?!? NWHA February 20, 2008

More Related