LIHI Certificate #14 - Raquette River Project, Raquette River, New York , (FERC #s 2060, 2084,2320, and 2330)
Brookfield Power Receives Re-Certification From Low Impact Hydropower Institute for Hydropower Facilities on the Raquette River
Portland, Maine - (April 15, 2010) - The Institute's Governing Board has determined that the Raquette River Project, FERC Nos. 2060, 2084, 2320, and 2330 continues to meet the Low Impact Hydropower Certification Criteria.
In reaching its decision to certify the Raquette River Project, the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer's report. Both the Staff and Application Reviewer recommended certification, however the Institute's discovery of the absence of Brookfield having followed through and complied with the December 2006 FERC-required flow and water level monitoring plan for the area below Raymondville was significant, and certification should not occur prior to this situation correcting itself. On March 24, LIHI received the materials Brookfield submitted to FERC and after LIHI review, we believe this information confirms that agreement has been reached with the NYDEC regarding the flow and water level monitoring plan. This corrects the situation to LIHI's satisfaction.
The Board's vote to re-certify the Raquette River Project as a Low Impact facility was unanimous. There were no public comment on the application, and therefore no party eligible to appeal the facility's certification. Certification is effective July 9, 2009 and is valid for five years and will expire July 9, 2014. Copies of the Application Reviewer's report is available on the LIHI website.
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Original LIHI Certification 2004
On October 27, 2004 LIHI's Governing Board determined that the Raquette River Project, FERC Nos. 2060, 2084, 2320, and 2330 meets the Low Impact Hydropower Certification Criteria. In reaching its decision to certify the Raquette River Project, the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer's report and the Staff report. Both the Staff and Application Reviewer recommended certification. The Board applauds the efforts made by the owner and resource agencies in taking a watershed approach in preparing and implementing a Settlement Agreement on this large multi-dam project.
The Settlement Agreement has provided an extensive array of watershed and river ecosystem benefits that are expected to yield significant improvements to water quality and aquatic life. These benefits include increased base flows in the lower river below Raymondville, restoration of over 10 miles of previously bypassed reaches, and protection of thousands of acres of lake habitat as a result of reduced reservoir draw-downs. The Settlement Agreement also included relicensing the Upper Raquette projects ahead of schedule, with associated ecosystem and watershed benefits being realized earlier than would have been otherwise required.
SUMMARY
Facility location: Raquette River, New York
Installed capacity of 160.3 MW total from four Raquette River Projects:
Carry Falls (FERC No. 2060) – 0 MW (storage)
Upper Raquette (FERC 2084) – 102.4 MW
Middle Raquette (FERC 2320) – 45.9 MW
Lower Raquette (FERC 2330) – 12.0
These four projects consist of fourteen facilities (from upstream to downstream) Carry Falls, Stark, Blake, Rainbow, Five Falls, South Colton, Higley, Colton, Hannawa, Sugar Island, Norwood, East Norfolk, Norfolk, and Raymondville
Average annual generation: 807,390 megawatt hours
FERC License: All relicensed with FERC in 2002 via a collaboratively developed agreement
Applicant: Brascan Power New York
Applicant contact: Mr. Sam S. Hirschey, P.E., telephone (315) 413-2790
Date application posted to website: July 9, 2004
Date public comment period closed: September 9, 2004
Date of certification decision: October 21, 2004
Effective Date of Certification: July 9, 2004
Date Certification expires: July 9, 2009
BACKGROUND
The Raquette River project is located on the RaquetteRiver in northern, New York. On July 9, 2004, Reliant Energy (now Brascan Power New York) submitted a consolidated application for certification of its Raquette River Hydroelectric Project which consists of 14 developments and four FERC Projects.
On October 21, 2004, the Institute's Governing Board determined that the Raquette River Project, FERC Nos. 2060, 2084, 2320, and 2330 meets the Low Impact Hydropower Certification Criteria.
In reaching its decision to certify the Raquette River Project, the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer's report and the Staff report.
The Board applauds the efforts made by the owner and resource agencies in taking a watershed approach in preparing and implementing a Settlement Agreement on this large multi-dam project. The Settlement Agreement has provided an extensive array of watershed and river ecosystem benefits that are expected to yield significant improvements to water quality and aquatic life. These benefits include increased base flows in the lower river below Raymondville, restoration of over 10 miles of previously bypassed reaches, and protection of thousands of acres of lake habitat as a result of reduced reservoir draw-downs.
The Settlement Agreement also included relicensing the Upper Raquette projects ahead of schedule, with associated ecosystem and watershed benefits being realized earlier than would have been otherwise required.
The Board's vote to certify the Raquette River Project as a Low Impact facility was unanimous. There were no public commenters on the application, and therefore no party eligible to appeal the facility's certification. Certification is effective July 9, 2004 and is valid for five years and will expire July 9, 2009.
In reaching its decision to certify the Raquette River Project, the Low Impact Hydropower Institute's Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer's report and the Staff report. Both the Staff and Application Reviewer recommended certification. The Board applauds the efforts made by the owner and resource agencies in taking a watershed approach in preparing and implementing a Settlement Agreement on this large multi-dam project. The Settlement Agreement has provided an extensive array of watershed and river ecosystem benefits that are expected to yield significant improvements to water quality and aquatic life. These benefits include increased base flows in the lower river below Raymondville, restoration of over 10 miles of previously bypassed reaches, and protection of thousands of acres of lake habitat as a result of reduced reservoir draw-downs. The Settlement Agreement also included relicensing the Upper Raquette projects ahead of schedule, with associated ecosystem and watershed benefits being realized earlier than would have been otherwise required.
Copies of both the staff report and the Application Reviewer's are available on the LIHI website (see below).
The Board's vote to certify the Raquette River Project as a Low Impact facility was unanimous. There were no public commenters on the application, and therefore no party eligible to appeal the facility's certification. Certification is effective July 9, 2004 and is valid for five years and will expire July 9, 2009.