LIHI Certificate #24– Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station, Lock & Dam 7 on the Kentucky River, Kentucky
Mother Ann Lee Hydropower Becomes First Kentucky Hydropower
Project to be Certified as Low Impact
At their March 28, 2007 Board Meeting the LIHI Governing Board cerftified the Mother Ann Lee Hydropower Project as Low Impact.
The Mother Ann Lee's unusual powerhouse sits above the Kentucky River
to stay above flood elevations
In October 2006, Lock 7 Partners, LLC submitted an application for Low Impact certification of its Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station which is located at Lock & Dam 7 on the Kentucky River in Kentucky. The dam is part of a system of lock and dams on the Kentucky River between Beattyville in eastern Kentucky to Carrollton on the Ohio River.
The Kentucky River Navigation system, locks and dams, is one of the oldest still operating in the United States. Kentucky River Locks and dams 1 through 5 go back to 1836-1842 and were constructed by the state under their Chief Engineer, Sylvester Welch. Lock No. 7 at river mile 117, is located in High Bridge at the end of Kentucky route 29.
Post card, circa 1915, Lock 7, Highbridge, Kentucky
In 1876 High Bridge was the location of the highest railway bridge in the world, and the first railroad cantilever bridge. Lock No. 7 is one half mile below the bridge, past a pair of stone portals. Across the dam is the Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station (FERC No. 539).
Lock 7 is a timber-crib dam with a stone lock chamber built in 1896-97 by the Corps of Engineers for barge navigation. The original license for the Lock 7 Project was issued to the Kentucky Hydro Electric Company on August 19, 1926 and the project was constructed in 1927-28. The license was transferred to Kentucky Utilities in December 1928. The current license, issued in 1992 was transferred from Kentucky Utilities to Lock 7 Hydro Partners on November 23, 2005.
SUMMARY
Facility location: The Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station (until 2005, this project was called the "Lock 7 Project") is owned by the Lock & Dam 7 Hydro Partners, LLC.
Installed capacity: 2.04 Megawatts (MW)
Average annual generation: 8,300 Megawatt Hours (MWH)
FERC license: FERC No. 539 issued May 26, 1992 (transferred to Applicant November 23, 2005)
Applicant: David Brown Kinloch, President/CEO Lock 7 Hydro Partners, LLC 414 South Wenzel Street Louisville, Kentucky 40204
Date application posted to website: October 11, 2006
Date public comment period closes: December 11, 2006
Projected date for preliminary certification decision: January 2007
APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION
Lock 7 Partners, LLC has submitted an application for certification of its Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station which is located at Lock & Dam 7 on the Kentucky River in Kentucky. The dam is part of a system of lock and dams on the Kentucky River between Beattyville in eastern Kentucky to Carrollton on the Ohio River.
The Kentucky River Navigation system, locks and dams, is one of the oldest still operating in the United States. Kentucky River Locks and dams 1 through 5 go back to 1836-1842 and were constructed by the state under their Chief Engineer, Sylvester Welch. Lock No. 7 at river mile 117, is located in High Bridge at the end of Kentucky route 29.
In 1876 High Bridge was the location of the highest railway bridge in the world, and the first railroad cantilever bridge. Lock No. 7 is one half mile below the bridge, past a pair of stone portals. Across the dam is the Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station (FERC No. 539).
Lock 7 is a timber-crib dam with a stone lock chamber built in 1896-97 by the Corps of Engineers for barge navigation. The original license for the Lock 7 Project was issued to the Kentucky Hydro Electric Company on August 19, 1926 and the project was constructed in 1927-28. The license was transferred to Kentucky Utilities in December 1928. The current license, issue in 1992 was transferred from Kentucky Utilities to Lock 7 Hydro Partners on November 23, 2005.
The existing project consists of:
- a concrete substructure, about 116-feet long, with a 36-foot-long solid concrete section and an 80-foot-long hollow dam spillway, containing trash racks, six intake gates, three turbines, and discharge facilities;
- a 93-foot-long, 25-foot-wide and 16.5-foot-high superstructure/powerhouse located above the spillway, supported by hollow concrete piers, with three 680 kW generating units having a total installed capacity of 2, 040 kW;
- a forebay about 120-foot-long and 100-foot-wide;
- a substation located on the west bank;
- a foot bridge, about 85-feet long, connecting the substation with the powerhouse;
- a 34.5 kV, 4,540-foot-long transmission line , with a right-of-way ranging from 50-feet to 200-feet-wide (about half of this line is owned by the applicant, the remainder is leased from Kentucky Utilities); and,
- appurtenant facilities.
60-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE MOTHER ANN LEE HYDROELECTRIC STATION RUNS TO DECEMBER 11, 2006 We encourage public comments on this application. Specifically, we are interested in knowing whether you think the Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station meets our Low Impact criteria. Review our program and criteria (click on the "Low Impact Certification Program" to the left), and then review the Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station information. Comments that are directly tied to specific Low Impact criteria (flows, water quality, fish passage, etc) will be most helpful, but all comments will be considered. Comments may be submitted to the Institute by e-mail (preferred) at info@lowimpacthydro.org with " Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Station " in the subject line; by fax at (206) 984-3086; or by mail addressed to LIHI, 34 Providence Street, Portland, ME 04103.
Comments must be received at the Institute on or before 5 pm pacific time on December 11, 2006 to be considered. All comments will be posted to the web site and Lock 7 Hydro Partners will have an opportunity to respond. Any response will also be posted.