LIHI Pending Application --- (FERC No. 2337) Prospect No. 3 Hydroelectric Project on the South Fork of the Rogue River, Oregon
Notice - May 14, 2010 - LIHI Received a response letter from the Aplicant. This letter is posted below and you can view or download at: PC response 5-14-10.pdf
Notice - May 7, 2010 --- LIHI received a letter from the ODF&W. A pdf of the two-page letter can be found at the bottom of this page and can be accessed by clicking on this title: ODF&W Letter Prospect 5-10-10.pdf
Notice - March 4, 2010 --- LIHI received a letter from the Rogue Riverkeeper asking two questions. The letter is available to read or download by clicking on the link Prospect Comments 3-4-10 located at the bottom of this page.
LIHI also received a response to the Rouge Riverkeeper from PacifiCorp on March 10, 2010:
"Hi, Lesley,
Thanks for your interest in our application for low impact hydro certification for the Prospect No. 3 hydro project.
Our responses to your questions follow:
Question: Are there assessments on how effective release flows at the dam into the "bypassed reach" are for producing native fish habitat or on water quality?
Response: During the FERC relicensing process, various flows were evaluated through the instream incremental flow modeling (IFIM) and wetted perimeter studies. FERC summarized these studies in the relicensing Environmental Assessment (FERC, 1988, pages 9-12) and concluded that:
"Suitable minimum flows must be maintained in the South Fork for the protection of the trout populations. The instream flow study results and the wetted perimeter observations show that a 10-cfs minimum flow release from the project dam would maintain fry habitat and would increase juvenile and adult habitat in the 3.5-mile-long reach downstream of the dam. Therefore, the licensee should release a 10-cfs minimum flow from the project dam for the protection of the fish resources in the South Fork."
Therefore, it was FERC's conclusion during relicensing that bypass flows provided as part of the new license would be adequate for aquatic resources (presumably, both fish habitat and water quality).
Further, PacifiCorp entered into a settlement agreement with ODFW on October 24, 2006, that provides funding of $1 million (escalated 2006 dollars) through 2018. The purpose of this funding is, in part, to study resident trout and enhancement of their habitat upstream of Lost Creek Reservoir. We do not yet have results of such studies from ODFW, but this effort should entail evaluation of the effectiveness of bypass flows provided at the Rogue River hydro projects.
Question: Are the ladders and fish screens regularly maintenanced?
Response: Yes, the ladder and screens are inspected 2-3 times per week. Major maintenance on the screens is scheduled annually.
I hope this addresses your questions. Let me know if you have any further questions, or call me at (503) 813-6629. Monte Garrett, PacifiCorp
Note: LIHI's servers were down during the period that the PacifiCorp response was filed and as a result the response wasn't posted on the web site until late April. We also note that Monte Garret's email response was mailed to Lesley Adams, Rogue Riverkeeper on March 10, 2010.
Prospect No. 3 Powerhouse
Portland, Maine (December 31, 2009) – The Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) announced today that PacifiCorp Energy ("PacifiCorp" or "Applicant") has submitted an application for certification of the Prospect No. 3 Hydroelectric Project ("Project"). The Project is located on the South Fork of the Rogue River, Oregon.
The Rogue River basin encompasses 3,300,000 acres in southwest Oregon and northern California. The Rogue River begins its journey at Boundary Springs in the southern Cascade Mountains before flowing approximately 220 miles west to the Pacific Ocean. The basin has a complex geologic structure and corresponding vegetation patterns. The Rogue River flows from the lava and pumice of the southern Cascade volcanoes to the irrigated farms and orchards surrounding the population centers of Medford and Ashland. More than half the basin is owned by the federal government, with 37% owned by the United States Forest Service. The Rogue River was one of the eight waterways originally protected by the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
Prospect N0. 3 Canal and Fish Screen
The South Fork of the Rogue River originates in the Sky Lakes Wilderness Area of the Cascades and flows 25 miles to a confluence with the mainstem of the Rogue River. In the project vicinity, the South Fork flows through a steep-sided canyon composed of volcanic rock before passing through a relatively flat plateau. Average annual precipitation in the area is 40 inches, most of which falls as snow. The drainage area above the South Fork (Prospect No. 3) diversion dam is 83.8 square miles.
Prospect No. 3 is one of four hydroelectric developments operated by PacifiCorp in the Rogue River basin. The other three developments, Prospect Nos. 1, 2, and 4 are operated under FERC License No. 2630 and are not subjects of this application. Each of the four developments diverts water from a separate tributary to the Rogue River. Prospect No. 3 diverts water from the South Fork to the Middle Fork Rogue River. Prospect No. 3 project boundary occupies 38.1 acres within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Prospect No. 3 Wood Stave Penstock
Prospect No. 3 is a run-of-river project that has a 172-foot-long, 24-foot-high concrete diversion dam with a 98-foot-long ogee crest. The South Fork dam creates a 1-acre impoundment with a gross capacity of 10-acre-feet at an elevation of 3,375 feet. The project has a fish ladder located at the diversion dam and a fish screen and downstream fish-bypass system are located on the canal just below the diversion intake. The project has a 15,952-foot-long conduit system that consists of two concrete-lined canal sections (6,200 feet total), a 66-inch-diameter, 5,306-foot- long woodstave pipe, a 5-foot-wide by 6.5-foot-high, 699-foot-long, concrete lined horseshoe type tunnel, a canal to penstock transition with a 473-foot-long side channel spillway, and a 66- inch to 68-inch-diameter, 3,274-foot-long, riveted steel penstock. The Prospect No. 3 powerhouse contains one generating unit with a rated capacity of 7,200 kW. A concrete tailrace structure approximately 20 feet by 20 feet by 5 feet extends from the powerhouse. A project siphon diverts up to 150 cfs water from the Prospect No. 3 tailrace to the Middle Fork canal, which empties into the North Fork Reservoir that is part of the Prospect Nos. 1, 2, and 4 project. Prospect No. 3 generates an annual average of 37,322 Mwh that are transmitted via a 6.8-mile- long, 69-kV transmission line.
Public Comments - We encourage public comments on this application. Specifically, we are interested in knowing whether you think the Prospect No. 3 Project meets our LIHI criteria. Review the program and criteria in greater detail and then review the Prospect No. 3 Project's application. Comments that are directly tied to specific LIHI 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 at info@lowimpacthydro.org with " Prospect No. 3 Project comments" 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 Eastern time on March 3, 2010 to be considered. All comments will be posted to the web site and the applicant will have an opportunity to respond. Any response will also be posted.