[env-trinity] [FOTR] CalTrout and International Rivers Network Comments on WSJ Op-Ed

[Allen Harthorn]

Even really small hydro is not so green.  PGE's Centerville Powerhouse 
outside of Chico is rated at 5.8 MW.  As we all know that is a misnomer 
since during the critical low water period of summer, it rarely produces 
more than 2 MW.  When you you realize that prior to 1992 the minimum 
flow in the prime salmon holding and spawning areas was 20cfs in normal 
years and 10 in dry years, Centerville was a major fish killer for a 
paltry amount of power 
(http://buttecreek.org/documents/SpringRunNumbers.pdf).  Even today PGE 
struggles to maintain temperature in the low flow section (now with a 
40cfs normal year and 20 cfs dry year flow since 1992) because they try 
to squeeze out a few more KW's.  2002 and 2003 saw major fish kills 
(7000 and 11,000 prespawn endnagered salmon) that were characterized as 
natural loss due to high temperatuere.  Never mind that PGE controls the 
temperature in the low flow section.  Recent temperature data from the 
relicensing of the project show great benefits to shutting down the 
Centerville Powerhouse (at least during summer) and running all the 
water down the creek.  Please join me in requesting PGE to shut down the 
Centerville Powerhouse and let the creek run free.  We have nearly 
20,000 endangered spriing run salmon  this summer and they will be hard 
pressed to make it thorugh the summer with only 40cfs.  Normal summer 
flow ranges from 80 to 120cfs.  PGE would like to spend 40 million to 
replace the powerhouse which would buy a nice solar generating plant 
anywhere.  For more information on Butte Creek visit www.buttecreek.org
Allen Harthorn, Executive Director
Friends of Butte Creek

Byron Leydecker wrote:

> June 1, 2007
>
>  
>
> Shikha Dalmia's commentary (Dam the Salmon, May 30, 2007) grossly 
> mischaracterizes two complex issues--the global warming impact of 
> hydropower reservoirs and the restoration of the Klamath River.
>
>  
>
> Ms. Dalmia seems to think that reservoirs do not release greenhouse 
> gases. This is quite wrong. Because of the rotting of flooded organic 
> matter, dams worldwide are an important source of global warming 
> pollution - according to the latest research causing 4-5% of the total 
> human impact on our climate.
>
>  
>
> No measurements have been made of gases released from the Klamath. Yet 
> the water quality in the reservoirs is extremely poor - usually an 
> indicator of elevated emissions, especially of methane, a powerful 
> greenhouse gas. Hence the greenhouse gas pollution from hydropower 
> production on the Klamath may be significant.
>
>  
>
> The Klamath dams have been analyzed in depth over the past 7 years as 
> the five-dam project owned by Warren Buffet's PacifiCorp is under 
> Federal Energy Regulatory Commission review for a new hydropower 
> license. This analysis has uncovered a project that is economically 
> shaky, provides a small fraction of PacifiCorp's hydroelectric power, 
> and contributes to water quality problems that are a threat to human 
> health.   The Klamath dams have all but extinguished tribal rights to 
> fish for salmon and collapsed the commercial salmon fishing industry 
> along 700 miles of coastal Oregon and California.
>
>  
>
> As the California Energy Commission notes, the retirement of 
> inefficient generation facilities with high environmental impacts is a 
> standard feature of the power generation industry.  The small capacity 
> of the Klamath River hydroelectric project---160 MW capacity but low 
> flows mean that it operates at only half of this potential---results 
> in meager power benefits that are outweighed by the far reaching 
> economic, social and environmental costs of the dams
>
>  
>
> A large contingent of tribes, federal, state and local government 
> agencies, environmental groups and local farmers are working to 
> address the many issues surrounding the removal of dams on the Klamath 
> River.  This roll-up-your sleeves approach to solving complex resource 
> issues is the hope for the future in addressing climate change, large 
> scale restoration projects, and especially the situation in the 
> Klamath Basin.
>
>  
>
> Brian Stranko, Executive Director, California Trout
>
> Patrick McCully, Executive Director, International Rivers Network
>
>  
>
> California Trout has been involved in the Klamath River dams 
> relicensing negotiations since 2000.  www.caltrout.org
>
> International Rivers Network has published several reports on 
> greenhouse gas emissions from dams and reservoirs. www.irn.org
>
>  
>
>  
>
> Byron Leydecker
>
> Friends of Trinity River, Chair
>
> California Trout, Inc., Advisor
>
> PO Box 2327
>
> Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327
>
> 415 383 4810 
>
> 415 519 4810 cell
>
> bwl3 at comcast.net <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net>
>
> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org>
>
> http://www.fotr.org
>
> http://www.caltrout.org
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________________
>FOTR mailing list
>FOTR at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
>http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/fotr
>  
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20070607/61eb08ed/attachment.html>