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Applegate Dam proposed for hydropower retrofit

4/20/06 Update:

Scoping for the environmental analysis will be coming out soon, sign up here for more information...

Picture: Current dam structure at Applegate Dam, Applegate River, SW Oregon

Symbiotics, LLC, is the applicant for the Applegate Dam Hydroelectric Project (FERC #11910)

Filing documents are currently available and downloaded in PDF format at:    http://www.symbioticsenergy.com

        
 APPLEGATE DAM KEY ISSUES

Various members of the community have concerns about the proposed hydropower project for several reasons including:

• Transmission lines
• Increased fish mortality
• Is there a need?  Doesn’t the greater Rogue Watershed already provide more than enough hydropower for our regional needs?

• Oregon Water Resources Department has already issued a water right to ODFW for reservoir storage for fisheries enhancement as well as three instream water rights downstream from the project.  Operation of hydro would have to be feasible being subordinate to the fish enhancement purposes of these water rights on an annual, seasonal, daily, hourly, and instantaneous time scales.

• Operation of the project should be evaluated for any potential ramping of the Applegate River.
• Analysis of long-term climate change on snowpack and feasibility of operating a hydro facility with reduced water availability and snowmelt.
• Effects on life below dam besides fisheries- particularly algae and macroinvertebrates.
• The uptake of nitrogen and phosphorous may be affected by this project, particularly on nitrogen-fixing organisms.  Need Water Quality studies that look at fate of phosphorous or nitrogen below the proposed project relative to compliance with water quality standards.

Applegate Dam Hydroelectric Project notes:

The project, as proposed by Symbiotics LLC, will have an installed capacity of 10-12 mW generated from two vertical Francis turbine units.

The project also includes installation of a conduit, downstream outlet gates, a powerhouse, draft tubes, an impoundment area, turbines and generators, and a 15 mile transmission line to connect to the Ruch substation.

Symbiotics, Inc. is a subsidiary of NW Power Services of Rigby, Idaho.  The study of dam feasibility is being completed by the Ecosystem Research Institute of Logan, Utah.  Symbiotics, Inc. has applied for over 250 dam permits in the United States over the last 2 years. 

The Applegate project was initially authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962 and construction was completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1980.