Sorry if this should be in conservation. If the mods feel the need to move it please do.

http://m.tnonline.com/2012/mar/15/55-million-lehighton


I am concerned about this effecting the stream that is near and dear to my passion for fly fishing. I do not know much about hydro electricity, but this can not be good for the PO.

This project has been an on and off again conversation for like 20 years. And I think as of last year or even earlier this year was deemed a money loser for the town. Maybe the grant money changed all that?

All I know is that if this ever comes to fruition the PFBC won't ever allow this to screw up their two-story fishery in Beltz.

VC, I think that article pretty much states it is a done deal.

15.7 million? Must not be a very big hydroelectric plant.

That is bad news for the Po. I'm sure the PFBC is well intentioned but less certain it has the backing of the current administration

I am not completely familiar with the situation but based on what I read and have heard, it seems the “hydro plant” is nothing more than installing a turbine-generator in the current Beltzville dam discharge. Unfortunately the term “hydro plant” conjures up visions of massive impoundments, flooding, creating new lakes, carving new stream channels, creating environmental havoc, etc., but for $15.5 million, this certainly does not appear to be the case.

Upon installation of the T-G, if the reservoir discharge rate remains relatively the same, the stream will not even know there is a T-G in the discharge outlet. Right now the water simply discharges from the reservoir to the stream through the discharge outlet but with the T-G the water will flow through the turbine before entering the stream. In simple terms, the water flowing through the turbine will cause the turbine’s shaft to spin, and the turbine shaft is connected to a generator, which spins and produces electricity. If that is all that is being done, there should be little effect on the stream.

Greenweenie. I believe you are 100% correct. Nice summery.

Kinda depends on demand. The turbine might not run during slow demand periods. The raceway gets shut down to store water till demand increases. If this happens the river below the dam has less water in it and during the summer the rocks get hot and so does the discharge water. There has to be regulated flows to maintain water temp and quality.imo GG

I'd be curious to see what the release plan is like.

If they can avoid those days of 12 cfs releases, it could help the fish. Maybe they won't have to have those horrendous releases after a heavy rain, or to keep the salt line down on the lower Delaware. Wishful thinking.

It'll be interesting to see if they can develop a more "stable" release schedule, while maintaining the cold temperatures of the release.

I'm not holding my breath that sustaining the cold water fishery is gonna be a priority. Let's not forget - this impacts the Lehigh as well...

The impact or lack of impact will depend on how they manage flows.

The power companies prefer to do "peaking flows" i.e. to run the water through at high volume at time when demand for electric is high, and shut the flow way down to store up water when the demand is low.

But that has the most environmental impact on both the stream below and the lake fishery.

But the licensing requirements can require particular flow regimes. They could require that flow management stay the same as now. Or they could require "run of the river" flows, which means that the amount of flow discharged is the same amount flowing into the reservoir.

If the flows are managed right, I think these hydro retrofits are a good thing. They generate clean electricity. There has been talk of putting one on Sayers Dam on Bald Eagle Creek. If you go the discharge of that dam you can hear and see the power of the water roaring through there.

It should be spinning a turbine and generating electricity. It seems like the "low hanging fruit" in clean energy to put turbines on some of these dams.

You could get your TU chapter together and send a letter to the proper authorities and ask that the licensing require a flow regime that protects the fishery in the stream below, and in the reservoir, rather than allowing "peaking flows" where the flow below the dam is either a trickle or a torrent.

15.7 million dollar project to save the borough 2.3 million over 50 years? Doesn't sound very cost effective.

I'm sure the PFBC staff for this region is all over this and has everything under control and will ensure the fishery below Beltzville isn't harmed. And maybe this might be an oppurtunity for improvements too?

I will be attending a meeting tonight at the Pohopoco club to begin to have a plan. Christman will also be at the LRSA meeting next Tuesday and I plan on attending that to get some questions answered. Dean I plan on attending the Lcfa meeting on the second, will it be at the conservancy or at Demarkis's shop?

Next months speaker for the Western Pocono TU will be the Pennsylvania TU president, hopefully he can help us with this.

I am hoping there is a chance to get the Po assessed for possible class A protection.

Shane

We had to move the meeting to March 27th at Joe's shop - 6:30. Feel free to join us. We have a pretty hefty agenda, but ths Po-Hydro project will get tacked on to it now.

As for the Po being class A. I totally agree. There is some data on the PFBC website about the most recent shocking data. In discussions with the PFBC biologists, they have suspicion that any fingerling brown trout come thru the reservoir gates after they stock the lake.

We have had discussions with the PFBC commissioners on this issue. This can be a great little fishery if managed properly.

I can bring you up to speed and how we can join forces. Send me a PM with your email or shoot me an email when you get time.

Does anyone know the minimum discharge rate required to power the proposed turbine generator? Just wondering what happens when the flow goes below this level. Would the operator of the dam be compelled to increase the flow for power generation?