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Bowman Dam Hydro Power
A small town in Oregon is reimagining what a renewable hydropower project can be. Ochoco Irrigation District, the City of Prineville and Crook County, are proposing a project that will benefit the community while positioning themselves for long-term sustainability.
BACKGROUND:
Through a collaborative approach, the three partners are proposing to develop a hydroelectric project on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Bowman Dam. The hydropower project will help the entire region through the generation of carbon-free electricity, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, improve irrigation district operations and maintenance, and provide a long-term revenue source to finance infrastructure improvements.
Oregon statute (ORS 509.585) requires the installation of upstream and downstream passage for native migratory fish prior to the construction or fundamental change in permit status of an artificial obstruction to fish passage across a water of the state. The installation of hydropower at an existing dam is considered a fundamental change in permit status that triggers the requirement for passage.
Bowman Dam was built without any fish passage facilities. Fish passage at Bowman Dam would be technically very difficult and extremely expensive. The effectiveness of fish passage would be questionable, and revenues generated by the proposed hydroelectric project would not likely be sufficient to fund construction and operation of passage facilities.
ORS 509.585(7) allows for the State Fish and Wildlife Commission to waive the requirement for fish passage if it determines that, “. . . the alternatives to fish passage proposed by the person owning or operating the artificial obstruction provide a net benefit to native migratory fish.”
As the license applicant, Ochoco Irrigation District will apply for a fish passage waiver, which will include proposed mitigation, as well as an evaluation of fish passage options.
