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Jul 06 , 2010
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First edition of the Clark Fork Project Newsletter. | Post by Anna Scarlett
Avista’s two hydroelectric dams on the Clark Fork River, Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids, generate more than 80 percent of the clean, renewable hydropower that we generate for our customers throughout Idaho and Washington. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the first power generated at Noxon Rapids, our largest hydro facility and, arguably, the most impressive.
In addition to the daily work of operating of these impressive plants, more than 40 employees work with dozens of stakeholders to protect the natural resources around them, and help contribute to the communities and the economy of northern Idaho and Montana through their efforts.
Want to know more? We’ve launched a quarterly newsletter highlighting our operations and environmental activities and spotlighting employees and individuals doing this important daily work. Each season, we plan to distribute the newsletter stakeholders, Avista employees, customers and others who sign up for it. Take a look here.
Mar 10 , 2010
“ Columbia Country,” which airs Sunday afternoons on Fox stations throughout the northwest, is featuring two Avista projects as part of its “Safekeeping” segments. “Safekeeping” is a sponsored segment that highlights environmental activities, often focusing on efforts to protect and enhance fish habitat.
The Clark Fork Project segment features an ongoing collaborative project on Lake Pend Oreille to reduce the population of invasive lake trout. Lake Pend Oreille was once a world-class fishery for rainbow trout, bull trout and kokanee. In recent years, the lake has been taken over by lake trout (also called mackinaw), which do not coexist well with native bull trout, and which prey on kokanee, depleting the food sources for rainbow and bull trout. This project offers angler incentives and brings in commercial netters to “fish out” the invasive lake trout.
Avista helps fund the Lake Pend Oreille project through our Clark Fork Project license, which includes Noxon Rapids Dam in Montana and Cabinet Gorge Dam in northern Idaho.
The Spokane segment features a new rainbow trout spawning study on the Spokane River, part of our new 50-year operating license for the five hydroelectric developments that make up Avista’s Spokane River Project. The spawning study is part of a ten-year collaboration with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to better understand the relationship between river flow and the rainbow trout population and their spawning habitat from Monroe Street Dam downstream to Nine Mile Dam.
A similar project has been in effect for several years in the Upper Spokane River, and we hope this project will help us better understand how managing river flows affects water levels in Lake Coeur d’Alene and habitat for rainbow trout downstream. By doing so, we hope to ultimately encourage growth of the rainbow trout population in the Spokane River.
Both of these projects show how Avista works with others to care for the natural resources affected by our projects. They are great examples of how we make our commitment to environment part of our daily operations throughout Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.
Oct 30 , 2009
Oftentimes a hydro dam looks like a block of earth and cement, just holding back water. Not much happening, right? Well, peel back the layers and you’ll find an incredibly high-tech operation that is constantly in motion.
As Avista’s largest single generation facility, the Noxon Rapids Dam in Montana is an impressive structure that has been in operation more than 50 years. But just like your house, after 50 years, it’s due for some upgrades.
One of the upgrades currently underway is the replacement of the turbine runner for Unit 3 in the dam. The dam’s five units are capable of producing as much as 548 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity. Unit 3 generates about 100 megawatts of electricity by itself.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28 I was at the dam and produced a video about the removal of the turbine runner – the massive section of the unit that is spun by water. Avista Electric Foreman Howard Johnson actually let me go inside the penstock (well-supervised) to see the final preparations for the removal of the turbine.
The penstock is normally filled with rushing water that slams into the turbine. It was a little creepy climbing through the tiny porthole to get in – I’m not shy about saying that. But today the penstock was filled with workers getting the turbine ready for removal and prepped for its replacement. The new turbine, which should be in around March will produce more electricity than its predecessor – saving customers money.
Upgrading our electric system isn’t just about power lines or the things you see every day, it’s also where the power comes from, like hydro dams. Most people don’t get to see work like this, so I produced this video to show the final prep work and removal of the Unit 3’s turbine.
The video shows some of the damage and maintenance on the turbine over the last 50 years and why a new one is prudent. Check out the video.
So the next time I write something about upgrading our system, think about this massive 250,000-pound turbine being lifted across the deck of the dam all in the name of producing hydro electricity better and cheaper for customers.
Oct 02 , 2009
Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending the rededication of the Noxon Rapids Dam in Montana – 50 years after it first started cranking out renewable hydroelectric power. The dam is an important piece of Avista’s electric generation – providing 548.4 megawatts. That’s enough power for about 411,000 homes for comparison sake.
But the ceremony was more than what the power provided means. It was about Sanders County and its people. The dam certainly changed the face of the county half a century ago. It brought jobs, schools, a doubling of the population and it undeniably changed the environment on the Clark Fork River. This is why the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement was also celebrated yesterday. About 10 years ago, the agreement was signed for managing and protecting the natural resources associated with the hydro project.
As many speakers noted during the day, the settlement agreement wasn’t easy. It was really the first of its kind to bring in multiple stakeholders as a team to figure out what’s best for the surrounding environment. The money that is usually spent on lawyers and litigation during the long relicensing of dams, could now be spent on the work needed to be done to help mitigate any environmental impacts.
It took trust and faith that Avista would follow through on its promises. Looking back 10 years later, the agreement is a standout success, as speakers from environmental groups, local tribes and government agencies attested. It’s a living relicense that is monitored constantly – the work continues today. You can learn more about the agreement here.
Not to get “all touchy feely,” but yesterday really made me proud of my company and co-workers. It was a great day.
Sep 28 , 2009
It’s been 50 years since Avista’s Noxon Rapids Hydroelectric dam first generated electricity. That’s half a century of supplying clean renewable energy to residents of Idaho and Washington. We’re not letting this event slip by without a bit of celebration. This Thursday, Oct. 1, we’re going to rededicate the dam in a public ceremony that you can attend. We’ll also be providing rare tours of the dam (yes, actually inside the thing).
During this same event we’re also recognizing the 10-year anniversary of the Clark Fork Settlement agreement. This is a multi-stakeholder agreement for managing and protecting the natural resources associated with the hydro project. This agreement has been held up across the country as a model of doing hydro projects the right way.
If you’d like to attend the event, be at Pilgrim Creek Park in Noxon, Mont., noon MST. Buses will take you to the dam overlook for ceremonies. The rededication ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. at the lower Noxon Rapids overlook, and will include remarks by Scott Morris, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Avista Corp., Richard Opper, director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and a representative of Montana Trout Unlimited.
The community celebration will be held at Pilgrim Creek Park beginning at 3 p.m., and will include public tours of Noxon Rapids Dam, as well as a picnic, music, displays and poster contest awards.
A dam tour for those attending the ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Buses leave Pilgrim Creek Park for the two other public tours of the dam at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tours should take 90-minutes including roundtrip drive time. Noxon is not a public facility and therefore is not ADA accessible. Tour participants must be able to walk for an extended period of time and climb stairs. You must register and show photo ID to take the tour. Children under 18, must register and be accompanied by an adult. Wear close-toed comfortable walking shoes.
All times are Mountain Time.
Sep 22 , 2009 “We’ve Made History Together!” This isn’t just a teaser on publicity materials for the anniversary celebration of Noxon Rapids Dam and the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, it’s a true statement. Avista has been providing energy to people and been part of the communities in the Inland Northwest since 1889. And the 50th anniversary of the first power generated at Noxon Rapids provides another opportunity to reflect on that history – a history marked by foresight, community outreach and working with others to protect the environment.
A new brochure that was distributed in Sanders County, Mont. and will be distributed to attendees of the anniversary celebration honors the history of Avista on the Clark Fork with the story of Noxon Rapids, a story of community growth, environmental stewardship, and relationship building over the past half century. Check out the brochure.
The Noxon Rapids 50th/Clark Fork Settlement Agreement 10th Anniversary celebration will be held in Noxon, Mont., Oct. 1. The public celebration, which will include a free community picnic, live band and tours of Noxon Rapids, begins at 3 p.m. at Pilgrim Creek Park, and is open to the public, Avista employees, contract employees and retirees.
Sep 10 , 2009
Avista’s two largest hydroelectric dams are located on the Clark Fork River in Idaho and Montana. The Clark Fork Hydroelectric Project consists of Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids dams, and produces about 80 percent of Avista’s hydro power and half of our total power. As of this year, the project has been providing clean, renewable electricity to customers for a half-century.
This year marks two big milestones for the project – the 50th anniversary of the first power generated at Noxon Rapids Dam, and the 10th anniversary of the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement.
A little history
Avista, then Washington Water Power, began construction of Noxon Rapids Dam in 1956, after completing Cabinet Gorge a few miles downstream in 1953. The construction of Noxon Rapids was a boon to the economy of Sanders County, Montana, and the surrounding area, and Noxon Rapids began generating its first power on July 7, 1959. A dedication ceremony in 1960 drew a crowd of thousands to the tiny community of Noxon, Montana.
The Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, a multi-stakeholder agreement about how to manage and protect the natural resources of the area, was signed in 1999 after several years of collaboration, and resulted in the Clark Fork Project license. This single license to operate both Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids took effect March 1, 2001, in an unprecedented issuance of the license by FERC a year before the existing Cabinet Gorge license expired.
Let’s celebrate
We’ve been marking these milestones throughout the year with a variety of activities, and over the next few weeks the commemoration will ramp up even more. This Saturday, September 12, Avista will host a charity golf tournament in Thompson Falls to benefit Sanders County Community Housing Authority, a non-profit agency that promotes the availability of affordable housing to residents of Sanders County and offers weatherization and home repair programs for low-income, elderly and disabled home owners. We will also hold a re-dedication and community celebration of Noxon Rapids on October 1.
All of our activities emphasize Avista’s commitment to community, environment, and collaboration in our operations on the Clark Fork.
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