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Rock Island Dam modernization moves forward

Chelan County PUD
News Release
8/15/2005

PUD commissioners Monday approved the next step in modernizing up to five of the 10 original generating units in the first powerhouse at Rock Island Dam.

VA Tech Hydro USA of Charlotte, N. C., was awarded the $21.9 million contract to manufacture, install and test one generating unit. The firm was one of two chosen in August 2004 to compete for the contract after submitting initial proposals.

“It’s a milestone when the oldest powerhouse on the Columbia River is going to be modernized,” said Ed Odom, Generation assistant general manager.

It will take about a year to manufacture the unit. Installation is scheduled for August 2006, and one year of test operations will start in May 2007. Decisions on installing additional units will follow, depending on the first results.

Model testing conducted by an independent lab as part of the evaluation process showed the VA Tech Hydro design is expected to deliver about 8 percent more power over the 40-year life of the new unit and will be more fish friendly, explained Brett Bickford, PUD hydro engineering manager.

The project could continue through 2012 if all five units are modernized.

In a related move, PUD commissioners agreed to have the state Department of Transportation design new turn lanes for the entrance to Rock Island Dam from Highway 28. The new entrance is needed to increase safety at the intersection with the increase in traffic expected from the powerhouse modernization.

Once designed, the construction will be included in a paving project already planned for that stretch of the East Wenatchee-Quincy highway. Total PUD cost for improving the intersection is estimated at $1.5 million.             

PUD joins Okanogan sockeye enhancement program

Chelan County PUD will provide funding to help rear sockeye salmon in Skaha Lake in British Columbia.

The program, launched by the Okanagan Nation Alliance, is aimed at returning sockeye after a 50-year absence to Skaha Lake, part of the Okanagan River system, increasing their current range. The juvenile fish then migrate into the U.S. Okanogan River and then into the Columbia past PUD dams on their way to the ocean. 

Chelan County PUD has agreed to enhance sockeye runs in the Okanogan Basin as part of Habitat Conservation Plans for Rock Island and Rocky Reach dams. The PUD already rears sockeye in Lake Wenatchee net pens to meet requirements for Wenatchee River Basin sockeye runs, but that program is not suitable for Okanogan sockeye. 

Shaun Seaman, PUD Fish and Wildlife director, said the Okanagan Nation Alliance program offers an opportunity for the PUD to join a program that is well supported in Canada and shows great promise of success.

Chelan and Grant County PUDs will split the cost for the next rearing cycle, putting Chelan’s share at about $285,000 for the next 20 months. PUD commissioners approved a 2005 budget revision for $120,000 since the cycle starts next month. The balance for the first cycle will be included in the 2006 budget. 

In other business, commissioners:

• Sold surplus rotor poles from Rocky Reach Dam to Northwest Metals and Salvage Service Inc. of Seattle for $411,400. Asbestos was discovered in the insulation of the poles being removed during the upgrade of the original seven powerhouse generators, which required extra steps for disposal. PUD commissioners followed a staff recommendation and chose a firm that will salvage the copper and steel in the United States and dispose of the asbestos at an EPA-approved site. The PUD turned down a higher offer from a firm that planned to dispose of the asbestos in China, making it difficult to ensure that worker safety and environmental standards are met.
• Declared an emergency so new parts for the wicket gates on Unit C-9 at Rocky Reach Dam can be ordered and installed before a problem with the bushings gets worse. The greaseless bushings are sticking. It can take up to three months to get the parts. Plans are to install them in early 2006, but it may be done sooner.
• Visited with Corky Broaddus, Wenatchee River Salmon Festival director, who thanked the District for its strong support over the last 15 years and invited commissioners to attend the Sept. 15-18 event at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery.
• Scheduled General Counsel Carol Wardell’s evaluation for 10 a.m. on Aug. 29 in executive session.

** *

The next regular meeting of the PUD commission will start  at 11 a.m.  on Aug. 22, 2005, in the boardroom of the Headquarters Building, 327 N. Wenatchee Ave.

Most PUD commission meetings are recorded and a link to the audio is available on the PUD’s home page at www.chelanpud.org.

Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
661-4320, direct line
679-6858, cell
kimc@chelanpud.org