LIHI Certificate #186 – Lower La Chute Project, New York

LIHI Certificate #186 - Lower La Chute Project, New York

Nombre del proyecto	Lower La Chute
Certificado LIHI No.	186
Plazo del certificado LIHI	August 5, 2021 – August 4, 2031
Dueño	La Chute Hydro Company, LLC, a subsidiary of LS Power/ Patriot Hydro, LLC
Estado	Nueva York
Ubicación	Located at river mile 1.9 on the La Chute River in Ticonderoga, Essex County, NY
Capacidad instalada	3.6 MW
Generación media anual	13,800 MWh
Tipo de instalación	De pasada
Comisión Federal de Comercio No.	P-5762 exempt 1984

The Lower La Chute Project and the Upper La Chute Hydroelectric Project (LIHI #185) are both located on the La Chute River, in the Village of Ticonderoga, Essex County, New York. The La Chute River carries flow from Lake George to Lake Champlain and is approximately 2.5 miles long.

The Lower La Chute Project uses the cabeceras formed by the Mill D presa of the Upper La Chute Project. The dam is the fourth in a series of six dams along the river and is located about 4,100 feet downstream of the Mill A dam (part of the Upper Project). The Lower Project uses flows from the Upper La Chute and from Trout Brook. The Lower La Chute project operates as de pasada and has a headpond with 2.3 acres of surface area with negligible storage. Flows from the D-Mill dam are conveyed by a 9-foot diameter compuerta hacia central eléctrica, located below the falls at Mill F dam. The dam creates a bypassed reach approximately 0.36 miles long. The powerhouse has a single turbine-generator unit rated at 3,600 kW. The Lower Project is accessible from Interstate 87, State Route 9N and local streets.

The Upper La Chute Project dictates operations of the Lower La Chute Project. The Upper La Chute Project operates in run-of-river mode and dictated by flow releases from Lake George which are regulated by New York State statute and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A 30-cfs minimum flow is provided in the bypassed reach.

Waters within the project reach are designated as Class C(TS) in the bypassed reach, and Class C in the tailwater reach. Class C waters are best used for fishing. The application of (TS) indicates that the classifications are supportive of trout populations.

The La Chute River in the project vicinity supports a mix of warmwater and coldwater fish species. Of these, several migratory species are found at the project including blueback herring, alewife, American eel, lake sturgeon, landlocked Atlantic salmon, and sea lamprey. Atlantic salmon are maintained via stocking and American eel are similarly supported via stocking. Blueback herring, alewife, and sea lamprey are considered non-native or invasive and thus pose a threat to native species, especially trout and salmon. Passage is not desirable for these species as they could negatively impact native fish populations in Lake George. Downstream passage is provided by a weir at the Upper La Chute Mill D, and Mill F allows for a natural water fall which does not specifically provide formal downstream passage but rather an unobstructed flow downstream.

The project lands consist of just under 500 acres encompassing both the Upper La Chute and Lower La Chute projects. The shoreline in the project vicinity is a mix of deciduous and evergreen forest with residential and commercial properties with ornamental grasses. Some agrarian fields and humedales are also found in the area. The 1992 Lake George Presa Operating Guidelines for the Upper La Chute Hydroelectric Project provides specific provisions regarding the management of water levels in the Lake George watershed.

Threatened or endangered species potentially present in the project vicinity include the Indiana bat and Northern long-eared bat. No critical habitats for either species are found in the project vicinity. Other listed plant and bird species are listed as potentially present though the project does not operate in or impact areas where these species may be found.

Consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office concluded that project operations do not have an adverse impact on historical or cultural resources in the area. Additionally, the Lower powerhouse was constructed to keep with the historical nature of the Village of Ticonderoga, designed to blend in with the Village’s historical architecture.

Recreational resources at the project include a handicap accessible fishing platform at the Lower bypass along with a paved boat ramp with gravel parking located across the river. Since the FERC exención does not require these facilities, they are provided voluntarily. The tailwater reach is home to Bicentennial Park which was built in cooperation with the project owner and includes a boat launch, walking trail, day use areas, and a handicap accessible fishing area. Public access is provided free of charge.

Estado de cumplimiento

No existen condiciones específicas de la instalación en el Certificado actual

2024: No se identificaron cambios materiales ni problemas de cumplimiento. El proyecto sigue cumpliendo con los requisitos según la revisión anual.

2023: No se identificaron cambios materiales ni problemas de cumplimiento. El proyecto sigue cumpliendo con los requisitos según la revisión anual.

2022: No se identificaron cambios materiales ni problemas de cumplimiento. El proyecto sigue cumpliendo con los requisitos según la revisión anual.

2021: La presentación de informes anuales para el Certificado actual aún no ha entrado en vigor.

Historial de certificaciones

1 de enero de 2022: El plazo del Certificado LIHI se ha extendido de acuerdo con la Revisión 2.05 del Manual de Certificación LIHI 2.ª Edición emitido el 1 de enero de 2022. Consulte la tabla de instalaciones anterior para conocer el nuevo plazo.

14 de diciembre de 2021: The Low Impact Hydropower Institute has issued a final decision on the certification of the Lower La Chute Project. The 30-day appeal window closed on December 4, 2021 and no appeals were filed. Therefore, the decision to certify the project is now final. The new term is August 5, 2021 through August 4, 2026.

4 de noviembre de 2021: The Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) has preliminarily approved the Upper and Lower La Chute Projects for 5-year terms of Low Impact Certification. This decision is preliminary pending the 30-day appeal window. Only those who commented on the initial application during the 60-day comment period are eligible to file an appeal. Such appeal needs to include an explanation as to how the Project does not meet the LIHI criteria. Appeal requests can be submitted by email to comentarios@lowimpacthydro.org with “Upper and Lower La Chute Projects” in the subject line, or by mail addressed to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute, 1167 Massachusetts Ave, Office 407, Arlington, MA 02476. All requests will be posted to the website. The applicant will have an opportunity to respond and any response will also be posted. Las solicitudes deben recibirse antes de las 5 p. m., hora del Este, el 4 de diciembre de 2021. The full application and reviewer’s report are available below. If no appeal requests are received and the decision becomes final, the Certification term for each Project will be August 5, 2021 through August 4, 2026.

5 de agosto de 2021:The Low Impact Hydropower Institute has received a complete application for Low Impact Certification of the La Chute Upper and Lower Projects. LIHI is seeking public comment on this application. Specifically, we are interested in knowing whether you think the Project meets the LIHI Low Impact Certification Criteria, as revised in the 2nd Edition Handbook. Please review the program and criteria in LIHI’s revised Manual y luego revise los materiales de solicitud del Proyecto a continuación. Comentarios que están directamente relacionados con criterios específicos de LIHI (caudales, calidad del agua, paso de peces, etc.) serán de gran ayuda, pero se tendrán en cuenta todos los comentarios. Los comentarios pueden enviarse al Instituto por correo electrónico a comentarios@lowimpacthydro.org with “La Chute Project Comments” in the subject line, or by mail addressed to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute, 1167 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476. Los comentarios deben recibirse antes de las 5 p. m., hora del Este, el 4 de octubre de 2021 Para ser considerado. Todos los comentarios se publicarán en el sitio web y el solicitante tendrá la oportunidad de responder. Las respuestas también se publicarán.