LIHI Certificate #185 – Upper La Chute Project, New York

LIHI Certificate #185 - Upper La Chute Project, New York

Nom du projet	Upper La Chute
Numéro de certificat LIHI	185
Durée du certificat LIHI	August 5, 2021 – August 4, 2031
Propriétaire	La Chute Hydro Company, LLC, a subsidiary of LS Power/ Patriot Hydro, LLC
État	New York
Emplacement	Located at river mile 3.3 on the La Chute River in Ticonderoga, Essex County, NY
Capacité installée	4.9 MW
Génération annuelle moyenne	19,000 MWh
Type d'établissement	Au fil de l'eau
Fédération internationale de radio-télévision (FERC) Non.	P-5760 exempt 1984

The Upper La Chute Project and the Lower La Chute Hydroelectric Project (LIHI #186) 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 Upper La Chute Project consists of three dams, Mill A barrage (Lake George Outlet dam, the control structure for the water surface level of Lake George into the La Chute River), Mill B dam, and Mill C dam. Upper La Chute utilizes the waters of Lake George, a 44 square mile recreational lake in upstate New York, as the sources for the project. The releases from Lake George are set by New York State statute and guidelines and are regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). Flows from Lake George are conveyed 2,300 feet downstream by a steel conduite forcée 9 feet in diameter to a centrale located near Mill C. The dam forms a bypassed reach approximately 1 mile long. The powerhouse has a single turbine-generator unit rated at 4,900 kilowatts.

The Upper La Chute project operates in au fil de l'eau mode and inflows are dictated by flow releases from Lake George. More specifically, operations are detailed in the 1992 Lake George Barrage Operating Guidelines for the Upper La Chute Hydroelectric Project, which provides other regulations for the stewardship of the water resources at Lake George and at the project. A continuous minimum flow of 30 cfs in the bypassed reach is provided to support resident aquatic biota.

Waters within the project reach are designated as Class AA-S(TS) at Lake George, Class C(TS) in the bypassed reach, and Class C in the tailwater reach. Lake George is listed as impaired for silt and sediment pollution due to urban and storm runoff as well as erosion. The Lake George Watershed Association has taken many steps to help prevent polluted flows from entering the lake. Class AA waters are best used for drinking water, primary or loisirs de contact secondaire, and fishing. 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 via a downstream bypass which includes a buried pipe with an underground sluice that carry fish to the bypass reach. Downstream passage is also provided through the minimum flow weir at Upper La Chute.

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 zones humides are also found in the area. The 1992 Lake George Dam 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.

Recreational resources at the project include fishing, boating, and camping access at the Upper impoundment. There is also fishing access in the bypass reach. Public access is provided free of charge.

État de conformité

There are no facility-specific conditions in the current Certificate

2024: Aucun changement important ni problème de conformité n'ont été identifiés. Le projet reste conforme sur la base de l'examen annuel.

2023: Aucun changement important ni problème de conformité n'ont été identifiés. Le projet reste conforme sur la base de l'examen annuel.

2022: Aucun changement important ni problème de conformité n'ont été identifiés. Le projet reste conforme sur la base de l'examen annuel.

2021: Le rapport annuel pour le certificat actuel n’est pas encore entré en vigueur.

Historique des certifications

1er janvier 2022 : La durée du certificat LIHI a été prolongée conformément à la révision 2.05 du manuel de certification LIHI 2e édition publié le 1er janvier 2022. Reportez-vous au tableau des établissements ci-dessus pour connaître la nouvelle durée.

December 14, 2021: The Low Impact Hydropower Institute has issued a final decision on the certification of the Upper 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.

November 4, 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 commentaires@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. Requests must be received by 5 pm Eastern time on December 4, 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.

August 5, 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 Manuel et examinez ensuite les documents de candidature du projet ci-dessous. Les commentaires directement liés à des critères LIHI spécifiques (débits, qualité de l'eau, passage des poissons, etc.) seront très utiles, mais tous les commentaires seront pris en compte. Les commentaires peuvent être soumis à l'Institut par courrier électronique à l'adresse commentaires@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. Les commentaires doivent être reçus au plus tard à 17 heures, heure de l'Est, le October 4, 2021 à considérer. Tous les commentaires seront publiés sur le site Web et le candidat aura la possibilité d'y répondre. Toute réponse sera également publiée.