13 avril 2020 : The Low Impact Hydropower Institute has received a complete application for Low Impact Certification of the Dwight Hydroelectric Project.  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 Manuelet consultez ensuite les documents de candidature du projet ci-dessous.

Commentaires directement liés à des critères spécifiques du LIHI (débits, qualité de l'eau, passage des poissons, etc.) will be most helpful, but all comments will be considered.  Comments may be submitted to the Institute by e-mail at commentaires@lowimpacthydro.org avec « Dwight Project Comments » dans la ligne d'objet, ou par courrier adressé au Low Impact Hydropower Institute, 329 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 6, Lexington, MA 02420.  Les commentaires doivent être reçus au plus tard à 17 heures, heure de l'Est, le 12 juin 2020 to be considered.  All comments will be posted to the web site and the applicant will have an opportunity to respond.  Any response will also be posted.

Project Description:

The Dwight Project (Fédération internationale de radio-télévision (FERC) No. 10675, exempt) is located in the City of Chicopee in Hampden County, Massachusetts, at approximate river mile 1.2 on the Chicopee River.

The project works include a stone masonry barrage with a crest elevation of 77.0 feet (NGVD), an impoundment, a canal headgate house, a power canal, an intake structure for three operable conduites forcées, un centrale with three operable turbine/generating units, a tailrace channel (44.5 feet NGVD) and appurtenant facilities.

Le barrage, construit vers 1860, se compose d'un barrage de 306 pieds de long déversoir and abutments.  The northern pilier is constructed of cut stone and measures approximately 12 feet by 25 feet.  The stone masonry overflow spillway is 15 feet high by 306 feet long, with a permanent crest elevation of 77.0 feet.  The southern abutment is also constructed of cut stone, measures approximately 9 feet by 23 feet, and also serves as the north abutment of the headgate house.  The dam creates and impoundment extending approximately 1,500 feet upstream with a surface area is approximately 32 acres.The canal headgate house is a brick structure on a concrete foundation, housing the six intake portes that control the flow from the impoundment to the power canal.  The southern abutment of the canal headgate house is constructed of cut granite.  The six tête Les portes sont toutes en bois et mesurent 1,75 m de haut sur 2,40 m de large. Chaque porte est équipée d'un opérateur à crémaillère motorisé.

Le canal électrique de 80 pieds de large s'étend sur 1 500 pieds de la portes de tête au conduite forcée intake structure.  The power canal extends another 1,500 feet further downstream where historically other industrial water users on the canal diverted the water from the downstream end of the canal.  The south wall of the canal is of concrete and masonry construction while the north wall is formed from masonry and rock ledge.  The canal is about 6 to 8-feet deep during normal operation.

The intake structure is constructed of concrete and measures approximately 69 feet by 22 feet.  Steel trashracks span 54 feet of the north wall of the canal, across the three operable penstocks.  A rail-mounted trash rake traverses the intake.  Three float-activated, wooden, 8-feet-diameter gates are operated by rack-and-pinion operators. Three operable penstocks lead through a manufacturing complex to the existing units at the Project.  The steel penstocks are 7 feet in diameter and 168 feet long.

The powerhouse was built in 1920 to contain three turbines-generator units that replaced the existing hydromechanical units at the site.  The present generating capacity is 1.464 MW.  The powerhouse was shut down in 1973, pending extensive repairs and was rehabilitated in 1980.  The powerhouse was again shutdown in September 2013 and was not returned to full-time service until December 2016.  The powerhouse contains three S. Morgan Smith turbines each with a nameplate capacity of 488 kW for a total capacity of 1.464 MW, averaging 3,493 MWh per year.

Files

• 01A_Dwight Certification Application – REVISED
• Attachments 02-21
• Attachments 22-31
• Attachments 32-38
• Attachments 39-43
• Attachments 43A-63
• Attachments 64-84
• MDFW Dwight LIHI comments
• CRC comments Dwight LIHI 06-12-20