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

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

项目名称	Upper La Chute
LIHI 证书编号	185
LIHI 证书期限	August 5, 2021 – August 4, 2031
所有者	La Chute Hydro Company, LLC, a subsidiary of LS Power/ Patriot Hydro, LLC
状态	纽约
地点	Located at river mile 3.3 on the La Chute River in Ticonderoga, Essex County, NY
装机容量	4.9 兆瓦
平均年发电量	19,000 MWh
设施类型	径流式
联邦能源管理委员会不。	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 坝 (Lake George 出路 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 源头 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 压力水管 9 feet in diameter to a 发电站 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 径流 mode and inflows are dictated by flow releases from Lake George. More specifically, operations are detailed in the 1992 Lake George 坝 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 secondary contact recreation, 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 湿地 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.

合规状态

当前证书中没有针对设施的具体条件

2024: 未发现任何重大变化或合规问题。根据年度审查，该项目仍然合规。

2023: 未发现任何重大变化或合规问题。根据年度审查，该项目仍然合规。

2022: 未发现任何重大变化或合规问题。根据年度审查，该项目仍然合规。

2021: 当前证书的年度报告尚未生效。

认证历史

2022 年 1 月 1 日： LIHI 证书期限已根据 2022 年 1 月 1 日发布的 LIHI 第 2 版认证手册 2.05 版延长。有关新期限，请参阅上面的设施表。

2021 年 12 月 14 日： 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.

2021年11月4日： 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 comments@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. 请求必须在 2021 年 12 月 4 日东部时间下午 5 点之前收到。 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.

2021 年 8 月 5 日：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 手册然后查看以下项目的申请材料。与特定 LIHI 标准（流量、水质、鱼道等）将非常有帮助，但所有评论都会被考虑。评论可以通过电子邮件提交给研究所 comments@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. 评论必须在东部时间下午 5 点或之前收到 2021 年 10 月 4 日 有待考量。 所有评论都将发布到网站上，申请人将有机会作出回应。所有回应也将发布。