Hydroelectric Relicensing in Vermont

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Hydroelectric Relicensingin Vermont

• Brian Fitzgerald
• Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

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Hydropower in Vermont
95 Operating Facilities

• Licensed 59 (662 MW)
• 40 comply with WQS
• 19 to be addressed through relicensing
• Exempt 15 (14 MW)
• 13 comply with WQS
• 2 to be addressed through WQS
• Unlicensed 21 (26 MW)
• 3 comply with WQS
• 18 to be addressed through state authority

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Vermont Hydroelectric Facilities
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The Relicensing Team

• Dept. of Environmental Conservation Water
  Quality Division
• Hydrology (Team Leader)
• Wetlands, Lakes, River Corridor Management
• Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
• Fisheries
• Wildlife
• Non-game and natural heritage
• Division for Historic Preservation (SHPO)
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Vermont Water Quality Standards

• Hydrology
• Policy
• Criteria
• ANR Procedure
• Class B Waters
• Management Objectives
• Criteria

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Hydrology Policy

• The proper management of water resources now and
  for the future requires careful consideration of
  the interruption of the natural flow regime and
  the fluctuation of water levels resulting from
  the construction of new and the operation of
  existing dams, diversions, and other control
  structures.
• These rules provide a means for determining
  conditions which preserve, to the extent
  practicable, the natural flow regime of waters.

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Hydrology CriteriaFlows

• Any change from the natural flow regime shall
  provide for maintenance of flow characteristics
  that ensure the full support of uses and comply
  with the applicable water quality criteria.
• In the absence of site specific studies, the
  Secretary may establish hydrologic standards and
  impose additional hydrologic constraintsto
  ensure compliance with the requirements of this
  section.

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ANR Procedure for Determining Acceptable Minimum
Stream Flows

• Adopted in 1993
• Uses USFWS NE Flow Policy
• Flow Standards based on seasonal median flows
• Alternatively, applicants may do site specific
  studies
• De Minimis Withdrawals
• No permit required for withdrawal rates less than
  5 of 7Q10 or less than .005 x drainage area (mi2)

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Hydrology CriteriaWater Level Fluctuations

• Lakes, ponds, reservoirs, riverine impoundments,
  and any other waters may exhibit artificial
  variations in water level when subject to water
  level management but only to the extent that such
  variations ensure full support of uses.

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Class B WatersManagement Objectives

• Aquatic Biota, Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat
  Aquatic biota and wildlife supported by high
  quality habitat
• Aesthetics Water character, flows, water level,
  bed and channel characteristics exhibiting good
  aesthetic value
• Boating, Fishing and Other Recreational Uses
  Suitable for these uses

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Class B WatersCriteria

• Aquatic Biota, Wildlife and Aquatic Habitat
• No change from the reference condition that would
  prevent the full support of aquatic biota,
  wildlife, or aquatic habitat uses
• Biological integrity is maintained and all
  expected functional groups are present in a high
  quality habitat
• All life-cycle functions, including overwintering
  and reproductive requirements are maintained and
  protected

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Class B WatersCriteria

• Aesthetics Consistently exhibit very good
  aesthetic values
• Boating To the extent naturally feasible with
  no more than minor degradation mitigation for
  artificial physical impediments

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Flow/Reservoir Management

• Conservation flows
• Bypass
• Downstream
• Aesthetics flows
• Flow requirement
• Method
• Ramping
• Reservoir management
• Seasonal elevation limits
• Limits on elevation changes

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Flow/Reservoir Management

• Flow management plan
• Flow/reservoir monitoring plan
• Inflow
• Outflow
• Reservoir elevations
• Deviation from conditions

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Water Quality

• Dissolved oxygen and temperature
• Monitoring plan
• Mitigation measures
• Mercury
• Monitoring
• Mitigation??
• Sediment
• Erosion control

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Fisheries

• Passage
• Downstream
• Upstream
• Mitigation

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Recreation

• Recreation plan
• Public access

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Wildlife and TE Species

• TE species management plan
• Wildlife
• Habitat management plan
• Riparian areas
• Wetlands
• Water quality protection

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Brian T. Fitzgerald Agency of Natural
Resources Water Quality Division 103 South Main
Street, Building 10 North Waterbury, VT
05671-0408 802.241.3468 802.241.3287
(fax) brian.fitzgerald_at_anr.state.vt.us www.vtwate
rquality.org