Dorena Hydroelectric Project
In 2008, Dorena Hydro, LLC (Dorena Hydro) was issued a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license to construct and operate a hydroelectric project on the existing Dorena Dam owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Following construction, it was necessary for Dorena Hydro to develop and implement several fish and aquatic habitat studies prescribed in the FERC License.
Kleinschmidt implemented License Article 407 to evaluate the effectiveness of the project’s ramping rate restrictions by performing field surveys of the effectiveness of ramping rate restrictions in protecting aquatic resources under various discharge and down-ramping scenarios. We had also been supporting Dorena Hydro with physical and biological compliance of the project’s tailrace barrier, intended to prevent turbine related injuries and mortality for migratory salmon. The tailrace barrier design for Dorena Hydro is considered experimental by the National Marine Fisheries Service and requires a five-year effectiveness monitoring study. Physical evaluation of the barrier included measurements of head differential and approach velocities along the barrier face using an acoustic doppler velocimeter.Our team worked collaboratively with stakeholders and identified eDNA as a potentially useful approach for documenting presence/absence of Chinook Salmon due to poor visibility in the tailrace. We designed and are implement-ed an environmental DNA study to evaluate the tailrace barrier effectiveness and false attraction.
Kleinschmidt has provided the support necessary for Dorena Hydro to development FERC license compliance plans and meet reporting requirements. Throughout this process, our team has worked closely with Dorena Hydro to implement specific and cost-effective monitoring solutions to meet compliance requirements. We have used an adaptive management approach to the tailrace monitoring including using efficient novel approaches to address heightened stakeholder interest.