Niagara Power Project – Frog Island
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) sought to restore the former Frog Island area in the Upper Niagara River as part of their compliance efforts associated with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing of the Niagara Project. NYPA desired to restore this former marsh/island complex and provide improved wetland habitat at this location, which had been lost due to extensive gravel mining and local erosion.
Recognizing the challenge in re-creating an island that was no longer visible in a river that that has an average flow of more than 200,000cubic feet per second and spans the US/Canada Boundary, Kleinschmidt drew from their team of hydraulic modelers, civil and ecological engineers, biologists, and environmental permitting specialists to create a unique wetland habitat. The design consists of a low-profile, U-shaped stone berm on the exterior to minimize erosion and ice damage, while providing flow-through to the interior. The interior contains habitat logs, small hummocks and shallow emergent zones to promote the growth of almost 50,000 native plants, while also providing a diverse aquatic habitat. Kleinschmidt completed extensive hydraulic modeling for this project to address the wave, ice and erosion forces at this location where the river is over 1.1 miles wide.
NYPA saved time and money because Kleinschmidt provided comprehensive services including design, permitting, procurement, and construction oversight, which has led to more direct communications and streamlined coordination of the project phases.