Operational Plan for the Restoration of Diadromous Fishes to the ...

VEAZIE (FERC No. 2403)
Project Description
Project Works: 902’ long x 25’ high concrete buttress spillway including 6.5’
Obermeyer inflatable flashboard system; approximately 240’ long x 25’ high concrete
forebay including 3.5’ (approximate) high fixed flashboards.
Turbines: 15 (Station A); 2 (Station B) Turbine Type: Station A: vertical Francis
(15); Station B: vertical fixed blade (2)
Generating Capacity: 5.4 MW (Station A); 3.0 MW (Station B)
Hydraulic Capacity: 7,525 cfs
Downstream Passage System
Years Studied: 1989 – 1990 (smolts) Life Stages Studied: smolts; kelts
1988 – 1989 (kelts)
Permanent Bypass System: No dedicated downstream bypass system; attempts
have been made to utilize trash gate/ice sluice as downstream bypass route for
smolts with limited success. Studies were undertaken when main spillway had 6.5’
hinged wooden flashboards (i.e. prior to installation of Obermeyer system).
Study Methods: radio telemetry
Collection Efficiency: Smolts – N/A; 29% turbine passage; 71% spillway/ice sluice
passage; (N = 42)
Kelts – N/A; 100% spillway passage; spring studies only
(N = 30)
Turbine Survival: Not studied; estimated at 91% (acute mortality 9%, smolts, ASAL
Model).
Downstream Passage Routes: turbines, spillway, forebay, trash gate, and ice
sluice
Note: downstream passage data collected for other projects in the lower Penobscot
system (Stillwater, Orono, Great Works) but did not study specific downstream
passage routes, rather only monitored passage by the project.
DOWNSTREAM PASSAGE STUDIES AT HYDROPOWER DAMS, PENOBSCOT
RIVER, MAINE, 1987-1999
(Atlantic Salmon)
PRFP Page 202