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Home My WebLink About140721-KnutsonCreek_DOI DECLARATION OF INTENTION FOR THE KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT SUBMITTED TO FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION BY PEDRO BAY VILLAGE COUNCIL July 21, 2014 prepared by polarconsult alaska, inc. 1503 West 33rd Avenue, Suite 310 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 Phone: (907) 258-2420 KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 1 OF 9 Declaration of Intention The Knutson Creek Hydroelectric Project (project) is located at: State: Alaska Town: Unincorporated Village of Pedro Bay Street: N/A County: Lake and Peninsula Borough Stream: Knutson Creek River Basin Name: Iliamna Lake / Kvichak River Township, Range, and Meridian: T4S, R28W, Seward Meridian The exact name, business address, telephone number, fax number, and e‐mail address of the applicant are: John Baalke, Tribal Administrator Pedro Bay Village Council P.O. Box 47020 Pedro Bay, AK 99647 Tel: 907‐850‐2225 Fax: 907‐850‐2221 E‐mail: j.baalke@pedrobay.com The exact name, business address, telephone number, fax number, and e‐mail address of the authorized agent is: Joel Groves 1503 W 33rd Ave #310 Anchorage AK 99503 Tel: 907‐258‐2420 x204 Fax: 907‐258‐2419 joel@polarconsult.net The exact name, business address, telephone number, fax number, and e‐mail address of the local electric utility company is: Pedro Bay Village Council is the electric utility for Pedro Bay village. Pedro Bay Village Council P.O. Box 47020 Pedro Bay, AK 99647 Tel: 907‐850‐2225 Fax: 907‐850‐2221 E‐mail: j.baalke@pedrobay.com KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 2 OF 9 (a) Proposed Project Description The proposed project is a 200 kW run‐of‐river hydroelectric project located on Knutson Creek approximately two miles north‐northwest of the village of Pedro Bay, Alaska. The project will have approximately 224 feet of gross head and 207 feet of net head at full design flow of approximately 20 cubic feet per second (cfs). Annual generating capacity is estimated at 1,503,000 kWh. The project will be used to supply electricity for the village of Pedro Bay, reducing consumption of costly diesel fuel currently burned to generate electricity. Pedro Bay is a stand‐alone utility not connected to a electric grid. The project will include the following major components: (1) a diversion structure consisting of an approximately 7‐foot tall by 560‐foot long combination reinforced concrete weir and rock faced earthen dike structure spanning the creek at river mile 2.59; (2) an intake structure sized to screen and admit water into the project works integral to the reinforced concrete portion of the diversion structure; (3) a penstock approximately 24‐inch diameter by 7,100 foot long to convey water from the diversion to the powerhouse; (4) a pipe and trail bridge for the penstock crossing Knutson Creek at river mile 1.79; (5) a powerhouse measuring approximately 20 by 20 feet housing a cross‐flow turbine coupled to a single phase synchronous generator, switchgear, controls, and appurtenances; (6) an approximately 1,400 foot long tailrace returning project water to Knutson Creek at approximately river mile 1.10; (7) an approximately 9,900 foot long buried single phase 7,200 volt electric cable to interconnect the project with Pedro Bay’s existing electric distribution system, and (8) access roads and trails necessary to build, maintain, and operate the project. (b)(1) Maps A Location Map (Map 1), Project Map (Map 2), and Land Ownership Map (Map 3) are attached on the following pages. The Location Map shows the general project location in Alaska, and the Project Map shows the proposed locations of project features and location of state and private land in the project vicinity. (b)(2) Ownership of Land Occupied by Project A map showing land ownership in the project area (Map 3) is attached on the following pages. The project will occupy land owned by the Pedro Bay Corporation, the local village corporation organized under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), and also land held in trust by the State of Alaska, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA) for a future local government in Pedro Bay. The project would not occupy any federal land. (b)(3) River Profile in Project Vicinity Figure 1 is a profile of Knutson Creek in the project vicinity. There are no existing improvements on Knutson Creek. KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 3 OF 9 (b)(4) River Duration Curve and Hydrograph The flow duration curve is provided as Figure 2 and the stream hydrograph is provided as Figure 3. This is a run‐of‐river project, so regulated flows below the project will be unaltered from natural flows. Hydrology data is derived from 1.5 years of stream flow data collected on Knutson Creek. This record is extended by correlation with approximately 15 years of USGS data from the Iliamna River, a basin approximately 15 miles east of Knutson Creek with similar hydrology. (c)(1) Storage Usage Method Because this project is run‐of‐river, it has no storage capacity, and discussion of storage utilization methods is not applicable. (c)(2) System Load Curve Pedro Bay’s existing peak load is approximately 60 kW. This project is expected to meet over 95% of the village’s current electric demand, with significant capacity for future growth or space heating applications. (c)(3) Proposed Annual Rule for Operation of Storage Reservoir Not applicable for this project. KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 4 OF 9 JURISDICTIONAL ANALYSIS 1. Navigability of the stream The applicant is not aware of any known current or historical use of Knutson Creek for navigation. Knutson Creek is not a navigable stream. Adjudication of native land claims in the project area resulted in the determination that Knutson Creek is not navigable.1 Accordingly, surface rights to the submerged lands beneath Knutson Creek have been conveyed from the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Pedro Bay Corporation in Interim Conveyance #817.2 2. Land Status The project will not occupy any federal land. See discussion at (b)(2) and Map 3. 3. Government Dam The project will not utilize waterpower from a Government Dam. 4. Interstate Commerce The project will not affect interstate commerce. All project output will be sold by Pedro Bay Village Council to its customers located in Pedro Bay village. Pedro Bay village is an electrical 'island' that is not interconnected to adjacent communities or to any interstate electrical grid. 1 Under the equal footing doctrine (Utah v. United States, 482 U.S. 193 (1987)), submerged federal lands under navigable bodies of water transferred to the State of Alaska upon statehood in 1959. Under this doctrine, only submerged lands under non‐navigable waters can be conveyed from BLM to native corporations. 2 Iliamna Recording District, Book 11, Pages 836 – 845. Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Recorder’s Office. http://dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/searchRO.cfm KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 5 OF 9 MAP 1 ‐ PROJECT LOCATION MAP KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 6 OF 9 MAP 2 ‐ PROJECT MAP KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 7 OF 9 KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 8 OF 9 Figure 1 ‐ Profile of Knutson Creek in Project Vicinity KNUTSON CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DECLARATION OF INTENTION JULY 21, 2014 PAGE 9 OF 9 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Jan 1 Feb 1 Mar 3 Apr 3 May 4 Jun 4 Jul 5 Aug 5 Sep 5 Oct 6 Nov 6 Dec 7Knutson Creek Flow at Intake Site (cfs)Flow at Proposed Intake Site, cfs Median Daily Flow Mean Daily Flow (Knutson Creek extended record based on gauged Knutson Creek flow Oct. 2010 - April 2011 and correlated Iliamna River flow 1996 - 2011) Figure 2 ‐ Annual Hydrograph for Knutson Creek Based on Extended Record Figure 3 ‐ Flow Duration Curve for Knutson Creek 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Percent of Time Flow is Equalled or ExceededFlow at Intake Site (cfs)Flow Duration Curve for Intake Site, Based on Lower Gauge Data Flow Duration Curve for Intake Site, Based on Extended Record Design Flow for Recommended Project