Hydro power benefits of cooperative watershed management
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Ramon, CA (United States)
This paper describes the efforts of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in cooperation with a number of agencies and public and private land managers to reduce erosion and restore the health of the East Branch North Fork Feather River (EBNFFR) watershed in Plumas County, California. Erosion of the 2600 square kilometer watershed has been identified as a major contributor of sediments to PG&E`s Rock Creek and Cresta hydroelectric reservoirs which have collected more than 5.4 million cubic meters of sediment over the past 45 years. PG&E and the 17 other participants of the cooperative erosion control program are joined by a {open_quotes}Memorandum of Agreement{close_quotes} (MOA) and are applying {open_quotes}Coordinated Resource Management{close_quotes} (CRM). To date, more than 33 individual watershed improvement projects and a comprehensive erosion control strategy document have been completed. It is anticipated that over the long term, the erosion control program may reduce the water-borne sediment delivery to Rock Creek and Cresta reservoirs by as much as 50 percent. PG&E benefits from the program through reduced sediment deposition in the reservoirs, reduced sediment wear on the power turbines, and potential increases in base flow during summer months when water power is of greatest value.
- OSTI ID:
- 219947
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9507190--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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