So when the dam above these remarkable falls applied for relicensing, "all these resources had to be balanced with the power company's interest in making electricity," says
Duncan Hay of the National Park Service. Two efforts ensured a successful, win-win process. First, through a series of tests in different seasons, NPS staff and the power company found optimal flow levels that satisfied each party's interests. Next, a working group decided to reposition security fencing that had blocked off an area overlooking the falls for the past 100 years. By also installing a pedestrian bridge across the canal, the company was able to bring viewers to the edge of the falls. "The power company really took this on as their cause and went above and beyond to provide access," reports Hay.
The results are already showing, according to
Cohoes' Mayor John T. McDonald III. In the first 75 days after the
opening of the pedestrian bridge, over 20,000 visitors viewed the falls. "This truly has been a magnificent benefit to our community," said the mayor. "It shows that with a strong partner like
Brookfield Power -- and the support of the National Park Service, who played a huge role in the development of this project -- a true community benefit can result."
Learning from the Field: Priest Rapids Dam, Washington
Grant County, Washington: Fishing near Priest Rapids DamPriest Rapids Dam on Washington State's Columbia River is one of the largest power producers in the country. Its relicensing, which was completed in April of 2008, resulted in $21 million in public recreational enhancements, including 11 miles of land trails, six miles of water trails, two new parks, and two fishing piers. Says
Susan Rosebrough of the National Park Service, "there are now significantly improved recreational opportunities here, from the perspective of both trails and access."
Learning from the Field: Congaree National Park, South Carolina South Carolina: Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park in South Carolina boasts old-growth forests, featuring trees that reach record sizes. But this impressive preserve is intimately affected by the
Saluda Hydroelectric Project (also known as the Lake Murray Dam), thirty miles upstream. In partnership with
American Rivers and
The Nature Conservancy, among others, the National Park Service worked with the University of South Carolina to model the ecological impact of various possible water flows that could be released from the dam.
The National Park Service's
Jeff Duncan notes that "the 'Ecologically Sustainable Water Management' process resulted in the development of a final report that includes recommendations for balancing hydropower production, lake levels, and downstream ecological needs." It was the first time this process was used within the context of hydropower relicensing. Negotiations with the power company are underway and a settlement agreement, including provisions for ecologically sustainable flows, is expected in early 2009.