| New projects
Existing dam The project is built at South Bend and relies on
the existing concrete and timber crib dam which was originally constructed in 1844. This is the third hydropower project at the dam, which included the original two-race system used to drive water wells to supply mechanical energy to early industry on both sides of the river. In the early 1900s a hydroelectric plant was built on the west race to supply the Oliver Plow Co. factory and assorted downtown facilities owned by the Oliver family. The idea of restoring the dam to its original use as a source of hydroelectric power dates back to at least 1980, when South Bend applied for and received a licence exemption from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to develop and operate a hydro facility at Seitz Park. The plan was for a small-scale facility to power nearby Howard Park or supplement the grid. However, the combination of low global energy prices and an unfavourable regulatory environment for green energy projects in Indiana ultimately doomed the project. “We were very interested in seeing hydroelectricity in the city because it’s a clean source of energy that reduces the community’s carbon footprint,” said Eric Horvath, Director of Public Works for the city and a Notre Dame graduate, but “it just wasn’t financially feasible.”
At risk of losing the licence exemption for lack of use, the city transferred it to Notre Dame in 2016. The city granted the university a 50-year lease to develop and operate a hydro project at Seitz Park. In exchange, the university agreed to contribute US$1 million towards restoration of the park. As part of the original licence exemption a
requirement was to preserve water rights for existing assets, including the flow of water to the fish ladder at Seitz Park, which is critical for the movement of salmon and trout both downstream and upstream from Lake Michigan to the Bodine State Fish Hatchery in Mishawaka.
All images above: Construction crews drove sheeting around the entire work area including in the river at the intake and outlet of the planned facility. Dewatering followed to allow for excavations to divert water from the river to the powerhouse, as well as the f construction of a dam to support the new turbines. September 3, 2021
www.waterpowermagazine.com | November 2022 | 13
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