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The authors of this research published in the Journal of Environmental Management, say they identified 2729 active hydropower features across the US as potentially impeding the movement of migratory fishes within rivers.
Above: Manitoba has experienced the worst wildfires the Canadian province has seen for over 30 years
In general, fish passage facilities were more common at features that were closer to the ocean, at lower elevations, and at shorter dams, but not related to installed electrical generation capacity. Hydrologic sub-basins containing salmonids also contained the largest number of hydropower features, but the proportion of features with passage was generally higher in sub-basins containing multiple migratory taxa. This census is described as providing valuable information on existing fish passage mitigation and is a benchmark to gauge progress toward a modernised hydropower fleet that provides affordable, reliable energy while protecting fishery resources and river ecosystems.
Reservoir operations Reservoir operations face persistent challenges due
to increasing water demand, more frequent extreme events, and stricter environmental conditions. Despite reasonable data availability in the US, research directly investigating changes into this is claimed to be scarce. That’s why researchers from the University of Illinois decided to identify changes in reservoir storage and changes in operation rule and practice at 256 reservoirs across the Contiguous US (CONUS). Using long-term historical records of these reservoirs from 1990 to 2019, they sought to understand the causes of the changes and determine if one could be related to another. This, the research team claim, would enable valuable information to be unearthed regarding how reservoirs in the CONUS have been affected and
responded to socioeconomic and environmental changes in the past decades. The authors say their results uncover significant
trends in the storage metrics for 130 reservoirs, more of which show decreasing trends particularly in regions such as the Arkansas-White-Red basin, the Texas-Gulf region, and the southwestern US, where the storage declined mainly due to sedimentation and drought. Conversely, it is found that increasing trends do not show a clear spatial pattern, that is, the changes are not tied with regions but with operational changes. Additionally, 76 reservoirs are identified with changes in operations via an empirical reservoir operation model. Examining the relationship of operational changes within the context of the external environment shows evidence of not only the effectiveness of the operations for some reservoirs, but also operation deficiencies for others. Notably, sedimentation-related issues and inadequate operational responses during extreme weather events emphasise the need for improved operational policies. The authors claims that federal agencies such as the USACE and USBR, which manage most of the reservoirs covered in this study, have rarely revised their operation manuals, due to budgetary constraints, litigation risks, and potential conflicts between stakeholders. As a result, only a few examples are observed with the operational changes directly caused by documented policy changes. Operational change analysis reveals both real- world operation effectiveness and deficiencies. In this research it was found that some reservoirs failed to timely adjust their operations to current conditions and potential challenges, resulting in operational deficiencies and room for operation improvement. Listed among the causes of the
Site C project fully operational after final unit comes online
BC Hydro has completed the Site C hydroelectric project with the commissioning of its sixth and final generating unit. The facility now has the capacity to produce more than 1100MW of electricity, enough to power about 500,000 homes annually. The additional power increases BC Hydro’s total supply by about 8%. “The commission of Site C’s final generating unit is another step
forward to securing B.C.’s clean energy future,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “I extend my sincere appreciation to the thousands of people who worked on Site C over the past decade – because of your work, generations of British Columbians will benefit from reliable and affordable clean electricity.” Construction began in 2015. The first generating unit went into service in October 2024, with the remaining units coming online over the next 10 months. BC Hydro reports that major components, including the earthfill dam, powerhouse, spillways, approach channel, substation, and transmission connections to the grid, are performing as intended. “Bringing the final generating unit online is a proud moment for
everyone at BC Hydro,” said Charlotte Mitha, BC Hydro President and CEO. “Site C represents years of dedication, innovation, collaboration and overcoming challenges. Now that Site C is in full operation, it will serve our customers for the next 100 years and play a critical role in ensuring a stable and reliable electricity system.”
Remaining work includes completing the powerhouse and generating station, paving access roads, final equipment commissioning, and fixing deficiencies. Crews are also backfilling tunnels once used to divert the Peace River and replanting vegetation in former construction areas.
Generating units 6 (foreground) through 1 in the powerhouse July 2025
16 | September 2025 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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