March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

G-P study prompts water level reduction> Company preparing for dam relicensing

BAILEYVILLE — Property owners and recreationists who enjoy summer fun probably will notice the low water levels in some areas of the St. Croix River during the two-week period that began last Friday.

Environmental engineers from Georgia-Pacific Corp., which controls dam and water levels on most of the river, will be studying the effects of “minimum stream flow” as part of the company’s preparation for the relicensing of the Forest City Dam near Vanceboro and Grand Lake Dam near Grand Lake Stream by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Water levels on the St. Croix are not a new issue. Last year, local agencies and individuals who have a stake in the water system in the 1,633-square-mile St. Croix River basin expressed concerns about water levels G-P maintained through its series of four dams. For several years, drought and minimum snow cover also affected water levels along the river.

After the complaints were lodged, the International Joint Commission, which oversees the watershed that meanders along the U.S.-Canadian border, appointed a working group to investigate those complaints.

Some stakeholders were upset with the report issued by the working group, which concluded that G-P had managed the water levels well.

There are several water management objectives officials use to guide the operation of the St. Croix waterway system. Flood control, hydroelectric generation, fisheries, recreation and regulatory requirements are priority concerns.

Five dams in the St. Croix system are under IJC oversight, and four of them are operated by G-P. G-P must meet state, federal and IJC regulations in its operation of the watershed. In addition, the company has entered into agreements with stakeholders along the water system to meet preferred water and flow levels.

Donna Peare, G-P’s public relations coordinator, said Monday that G-P would have to relicense the dams at Forest City and West Grand Lake, and may also have to relicense dams at Farm Cove and Sysladobsis by the year 2000. But she said the announced minimum water levels that began last week will affect only the Forest City and West Grand Lake dams.

Even though the St. Croix River is regulated by several international, national and state agencies, FERC requires intensive and costly studies of the areas around the dams before relicensing, Peare said in a prepared statement. Water quality is just one of the studies.

Asked if the company had received any complaints about water level this year, Peare said there had been scattered complaints throughout the summer, but nothing compared with complaints that led to the IJC hearing last year. This summer’s drought, she said, had led to the most recent complaints.

“The complaints are mostly coming from camp owners on West and East Grand lakes, but mother nature hasn’t given us very much rain to work with over the summer,” she said.

In making the announcement on changes in water levels, G-P officials said the tentative schedule calls for the section of the river between Forest City and Spednic Lake, known as Forest City Stream, to be at about half its usual level. Ordinarily water flow levels would be between 160 and 200 cubic feet per second, compared with 80 to 95 cfs this week. Grand Lake Stream users can expect a nearly minimum flow of 100 to 140 cfs. That compares with 300 to 400 cfs during ordinary flows.

The study plans are dependent on weather conditions, Peare said, and are therefore subject to change. “The second week will provide additional time to complete the work in case the weather is uncooperative,” she said. “If testing is satisfactorily completed during the first week, flows will be adjusted to normal.”

Those who would like more information about water levels are invited to call the G-P hot line at 427-3117.


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