Tag: Skagit Hydroelectric Project

Diablo Lake Lowering Delayed Until Sept. 23

Seattle City Light is delaying the start of a drawdown of Diablo Lake until Sept. 23.

City Light plans to lower the lake at the utility’s Skagit Hydroelectric Project by 10 feet to continue construction of a new heavy barge landing dock, Seattle City Light.

The drawdown will take up to six days to complete and low lake levels are scheduled to last until Nov. 5.

The drawdown was scheduled to start Sept. 10, but the contractor working on the project was not ready to start work, so the utility is maintaining lake levels to reduce the impact on recreational opportunities.

Once the lake is lowered, the boat ramp and fishing dock at Colonial Creek Campground in the North Cascades National Park complex will not be usable. The Diablo Lake ferry service will operate as scheduled though passengers should be prepared to walk much steeper ramps at the docks.

This $1.5 million project is one of the final phases of work needed to replace facilities destroyed by a 2010 rockslide.  The project must be completed to allow for the delivery of six new transformers to Ross Powerhouse scheduled for 2016.

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to about 750,000 Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.

Seattle City Light Crews Defend Skagit Hydroelectric Project from Fire

Seattle City Light crews are working today to reduce the risk of additional damage to the Skagit Hydroelectric Project from the advancing Goodell Creek Fire and are preparing to start repairs to damaged transmission lines.

Crews are working to clear vegetation around a wood pole line between the Diablo and Ross dams and powerhouses. The crews also plan to wrap the 70 wood poles in fire resistant material to reduce the risk of damage should the area burn. The line delivers backup power to restart generators and run control panels. The poles also carry fiber optic communications lines for the facilities.

Thursday, crews plan to start on-the-ground inspections 11 transmission towers for damage. Aerial views indicate that several of the towers have been damaged.

Safe access to the equipment in rugged terrain with fallen trees while the fire continues to burn is the first consideration for any of the work to take place. Provided with safe access, crews could start making repairs to the transmission lines by Saturday.

Damage to the transmission lines has limited City Light’s ability to generate and deliver power from the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. The utility has been able to resume generation of about 40 megawatts of electricity from its Gorge Powerhouse and deliver it on the North Mountain transmission line.

Typically, this time of year, the utility would be able to generate about 150 megawatts of power from the Skagit. The loss of transmission capacity is costing the utility about $100,000 a day.

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to about 750,000 Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.

 

Seattle City Light Evacuates Diablo as Goodell Creek Fire Approaches

Seattle City Light started evacuating employees Wednesday from the town of Diablo and helped evacuate visitors at the North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake and at the Ross Lake Resort as the Goodell Creek Fire approached facilities at the utility’s Skagit Hydroelectric Project.

The fire was burning on the north side of Highway 20 in Newhalem across from City Light’s Skagit administration building and east of the Gorge Powerhouse. Prevailing winds were pushing the fire east toward Diablo.

Highway 20 between the utility-owned towns of Newhalem and Diablo was shut down by a fallen tree and numerous rocks loosened by the fire.

No injuries have been reported. All City Light employees and their families are accounted for. Two employees did leave Newhalem earlier in the day after complaining of respiratory difficulties from the smoke.

City Light was operating its three dams remotely, but the fire forced the utility to shut down the transmission lines that carry electricity from the hydroelectric project. Spillgates at all three dams were being opened to maintain river flows to protect fish. The inability to deliver electricity could cost the utility about $100,000 per day.

Six City Light firefighters with two fire engines were working to protect people and property from the blaze. One crew was working with the National Park Service. The other was defending the Gorge Powerhouse.

Skagit Tours scheduled for Thursday through Sunday have been canceled.

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to about 750,000 Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.

Diablo Lake to Be Lowered for Construction Work

Diablo Lake

To continue construction of a new heavy barge landing dock, Seattle City Light will lower the water level of Diablo Lake at the utility’s Skagit Hydroelectric Project by up to 10 feet. The drawdown will start on Sept. 10 and take up to six days to complete. Low lake levels are scheduled to last until Nov. 5.

Construction workers install a rockery fence above the site for the new barge landing.

With lower water levels, the boat ramp and fishing dock at Colonial Creek Campground will not be usable. Skagit Tours and the Diablo Lake ferry service will operate as scheduled though passengers should be prepared to walk much steeper ramps at the docks.

This $1.5 million project is one of the final phases of work needed to replace facilities destroyed by a 2010 rockslide.  The project must be completed to allow for the delivery of six new transformers to Ross Powerhouse scheduled for 2016.

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to about 750,000 Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.

Construction Crews Make Progress on Diablo Lake Barge Landing

Construction crews continue to make progress on a project to build a permanent replacement for a barge landing on Diablo Lake at our Skagit Hydroelectric Project.

City Light crews finished rockeries for the landing and have placed more than 75 percent of the concrete planks for the lower road to the landing.

Concrete planks installed at the barge landing.

A contractor is installing a rock fall barrier in the area.

This barrier being installed is designed to catch rocks that could fall from the cliff face above the Diablo Lake barge landing area.

The project team anticipates moving the east ferry landing dock and replacing the National Park Service dock next week (July 13-17). The exact date will be chosen to minimize impacts to visitors.

City Light’s heavy barge landing and the road that led to it were damaged by a rock slide in 2010. Barges are needed to carry heavy equipment to and from Ross Dam and Powerhouse. The barge landing replacement project will allow City Light to perform planned maintenance on large transformers and other equipment.

The final phase of the project will require the water level of Diablo Lake to be lowered so the new ramp can be built. That drawdown is scheduled Sept. 15.