APPENDIX 3 TO TMT'S WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION'S
SYSTEM LOAD SHAPING GUIDELINES TO ENABLE OPERATING TURBINES AT PEAK EFFICIENCY
Background
Outmigrating juvenile salmonids have several potential routes of passage past hydroelectric dams on the mainstem Columbia and Snake Rivers, including turbines, mechanical bypass, sluiceways, and spillways. Fish passage survival varies depending on the route of passage. As a result of reported high mortality rates for fish passage through turbines (Long 1968; Schoeneman et al. 1961), regional efforts have been focused on providing non-turbine passage routes for juvenile fish as a means to reduce turbine-related mortality and improve fish survival. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of juvenile fish may continue to pass through turbines; therefore, effort to minimize turbine-related mortality is a priority of the fishery agencies and Indian Tribes, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
Turbine operating efficiency has a relatively direct effect on fish passage survival; the relationship between survival of juvenile fish passing through Kaplan turbines is positively correlated and roughly linear to the efficiency at which the turbines are operated. Bell (1981) recommended making every effort to operate turbines at peak efficiency at a given head during periods of peak fish passage to minimize fish mortality.
A. Turbine Efficiency
For the purposes of this document, peak turbine efficiency operation shall be based on efficiency tables provided by the Corps for each project in the Fish Passage Plan (FPP). The Corps shall ensure that these efficiency ranges are based on the best available information, and that updates are coordinated with BPA, and the Fish Facility Operation and Maintenance Committee and operating agencies. The tables will be distributed to all operating agencies prior to implementation, allowing at least two working days after receipt of the tables for implementation.
Operating efficiency of turbines is a result of wicket gate opening and blade angle for a given head (Bell 1981). As a result, there is a family of turbine efficiency curves for each project (or turbine design) for various head differentials. Operational decisions affecting turbine operations are based on efficiency curves for incremental changes in head, as provided by turbine manufacturers or empirical testing.
B. Guidelines
Objective: To reduce the mortality of outmigrating juvenile salmonids, BPA will provide the Corps' hydrosystem projects with generation requests that allow turbines at the Lower Snake (LSN) and Lower Columbia (LCOL) projects to operate within one percent of peak efficiency, or as otherwise specified, during the Peak Efficiency Operating Period, within the guidelines outlined below.
1. Peak Efficiency Operating Period.
This period is defined as 24 hours per day from March 15 through October 31 for the LCOL river projects and through November 30 for the LSN river projects. BPA will maintain generation requests that allow turbines to operate within 1 percent of peak efficiency in accordance with these guidelines however, operation may occur outside 1 percent of peak efficiency subject to the limitations listed in C and D..
Reporting of generation requests outside the 1 percent peak efficiency range relative to the applicable peak efficiency limitations during the Peak Efficiency Operating Period will be provided as outlined in E.
2. Unit Priorities.
The Corps should make every effort to adhere to unit priorities. The Corps shall follow a unit priority list that specifies which units at each LSN and LCOL project should be operated within the range of peak efficiency, to minimize impact to salmon stocks. Likewise, the Corps will also indicate the priority for operating units outside the one percent peak efficiency minimum or maximum ranges. The list will be based on the best available fish passage and turbine efficiency information, developed by the Corps and will be included in the FPP.
3. Project Priorities.
If units must be operated out of the 1 percent peak efficiency range, then BPA will make every effort to assure that generation requests to the Corps projects adhere to project priorities. Project priority may be developed weekly, based on in-season fish passage information, by the Technical Management Team (TMT).
4. Coordination.
Coordination processes should facilitate implementation by taking advantage of pre-existing interagency coordinating mechanisms (such as the COE, BOR, BPA and NMFS in-season management process, as described in the 1995 Biological Opinion on Operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS).
Coordination is also intended to minimize frequent disruption of FCRPS by allowing the action agencies sufficient lead time to include system operational changes in their planning activities. Sufficient time is defined as a minimum of two working days before implementation, unless an emergency situation exists. In the event of an emergency, implementation will begin as soon as practical given concurrent operations, hydraulic situations and loads.
Reasonable and prudent operation outside of peak efficiency for limitations listed in C.1 and C.2 below is at the discretion of the BPA and Corps. BPA and the Corps will coordinate with NMFS when operation of turbines outside of the peak efficiency range may be appropriate under provisions C.3 through C.9. Coordination will occur during the weekly in-season management team meetings, as described in the 1995 Biological Opinion on Operation of the FCRPS.
Emergency situations, described in limitations C1 and C2 below, that require an immediate change in FCRPS operation to avoid excessive take of listed salmonids may be directly coordinated at any time between NMFS and the action agencies. Coordination of an emergency change in FCRPS operation shall normally be completed immediately, with information supplied to the in-season management team described above as soon as practical. Implementation of the change(s) will occur as soon as practical given operational, hydraulic and load conditions. The action agencies shall provide points of contact to allow such emergency coordination to occur.
C. Limitations for the period March 15 through October 31 for the LCOL river projects and through November 30 for the LSN river projects
Conditions that may affect BPA's ability to operate in such a manner include:
1. System Reliability.
BPA's ability to operate the power system in a manner that enables the Corps to maximize operation of turbines within peak range will be constrained by requirements to maintain system reliability (including requirements necessary for transient and voltage stability of the transmission system), and the ability to meet system response criteria. Additionally, it is necessary to maintain a margin of resource generation on line to fulfill Northwest Power Pool (NWPP), Western System Coordinating Council (WSCC), and the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) reliability requirements.
BPA's Reliability Criteria for Operations, the Northwest Power Pool Operating Manual, the Western Systems Coordinating Council Operations Committee Handbook, and the North American Electric Reliability Council Operating Manual define system response criteria and margin of resource generation.
Predictable instances of deviation from within the peak range as a consequence of prudent utility operation for control of short term system dynamics include:
-Routine responses to loss of generation, load or transmission within the interconnection including delivery of Operating Reserve Obligation to NWPP members upon request. The duration of these deviations is minimal, but dependent upon recovery by the interconnection member with the problem.
-Routine starting and stopping of generation units. These deviations are unavoidable, but very short in duration.
-Deliberate dropping of generation, i.e., instantaneous interruption of output, to preserve system integrity. This dropping could cause a brief excursion.
2. Firm and Direct Service Industry (DSI) load.
The LCOL and LSN projects will be operated within one percent of peak efficiency to the extent that the ability to meet firm loads is not jeopardized. According to the Regional Act, the Power Sales Contract with the DSI's and House Report 96-976 dated September 16, 1980," the total DSI load will be considered firm for purposes of resource operation."
3. Gas Supersaturation.
Total dissolved gas saturation levels will be monitored at each project during the fish passage season. Signs of gas bubble disease will be monitored at all Smolt Monitoring Program sampling sites and selected in-river sites. Peak turbine efficiency operation may be modified if representative monitoring data indicate that gas saturation is affecting fish survival. Necessary operational modifications will be coordinated through the process outlined in B.4, above.
4. Coordinated fishery operations.
In the event that coordinated fishery operations and approved fishery research are not in accord with operating turbines at peak efficiency, operational modifications will be coordinated through the process outlined in B.4.
5. Grand Coulee (GCL) and Chief Joseph (CHJ) flexibility.
Within system reliability and firm load limitations, flexibility at GCL and CHJ will be fully used, whenever possible, before generation requests to LCOL and LSN projects are outside the peak efficiency range.
6. Flow augmentation operations.
Flow augmentation requests for LCOL flows at McNary (MCN) are primarily met by water releases from GCL. The decision on whether to use GCL flexibility to provide inflows to MCN at the level necessary to meet the week's LCOL flow request when fish collection is maximized for transport during the flow augmentation period shall be made through the coordination process outlined in B.4.
In-season management team flow augmentation requests for flows may exceed the one percent peak efficient operation range at LCOL/LSN projects. Meeting this flow request will take precedent over peak efficient operations. Coordination of the implementation of the flow requests will occur through the process outlined in B.4.
7. Transport projects.
Resolution of the conflict between spill management and turbine operation within one percent of peak efficiency at transport projects during the transport season shall be determined through the coordination process outlined in B.4, and in accordance with fish transportation guidelines, based on in-season flow and fish passage information. Care should be taken during transition periods close to the upper flow boundary to avoid frequent switching of priorities between spill and generation.
8. Routine maintenance and testing.
All units at all projects must undergo maintenance and associated testing. The testing necessitates deviation from the 1 percent peak efficiency band for periods of from 15 minutes to 8 hours. Scheduling of maintenance testing will be coordinated through the process outlined in B.4 above, to ensure that it is conducted during times of low fish passage within a day to minimize impacts on fish.
9. Flood Control.
The FCRPS provides multiple benefits to the region. Flood control is the primary function of many of the projects on the Columbia River. In the event that river flow conditions require flood control operations, operation of turbines within the 1% peak efficiency range may be modified or suspended based on the Corps' direction. Allowing excursions from 1% peak efficiency for flood control operations would facilitate transportation, reduce excessive dissolved gas levels, and lower the risk of gas bubble disease in fish. Coordination of flood control operations will occur as outlined in B.4. See also Limitations C.3 and C.5.
During flood control operation, compliance reporting will follow procedures outlined in Section E.2.
10. Other.
In the event that the excursion was not explainable or caused by human error.
D. Limitations for the period March 15 through March 31, and September 1 through October 31 for the LCOL river projects and through November 30 for the LSN river projects.
Conditions that may affect BPA's ability to operate in such a manner include all limitations in C.1 through C.10, plus the requirement for prudent use of the FCRPS storage capability necessary to import energy into the FCRPS for fish storage and firm load requirements.
E. Quality Control.
The purpose of compliance reporting is to provide quality control for implementation of the Guidelines. BPA will consolidate information for the reports from BPA's system operation data, data provided by Corps project operators at LCOL and LSN projects, as well as other appropriate data sources.
BPA will provide these reports to NMFS, the FPC, and the Corps on an annual basis.. Excursions outside 1% due to unknown causes will also be documented in category 10.
The reports compiled by BPA will summarize reportable events on a per project basis for each reporting period, as allowed under limitations listed in Section C of these Guidelines. Reportable events include: (1) 1% excursions of greater than 15 minutes in duration; and (2) more than five, five minute excursions within a day. The report will also include the total number of hours units were run. Raw 1% data will be kept for four years from date of collection.
1. Normal river operation. BPA will consolidate information and prepare an annual report describing the ratio of project time outside the 1% peak efficiency range to total turbine unit operating time.
A brief explanation of the reason(s) for unit operation outside the peak efficiency range, the date, and the associated period of time will also be provided for documented excursions. Other excursions (e.g., excursions for unknown reasons) will also be reported.
SBettin-EWI-11/15/96 (H:data\worddatafpp97.doc)