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- Conventional Hydro
Monitoring Suspended Sediment: An Investigation Coincident with the Cherry Creek Reservoir Annual Flush
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Dombrowski
The focus of this proposal is to address the need for more comprehensive suspended sediment monitoring by exploring the capabilities and limitations of emerging techniques for suspended-sediment surrogate monitoring using acoustic technology. The use of suspended-sediment surrogate methods, such as turbidity, laser-diffraction, and acoustic methods, offer the benefits of continuous temporal monitoring, lower cost, and safer implementation than conventional hand-held methods. The benefit of developing the capability may be widespread within Reclamation; the acquired data could be used to refine computational and theoretical tools, as well as gauge the sediment-related effects of reservoir operations including sedimentation rates and downstream water quality.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2022
- Conventional Hydro
Monitoring Technology Development for Sensitive Species (Eel/Lamprey Tag Development)
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Deng
The objectives of this project are to design, prototype, and perform laboratory and field tests of an injectable, acoustic micro-transmitter that can be used to study the behavior and survival of sensitive fish species (specifically juvenile eel and lamprey initially). Additionally, the project will provide information to develop mitigation measures for safer passage of eel and lamprey and reduce the environmental impacts hydropower production has on these species. Future research could build on this project, expanding the use of the tiny tags to many other species, such as American shad, delta smelt, and river herring. This project is a partnered research effort with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Memorandum of Understanding for Hydropower.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Monitoring the Movements of Juvenile Pacific Lamprey in the Yakima River using Acoustic Telemetry
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Patrick Monk
The primary objectives of this project are to (1) test a non-commercially available acoustic telemetry tag designed for Pacific lamprey, and (2) to monitor the movements of juvenile lamprey in the Yakima River and in the Columbia River in order to better understand these unique fish and to inform future management actions. Entrainment of migrating lamprey in to canals and potentially through fish screens is considered a significant threat for Pacific Lamprey in the Yakima Subbasin This is the only type of study that will be able to finally provide answers about the rate of entrainment into the diversion, and rate of return through the bypass. Predation is also another critical threat for Pacific Lamprey. Recent studies on Northern Pike Minnow predation in the lower Columbia River have continuously shown that predation on juvenile Pacific Lamprey, despite the depressed numbers of lamprey, happens as frequently or more frequently than juvenile salmonid predation.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
National Water Model Assessment for Reclamation’s Water Management Needs
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Ken Nowak
Reclamation depends on streamflow forecasts across the temporal continuum of water management. As part of the recently launched NOAA National Water Initiative, the National Water Model (NWM) is being adopted. In the interest of being an informed user and exploring new potential water management utility of the NWM, Reclamation seeks to seize the opportunity to partner with NOAA at the outset of this new modeling framework. Understanding the NWM will be important for Reclamation as NOAA begins to use its output in forecasts.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
NC5 R&D Gap Analysis for Flexible Technology R&D Roadmap
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Deng
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Optimization and Commercialization of the juvenile eel/Lamprey Tag
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Daniel Deng
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Powell Center Synthesis of Dam Removal Literature
Lead Companies
U.S. Geological Survey
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jeff Duda, Jim O'Connor, Amy East, Chauncey Anderson
Examination and synthesis of dam removal literature with observations, framed and tested as hypotheses and conceptual models to provide better understanding of the multifaceted and interrelated consequences of dam decommissioning, thereby providing a basis for formulating realistic expectations for river restoration in addition to identifying key information gaps and research needs.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
complete
Completion Date
2018
- Conventional Hydro
Prediction of Reservoir Sediment Pressure Flushing
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Blair Greimann
Reservoir sedimentation affects all Reclamation reservoirs to some extent. In some cases reservoir sediment is beginning to approach the intake elevation for either a penstock or water diversion. A gated intake at a lower elevation can be used to remove sediment in the vicinity of the gate and prevent sediment from entering the penstock or water diversion. Can we construct numerical models to assist in the design and operation of these low level outlets? Many Reclamation facilities are approaching an age of 100 years. Often, the intake elevation for penstocks leading to hydroelectric facilities was set at the elevation expected after 100 years of sedimentation. Our current numerical modeling tools are lacking in their ability to simulate pressure flushing as may occur at facilities where they are attempting to keep the penstock intake clear of sediment by flushing sediment at a lower level intake while keeping the reservoir nearly full. Our current sediment models can only model flushing of sediment when the reservoir is drawdown completely and there is not appreciable reservoir pool left. Therefore, to design appropriate low level outlets and to analyze various operations, it will be necessary to have a numerical model that can simulate this process.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Predictive Dreissenid Mussel Modeling for the Western United States
Lead Companies
Bureau of Reclamation
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jacque Keele
The presence of dreissenid mussels triggers a need for large budgets to manage water bodies that contain these mussels. Based upon dreissenid mussel behavior in the eastern US, it was assumed that mussels would be widely invasive in western US waters. After five years of monitoring, it appears that not all environments trigger invasive populations. The goal of this research is to utilize predictive modeling techniques to inform decisions regarding stewardship of natural resources.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
2020
- Conventional Hydro
Preparing the Power Sector to Navigate Climate and Water Risks
Lead Companies
NREL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Ariel Miara
About 90% of the United States' energy comes from hydropower and thermal energy sources—including natural gas, nuclear, and coal—all of which share a critical need: water. Power plants need water to keep their systems cool and safe, and hydropower uses water as renewable fuel. As the climate changes, so will water availability and other ambient conditions, threatening the reliability of today’s power system and tomorrow’s clean energy grid. That’s why researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—along with those at Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the City University of New York, the Electric Power Research Institute, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory—are studying both regional and national climate and hydrologic changes to provide a comprehensive assessment of climate and water impacts and risks to the U.S. power grid. This year, the team developed a state-of-the-art modeling framework to assess climate and water impacts as well as other risks to the grid, including sensitivities to varying hydrologic drivers and infrastructure scenarios. The research provides key insights that utilities and system operators need to mitigate and adapt their power grid assets and systems to climate and water risks, so utilities and policymakers can make better-informed planning decisions.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2022
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org