Promoting Small Hydropower as a Long-Term Sustainable Option for Communities and Aquatic Resources

Small-scale hydropower has become a viable option for low-impact, renewable energy. Recent legislation streamlines the approval process and promotes small-hydropower projects. It encourages the production of hydropower at manmade conduits and existing dams by increasing the allowable electrical capacity for licensing exemptions.

Electrical capacity and environmental impact are not necessarily proportional. Even small capacity hydropower projects may alter temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and flow, create fish barriers, and produce a range of other effects that can impair fish passage in waterways. While Fish and Wildlife agencies are given the opportunity to comment on exempt projects, agency capacity may be limited. Furthermore, conduit projects up to 5MW do not require any such review.  Changes to the use of existing infrastructure, like dams and conduits, can impact fish habitat.

Careful planning is needed, regardless of project capacity, to ensure healthy fish populations and promote clean hydropower production. This can be accomplished many ways, including through the use of existing conduits and structures, increasing production on operating systems, as well as coordinated planning between Fish and Wildlife agencies and user groups. This discussion will outline the issues and provide a examples of how small hydropower works successfully for all stakeholder groups.