Bear Lake Controversy

[DaveOU812]

Bear Lake Controversy
What do you guys think about this? I'm all for the power but not at the cost of the lake.

A battle at a Utah landmark has erupted over a proposal to pump incredible amounts of water out of the lake every night and pour it back in every day to generate power.

"This is the most serious threat to Bear Lake that we've ever faced," said Merlin Olsen, president of Bear Lake Watch. "You are going to stir up incredible amounts of sediment in that water, and one of the things we love about that lake is its clarity and its color."

[JP]

They're pooling the water above the lake somewhere and when they bring it back through the turbines, the water is heated quite a bit. If Bear Lake is a cold water fishery, it's not going to like the heated water. This is one of those situations where our needs clash with environmental issues.

Did a little reading, they have been using this lake for power. For the home/business owners on the lake as well as the vacationers, the draw down at night must be the power company working with the complainants. The lake will still look all pristine and full by day and all business at night to early morning hours for generating power and people will not see the dropped levels. I say continue what they have been doing, you don't need you electrical bill going up 35% because they cannot use hydro at this facility. Generate, generate, generate. Even clean power gets attacked.

[rockgremlin]

Even clean power gets attacked.

Unfortunately this is very true. We want our energy, but don't want the consequences.

[Sombeech]

Wow, pumping it out of BL, then coming back in? This will actually produce a net gain huh? Well, screw cold fusion.

I wonder how far the disturbed waters will reach. It is a pretty big lake, and it's shallow up there. I'm thinking the long shallow beaches will help keep the contamination down, just because there's less of a current?

I love the clarity and color of Bear Lake. If there's nothing else to do when I go up there, at least I can look from a good viewpoint down on the lake.

[JP]

Wow, pumping it out of BL, then coming back in?

I love the clarity and color of Bear Lake. If there's nothing else to do when I go up there, at least I can look from a good viewpoint down on the lake.

It sounds like a Pumped-Storage Hydro Plant. We have one of them here. It has reversible pumps. They draw the water out of the river and put it into the lake. When they need power, they reverse the pumps that now act as hydroelectric turbines. So, the lake would see a draw down for some point which exposes what was just submerged shoreline. Not attractive at this point, docks look funny and things like that. As soon as there done generating power, they replace the water they generated with river water. It sounds like the discharge (warm water from turbines) flows down river and cold water would be brought back into the lake from the river. I read somewhere that there is a canal leading into the lake from the river, so the river water is not a shock to the lake.

The clarity has been there, it will be there. The clarity hasn't been effected by the power plant. I can see the power company trying to pacify the complainants on the lake (Save the Lake People) and will generate only at night so the draw down cannot be seen. But, you can bet, if the area reaches a peak demand during the daytime, you bet they will be generating during those times.

But, we know how all these "Save The ??? People" are and start crying environmental catastrophe. It comes down to, "Not in my backyard". They're all for clean, as long as it doesn't affect them. They've been generating power there for sometime now, leave it be. If not, they'll need that cleaner power plant source, coal. Damn dirty water

If anybody has a complaint, I believe it would be down river of the plant. How long does it take that warm water to disperse? The river is only at normal flow for so many times during the day. But, if they primarily do it at night, the river would be at normal flow all day with no fluctuation. Hey, congrats for the power company making an effort to work with home/business owners.

[rockgremlin]

Ah yes...the good ole NIMBY mentality.

[JP]

Ah yes...the good ole NIMBY mentality.

That's what it comes down to. People will cry Eco, but it's that backyard thingy going on in many cases.

It's not like this is a new plant, right?
Our plant's have been here since the mid to late 1920's. We have two power companies here; Connecticut Light & Power-Northeast Utilities and United Illuminating. Both have hydro plants, but CL&P just sold quite a few of them on one river, Eco complaints. UI is on the same river, but their huge plant is located just in from Long Island Sound, so flowage isn't really an issue since this part of the river is tidal effected. I'm under UI and our rates went up a little, more for updating existing plants. But, CL&P rates went up 30% so far with more increases on the way. They don't generate on one river anymore and it's costing the consumers due to the Eco crap. So, for the past 80+ years this river (Housatonic) has been an electrical dream. Clean energy and keeping costs down. The Housatonic River starts in Massachusetts and was home to General Electric (GE "We bring good things to life") which used the river for their own personal PCB's dumping grounds, right where the river begins. This river is still effected by the PCB's, but since so many years have past since they stopped dumping, most of the PCB's are buried on the river bottom by sediment buildup.

But since the PCB's are not really a factor anymore, lets attack the power companies. The river's eco-system is all screwed up, the warm water discharge (warm water fishery), the constant fluctuation of water levels, ohhh man...it's all screwed up. It's been like this for 80+ years. And now it's a problem.

[rockgremlin]

Ah yes...the good ole NIMBY mentality.

That's what it comes down to. People will cry Eco, but it's that backyard thingy going on in many cases.

It's been like this for 80+ years. And now it's a problem.

You know what? Message to all you eco-freaks: I'm gonna soak up the sun, and I'm gonna tell everyone to just lighten up (I'm gonna tell 'em that).

[Udink]

Wow, pumping it out of BL, then coming back in? This will actually produce a net gain huh? Well, screw cold fusion.

I was wondering about the same thing. Here's a KSL article explaining what they're doing:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3001671

It's a new twist on the principle of "buy low, sell high." They'd buy electricity to pump at night and sell electricity in the daytime at a profit. "Power is less expensive at night because there's no demand, and it's expensive in the daytime," explained Dr. Vincent Lamarra, CEO of Symbiotics LLC.

Sounds kinda screwy to me...

[JP]

Here's a KSL article explaining what they're doing
Sounds kinda screwy to me...

That's a Pumped-Storage plant. Hmmm. They want to add that to the existing plant? I could see using what you have, I wonder what the impact would be on that lake? I could see the concerns. How big is the river? I guess not big enough to obtain what they need.

Needs colliding Our Pumped-Storage plant draws out of the river and pumps it uphill to a lake made for that exact purpose, power. And again, it was in the late 20's when it was being constructed. It all blends now. There seems to be no adverse effect to the lake, it holds a ton of water recreation including the Bass Masters Tournament.

[packfish]

It's not a good thing for Bear Lake--------the mud bottom would turn that lake murky . Do it at Jordanelle or one of those man made lakes that it wouldn't affect the natural enviorment.

[accadacca]

Not to my beloved BEAR LAKE!!

[JP]

Not to my beloved BEAR LAKE!!

Let's keep the moose out of this, this is Bear Lake

That northeastern shoreline has a lot of beach, no? Wow. Not too much development there either.

Here was an interesting link:
http://www.waterquality.utah.gov/wat...s/BEARLAKE.pdf

[accadacca]

That northeastern shoreline has a lot of beach, no? Wow. Not too much development there either.

Nope. This is the west JP.

[JP]

That northeastern shoreline has a lot of beach, no? Wow. Not too much development there either.

Nope. This is the west JP.