Shanker's Bend dam proposal draws opposition
Sheila Corson of The Chronicle looks at the proposed projects and the controversy surrounding the building of another hydroelectric dam on the Similkameen River outside of Oroville.
About 100 people crammed into the Depot Museum Aug. 24 to share concerns, opposition or support for building a second hydroelectric dam on the Similkameen River.
The three Okanogan County Public Utility District commissioners, other staff and Entrix consultant Jeremy Pratt met with community members to discuss the Similkameen River
Appraisal Level study, which looks at three possible options for a dam at Shanker's Bend, a few miles west of Oroville.
Twenty-eight people commented during the two-hour meeting after Pratt gave an overview of the proposed projects:
High dam:
- 1.3 million acre-foot reservoir
- 74 megawatts hydropower capacity
- 100 percent flood control
- Inundates land in Canada
- Highest loss of land, structures, infrastructure valued at $110 million or more.
- Loss of Palmer Lake homes and cabins, Nighthawk
- Estimated total cost of more than $1 billion
Medium dam:
- 138,000 acre-foot reservoir
- 23 megawatts hydropower capacity
- 99.95 percent flood control
- No Canadian lands inundated
- Lower loss of land, structures, infrastructure valued at about $38 million
- Less loss of Palmer Lake homes and cabins, Nighthawk
- Estimated total cost of about $330 million
Low dam:
- 20,000 acre-foot reservoir
- 19.6 megawatts hydropower capacity
- 99.92 percent flood control
- No Canadian lands inundated
- Least loss of land, structures, infrastructure valued at about $11 million
- Unlikely loss of Palmer Lake homes and cabins, Nighthawk
- Estimated total cost of about $290 million.
Most comments were in opposition to any dam being built.
That included several Canadian representatives. The high dam option would back up 1.3 million acre-feet of water up into Canadian First Nation lands, and is the only option to do so.
George Hansen of the Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen in Canade, said the group is opposed to the high dam option and is drafting a letter to the PUD and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to that effect.
He said the land the PUD proposes to flood is in the farming capital of Canada, and that the land is "not for sale."
Michael Ryan, town councilor for Osoyoos, said although there hasn't been a formal resolution from the town, it is opposed to the high dam option also.
Others who outright opposed the options were many residents of Palmer Lake. The high and medium dam options would flood all or nearly all homes currently there. The low dam would possibly flood some homes.
Residents said the Palmer Lake area is a treasure; one woman referred to it as a diamond, that once lost could not be gotten back.
Nighthawk residents also were present. The area would be flooded by the high dam, possibly the medium dam, but not the low dam. They also were all opposed to all dam options.
Many became emotional, agitated and animated as they spoke. One man called the idea "absolute stupidity," while another questioned the ethics of the PUD in considering the plan at all.
Those who showed any support were few.
Dave Buckmiller said the high dam idea should be "dead," but that the low dam had always been "a dream of mine."
Frank Grunert said he lives downstream of the proposed dam site, and with the wildness of the river, flood control is needed. Also, the area needs more energy, there would be a bigger lake out of the deal and more recreation. He said he favors some kind of dam, though he didn't specify the size.
Hoagy Shattuck, a former PUD employee, said that he had lived through the floods of 1948 and 1972 and knows the need for flood control. He also saw a great value in water storage.
He said he was against the high dam, but either of the other two options was doable.
Other issues that came up were lack of communication, particularly with Canadian officials, on the PUD's part, unrealistic property valuation, misrepresentation of what would really be lost, and more.
As Danny Young, Palmer Lake, put it, the pros were overstated and the list of cons was incomplete. He said he was constantly checking the Internet and other information sources to see "what you guys are going to do to us."
The audience also questioned what the next step would be. Pratt said that the next step would be determined by the board of commissioners. Nothing was yet in place to seek a feasibility study, something the board hasn't decided to pursue yet.
