1. No category

Brookfield Renewable Energy Group
Focusing on Renewable Power Generation
Bear Swamp Project (FERC No. 2669)
FERC Scoping Meeting
March 2015
Project Overview
Bear Swamp Power Company, LLC (BSPC), a
limited liability company jointly owned indirectly
by Brookfield Renewable Energy Group and
Emera, Inc., is the Licensee, owner, and operator
of the Bear Swamp Project (Project or Bear
Swamp Project).
• The Project is located on the Deerfield River in
Rowe and Florida Townships, Berkshire and
Franklin Counties, Massachusetts.
• The Federal Power Commission, predecessor
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC), issued an original license for the
Project on April 28, 1970.
̶ The existing license expires on March 31,
2020.
• The Project was commissioned and placed into
service in 1974, and includes both the Bear
Swamp Pumped Storage Development (PSD)
and the Fife Brook Development.
• BSPC acquired the Project in 2005.
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Project Location
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Bear Swamp PSD Facilities
The Bear Swamp PSD generally consists of:
• A 118-acre upper reservoir retained by four dikes and an emergency spillway;
• A submerged inlet/outlet structure and associated tunnel which bifurcates into two penstocks;
• An underground powerhouse containing two reversible Francis-type pump-turbine units and
motor-generator units with a combined capacity of 600 megawatts (MW);
• Two tailrace tunnels leading to an inlet/outlet structure in the lower reservoir; and
• A 152-acre lower reservoir (Fife Brook impoundment) formed by the Fife Brook Dam on the
Deerfield River.
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Fife Brook Development Facilities
The Fife Brook Development generally consists of:
• The Fife Brook Dam and impoundment, which is common to both the Bear Swamp Pumped
Storage and Fife Brook developments;
• A compacted glacial till dam;
• A tainter gate spillway structure;
• A concrete intake structure; and
• A single penstock leading to a concrete powerhouse containing one conventional Francis
turbine-generator unit with a capacity of 10 MW.
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General Deerfield River Operations
• The Bear Swamp Project is one of three hydroelectric projects located along the Deerfield River:
Deerfield River Project (FERC No. 2323), Bear Swamp Project (FERC No. 2669), and the Gardners
Falls Project (FERC No. 2334).
• These projects are operated under separate licenses issued by FERC.
DAMS ALONG THE DEERFIELD RIVER
FERC Project Name
Licensee
Development Name
Operational
Date
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Somerset
1913
VT
66.0
Storage
Drainage
Area
(square
miles)
30
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Searsburg
1922
VT
60.3
Hydroelectric
90
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Harriman
1924
VT
48.5
Hydroelectric
184
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Sherman
1927
VT/MA
42.0
Hydroelectric
234
1915
MA
41.2
Hydroelectric
237
Type
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Bear Swamp Project
BSPC
Bear Swamp PSD
1974
MA
39.0
Pumped- Storage
(Hydroelectric)
254
Bear Swamp Project
BSPC
Fife Brook
1974
MA
37.0
Hydroelectric
254
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Station No. 4
1915
MA
20.0
Hydroelectric
404
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Station No. 3
1915
MA
17.0
Hydroelectric
500
Gardners Falls Project
Essential Power
Gardners Falls
1904
MA
15.7
Hydroelectric
502
Deerfield River Project
TransCanada
Station No. 2
1915
MA
13.2
Hydroelectric
505
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Station No.
5*
State
Approx.
River Mile
Hydroelectric Developments Along the Deerfield River
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General Operation of the Deerfield River
The overall flow regime of the Deerfield River can be generally characterized as having regular
flow and stage fluctuations driven by the long history of peaking operations on the Deerfield River
and as currently licensed under the Deerfield River Project (FERC No. 2323).
• Because BSPC does not drive the system, the Fife Brook Development is limited to operating in
a run-of-release mode reacting to, and passing inflows.
• Similarly, BSPC’s Bear Swamp PSD operates independent of, and with no effect on Deerfield
River flows upstream or downstream of the Bear Swamp PSD and Fife Brook Development.
BSPC and TransCanada engage in regular communication and coordination regarding the day-today administration of each entity’s respective minimum flow and whitewater release license
articles, with emphasis on:
• Exchange of information necessary to facilitate and enable each licensee in meeting its
minimum flow and whitewater recreation release obligations,
• Coordination among, and meeting with whitewater boating interests and other Deerfield River
recreation stakeholders in developing annual whitewater release schedules,
• Communication by/from the Deerfield River Project licensee relative to its daily peaking
schedule (including changes it may make to its schedule), and
• Mutual communication on matters such as outages, maintenance, inspections and emergency
planning.
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Bear Swamp PSD Normal Operations
The Bear Swamp PSD operates in a pumped storage
mode which is characterized by the regular, scheduled
movement of water from the Upper Reservoir to the
Lower Reservoir (generation) and from the Lower
Reservoir back to the upper reservoir (pumping).
• The Upper Reservoir has a useable storage of 4,900
acre-feet. During normal generation, the Upper
Reservoir is typically drawn down 44.5 feet from an
elevation of 1,600 feet to 1,555.5 feet.
• Similarly, the Lower Reservoir (Fife Brook
impoundment) has a useable storage of 4,900 acrefeet between the normal maximum full elevation of
870 feet and the allowable 40-foot drawdown limit
to elevation 830.
• In general, Bear Swamp PSD normal operation
consists of generating with, and pumping back some,
or all of the useable Upper Reservoir storage
capacity within this general framework over a 24hour period.
• Bear Swamp PSD is dispatched to generate by ISONew England in response to regional energy needs.
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Fife Brook Development Normal Operations
The Fife Brook Development operates in a run-of-release mode utilizing those inflows (peaking or
otherwise) as provided by the upstream Deerfield No. 5 station.
• BSPC schedules Fife Brook to effectively follow the Deerfield No. 5 schedule while accounting for
provision of:
̶ The 125 cfs minimum flow from the Fife Brook Development (released through two minimum
flow pipes); and
̶ A total of 106 whitewater releases based upon the whitewater schedule established each
year.
• When Deerfield No. 5 is generating (and regardless of whether Bear Swamp PSD is pumping,
generating, or idle), the Fife Brook Development will generate at a level to effectively match the
timing and magnitude of inflow.
̶ Based on the schedule received from TransCanada, BSPC publishes public notification of
expected Fife Brook operations on the Internet using the WaterLine FlowCast© system at
www.h2oline.com.
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Fife Brook Development Normal Operations
When making the transition from the 125 cfs minimum flow discharge to the higher scheduled
discharge level, BSPC:
• turns on strobe lights on Fife Brook dam and sounds an alarm to provide visual and audible
warnings,
• brings the Fife Brook powerhouse up to approximately 3 MW and curtails discharge through the
minimum flow pipes,
• holds the Fife Brook powerhouse at approximately 3 MW for 15 minutes, and then
• brings the Fife Brook powerhouse up to its scheduled discharge point.
̶ The 15 minute, 3 MW hold (ramp) point is the result of collaboration with downstream angler
interests relative to improving angler safety, and BSPC continues to examine opportunities
with stakeholders to improve public safety within the peaking flow framework licensed under
the Deerfield River Project.
Given the spatial context of BSPC’s Bear Swamp Project and its temporal context (constructed
decades after the peaking system was established), BSPC can confirm that:
• BSPCS’s Bear Swamp PSD and Fife Brook Development are not the source or cause of diurnal
peaking flows and flow/stage fluctuations on the Deerfield River, and
• BSPC’s Bear Swamp PSD and Fife Brook Development do not have the ability to re-regulate
Deerfield River Project operations.
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Composite 15-Minute Operations within Fife Brook Impoundment (August – September 2014)
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Fife Brook Impoundment Daily Average Inflow and Outflow (10/1/2012 – 10/1/2014)
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Recreation Facilities and Opportunities
• The existing recreational facilities at the Bear Swamp
Project and its proximity to state and national forests
provide a wealth of recreational opportunities and
amenities in the Project vicinity.
• Angling, whitewater boating, and tubing are popular
recreational activities along the Deerfield River in the
vicinity of the Project.
• There are six formal recreation facilities located at the
Bear Swamp Project:
̶ Bear Swamp Visitors Center
̶ Fife Brook Fishing and Boating Access Area
̶ Zoar Whitewater Access Area
̶ Zoar Picnic Area
̶ Fife Brook Overlook Hiking Trail
̶ Bear Swamp Public Hunting Area
• In addition to formal Project recreation facilities,
numerous informal shoreline parking/access areas
are available along the Deerfield River downstream of
Fife Brook Dam.
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Recreation Facilities and Opportunities
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE VICINITY OF THE BEAR SWAMP PROJECT
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Recreation Facilities and Opportunities
BEAR SWAMP PROJECT RECREATION FACILITIES
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Whitewater Releases
In accordance with each party’s FERC requirements, BSPC
and TransCanada provide 106 whitewater releases from
the Fife Brook Dam between April 1 and October 31,
annually.
• Releases are provided at a minimum flow of 700 cfs for
a duration of at least three continuous hours.
• Releases can start anytime between 9:30 AM and 12:00
PM, and are scheduled for 50 weekend days and 56
weekdays from April 1 to October 31 annually.
• BSPC and TransCanada coordinate an annual meeting to
cooperatively develop the whitewater release schedule
in consultation with representative citizens groups,
including New England FLOW and Trout Unlimited.
• BSPC provides information to the public regarding
estimated current and forecasted flow conditions
downstream of the Fife Brook Dam on the Waterline
website, and the information is also available by calling
the Waterline Flowcast toll-free number.
• the annual whitewater release schedule is posted at
Project recreation areas and is also available as a
downloadable file from the Waterline website
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Whitewater Releases
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Contact Information
Steven P. Murphy
Licensing Manager
Brookfield Renewable Energy Group
33 West 1st Street South, Fulton, New York 13069
Phone: (315) 598-6130
steven.murphy@brookfieldrenewable.com
www.brookfieldrenewable.com
Bear Swamp Project Relicensing Website
http://www.bearswampproject.com/
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