If the Dillsboro dam were removed, how would the Tuckaseigee River look and sound? The probable answer to that question was given by engineers with Stantec Consulting Firm to members of the Tuckaseigee Cooperative Stakeholder Team June 20 in Franklin. As part of its relicensing process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Duke Power is considering removal of the Dillsboro dam. If the dam were to be removed, the town of Dillsboro would acquire all Duke hydro landholdings there, including the powerhouse and three acres across from the powerhouse for public recreation area. Those on the stakeholder team who are requesting the dam removal maintain that it would add about 11 miles of unimpeded river for boating, as well as permit some aquatic species to move more freely up and down the river. Those opposed to the removal cite the dam's historic significance to Dillsboro and the county since it was the first power plant in Jackson County. It would also eliminate a scenic waterfall and create sediment movement downstream, they say. Brad Fairley, Stantec engineer, presented several stream structure restorations at the dam site, favoring a W-shaped weir structure. Boulders in this weir formation would stabilize the banks and channel water towards the center of the river, Fairley said. In conducting sound tests measuring decibel levels at various locations at and around the dam, Fairley concluded that sound levels do not change significantly with flow, except right at the dam. "Sound levels diminish quickly as you move away from the dam," he reported. "In fact, there are riffles on the river louder than the dam under both high and low flow conditions." Those riffles generate a more constant sound than the dam, Fairley told the stakeholders. "If the dam were removed and replaced with a riffle, sound levels would be as loud and more constant," he said, noting there have only been two dam removals in North Carolina. The Dillsboro plant is the smallest of Duke's 31 hydro plants and is the second smallest hydro facility in North Carolina licensed by FERC. The plant capacity is 225 kilowatts. Average generation is about 1350 megawatt hours per year. "All of this is wonderful and scientific, but you have to take into consideration the historic and esthetic aspect of the dam," Dillsboro Mayor Jean Hartbarger said following Stantec's report. The 12-foot high, 310-foot long rock and masonry dam is 89 years old and quite a tourist attraction, said Hartbarger whose town depends heavily on revenues generated by tourism. Duke Power prepared a draft proposal, or "trial balloon," to stimulate discussion within the stakeholder team concerning how a variety of river and relicensing interests could fit together in consensus agreement. That draft trial balloon includes the removal of the dam. But if the dam is to be removed, the stakeholder team must reach a consensus, said Fred Alexander, district manager for Duke. At its July meeting the stakeholder team is to answer two questions - Can the redesign and removal of the dam meet your interests? Can retention of the dam meet your needs? "We hope the team can reach a consensus on this...and as many topics as possible," said Alexander, emphasizing that Duke would like a signed settlement by November. |