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DOE OSTI2022

Environmental Effects Assessment for Proposed Offshore Wind Farm off the Coast of Grays Harbor, Washington

Grays Harbor Wind LLC (GHW) is proposing to develop a floating offshore wind farm offshore of west Grays Harbor County, Washington (Grays Harbor). The proposed GHW Offshore Wind Project (Project) would entail construction, installation and operation of a 1,000-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm consisting of approximately 75 floating units, each containing a floating foundation and wind turbine generator (WTG). The Project location is approximately 25 miles (21.7 nautical miles [nmi]) offshore west of Grays Harbor, at waters depths of 360 to 700 feet. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was contracted by Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc. on behalf of GHW to carry out this preliminary scoping study to evaluate baseline conditions and potential effects on fish and marine mammals from development and operation of a floating offshore wind farm installed within a designated area off the coast of Washington1. Floating offshore wind units installed in an ocean environment as part of the Project would interact with marine wildlife. This Study report provides an initial data aggregation and analysis, using publicly available data, of the Project effects, both negative and positive, on the marine environment. The scope of this assessment is limited by the fact that the Project development is presently at the conceptual level. Data on marine organisms were aggregated and evaluated; however seabirds were evaluated by Herrera Environmental Consulting and, along with bats, were not included in the scope of this study. Significant additional work is necessary to characterize ocean, seafloor, and environmental conditions; select appropriate floating offshore wind technologies; identify construction methods and locations; and assess facility locations, including electrical interconnection. Data aggregation and analysis of seabirds and bats is also needed. Evaluation of the full range of potential environmental effects would be conducted following an award of a lease from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as part of the leasing, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review and permitting processes. While this initial data aggregation and analysis uses best available public scientific information and current assumptions about the Project configuration, the effects discussed herein are based on the status of review to-date and may change as Project-specific details are developed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mercury Remediation Technology Development for Lower East Fork Poplar Creek (FY2020 Update)

Mercury (Hg) remediation is a high priority for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. Mercury contamination in the environment can be found at all three DOE facilities in Oak Ridge, but probably the greatest environmental risk concern relative to Hg on the Oak Ridge Reservation is associated with historical Hg losses at and near the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). Water and fish from East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) downstream of Y-12 exceed regulatory thresholds. Because of the complexities of Hg transport and fate in the aquatic environment, conventional remedial options for EFPC are highly uncertain. DOE is using a phased adaptive management approach to Hg remediation at Y-12 with a focus in the next few years on construction of the Mercury Treatment Facility (MTF) to treat the most contaminated Y-12 outfall entering EFPC (DOE 2017a; DOE 2017b). Once operational, the MTF will provide additional protection against inadvertent releases of Hg into the stream from decontamination and decommissioning of Y-12 Hg-use buildings. Although the MTF is anticipated to substantially decrease Hg water concentrations and flux in the upper part of EFPC, research and technology development are needed to develop appropriate and long-term remedial solutions for the downstream environment. Since late 2014, the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC/Restoration Services, Inc. have supported DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Sciences Division staff in conducting field and laboratory studies to develop Hg remedial technology solutions for lower EFPC (LEFPC). A technology development strategy for LEFPC was developed in 2014 that was consistent with the adaptive management paradigm and DOE’s technology readiness level (TRL) guidelines (Peterson et al. 2015). Initially, a thorough review of the literature was conducted and site-specific information was collected to develop a broad number of potential technologies that might be applied in LEFPC. An adaptive management approach was then used to focus on technologies that might have the most promise and potential remediation benefit. Field and laboratory studies conducted from 2014 to 2020 have identified the major drivers of Hg flux and bioaccumulation in EFPC and narrowed the list of high-merit technologies that might be of use in remediating the downstream environment.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Carnivore Survey Results for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300

ECORP Consulting, Inc. conducted a suite of carnivore surveys at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Experimental Test Site (Site 300; project site). The project site is located east of the City of Livermore and southwest of the City of Tracy, Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California. Mesocarnivore surveys were conducted on the project site in 2002 in preparation for the 2005 LLNL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS; Clark et al. 2003). The 2002 surveys included a combination of spotlighting, camera stations, and scat detection dog surveys. Additional scat detection dog surveys for San Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis mutica) were performed on Site 300 and the adjacent California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Corral Hollow Ecological Reserve in 2018 and 2020 (Woollett 2019, 2021). A variety of species, including American badger (Taxidea taxus), coyote (Canis latrans), and bobcat (Lynx rufus), were detected during the previous surveys; however, no San Joaquin kit fox or mountain lion (Puma concolor) were detected. In support of the preparation of the new SWEIS, ECORP performed carnivore surveys to document the carnivores and other animals present on Site 300, with a focus on determining if the federally listed (endangered) and state listed (threatened) San Joaquin kit fox, CDFW Species of Special Concern (SSC) American badger, and/or mountain lion are present on Site 300. American badgers are known to occur on the property and there have been a few sporadic sightings of mountain lions, but San Joaquin kit fox have not been documented on Site 300. Although mountain lion were not detected during the 2002 survey, it has been added as a focal species for this survey because the southern and central coast evolutionary significant units of mountain lions were recently advanced by CDFW as a Candidate species for listing as “threatened” under the California Endangered Species Act.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Operation Castle

On February 28, 1954, Bravo, the first of six thermonuclear devices tested during Operation Castle, burst into the sky over Bikini Atoll. 1 In an instant, and unexpectedly, Bravo became the highest yield device tested by the United States. Romeo, Koon, Union, Yankee, and Nectar followed. Each, with the exception of Koon, performed better than predicted, providing the United States with stable, deliverable thermonuclear weapons, albeit ones still very large and cumbersome. 2 The overall success of Castle, however, had a downside. Bravo’s fallout injured Marshallese natives and contaminated a Japanese fishing trawler. The international uproar that followed ultimately led to the cessation of atmospheric testing.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗
DOE OSTI2021

Igiugig Site Visit Report

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) team conducted a site visit during January 23-25, 2019 with the Igiugig Village Council (IVC) and other stakeholders to assist the community of Igiugig in refining their long-term energy strategy. The agenda included a tour of the village, data collection, presentations, long-term visioning exercises, identification of energy scenarios, and a school presentation. Participants in the site visit activities spanned a range of local, regional, government, and industry participation. There were 24 attendees at the all-day community workshop on Thursday, January 24th, with participants from the IVC, NREL, Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA), Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska Energy Authority, Intergrid, ORPC, Deer Stone Consulting, the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, and University of Alaska Fairbanks - Alaska Center for Energy and Power. Igiugig is a well-organized rural Alaskan community, with a leadership team that appears to have broad community support. The use of consensus-based decision making is one tangible example of how the leadership team actively invokes and promotes community-focused thinking. The NREL team observed anecdotal evidence of how this approach seems to be strengthening the community: active participation in the visioning exercise, a student hosted fund-raiser dinner at the school, a clean and organized landfill, and well-maintained roads and buildings. Igiugig has wind, solar, and river hydrokinetic resources readily available within the community. Wind has shown to be a promising resource in the region, and has been integrated into microgrids around the state, but the community has had mixed success with wind technologies: some devices failed quickly and others continue to operate. The economics of solar energy are improving in Alaska, and economical solar projects are being installed around the state. Considering that economic activity in Igiugig peaks during the summer sport fishing season, solar could prove to be a valuable supplement to the electrical system. Igiugig has been a test site for two different river hydrokinetic devices, and they have began a third project to operate ORPC's RivGen device, which is delivering valuable device performance data, operations and maintenance experience, and design refinement information. Already, this device has made over 7-million revolutions, and delivered over 8 MWh of power to the community. Igiugig's river resource is fairly unique because it is available year-round and has the potential to provide reliable base-load power for months at a time. A preliminary investigation of this diverse resource mix suggests that Igiugig could achieve very high levels (70% or more) of annual renewable generation contributions. A critical step in pursuing this path is identifying the mix of energy assets (generation and storage) that best meets the community's budget, needs, and goals. The assets that a community installs early in their grid-modernization initiative can constrain the options that are economical at later stages, which may lead to sub-optimal solutions. This is where technical and economic analysis of potential scenarios (i.e., distinct mixes of energy assets) can be useful in identifying the most promising pathways so that a community can make informed and strategic decisions about the assets they install. These analyses are most accurate and informative when they are based on actual technology performance and cost data. As the RivGen project continues to operate and generate this data, we will be better prepared to evaluate the technology's long-term viability and to identify research areas that would improve it. Igiugig's energy projects are at the cutting edge of two intersecting technology areas: 1) deploying an operational river hydrokinetic turbine, and 2) integrating renewable energy sources to achieve very high percent renewables. If these projects are successful, the lessons learned and technologies developed could be valuable for other microgrids around the world. Igiugig's unique resource mix make it an ideal location for this work, and the community's organizational strength make it an ideal partner in this ground-breaking work. Ongoing support for technical assistance to manage and address technical challenges along the way will maximize the probability of project success.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Small Mammal Trapping Survey for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site 300 and Corral Hollow Ecological Reserve

ECORP Consulting, Inc. conducted a nocturnal small mammal trapping survey within Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Site 300 and the adjacent California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Corral Hollow Ecological Reserve. Both sites are located east of the City of Livermore and southwest of the City of Tracy, Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California (Figure 1-1). A small mammal trapping survey of the project site was conducted in 2002 in preparation for the 2005 LLNL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS; Jones & Stokes 2003). The San Joaquin pocket mouse (Perognathus inornatus) was the only special-status species (federal species of concern) captured on Site 300 during the study (West and Woollett 2003). However, since then P. inornatus was taxonomically split into separate subspecies and the pocket mouse species identified on Site 300 in 2002 is no longer considered a special-status species. The 2002 survey also captured woodrats, but identification of the subspecies was not possible. Further investigation was necessary to determine if the woodrat species on the project site was the federally listed (endangered) riparian (San Joaquin Valley) woodrat (Neotoma macrotis riparia [Formerly described as Neotoma fuscipes riparia]), the common Diablo Range woodrat (N. f. perplexa), or another form.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electric Field Measurements at the Surface of a Piezoelectric Transformer for Plasma Jet Formation using the Plasma Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratory (Final Report)

The overall goal of this research is to understand how low-temperature non-equilibrium plasmas form directly off the surface of piezoelectric crystals. Specifically, this project aims to temporally and spatially resolve how the electric field evolves on and near the surface of a piezoelectric transformer (PT) at conditions that produce an atmospheric-pressure air plasma jet emanating from the corner of the PT. In this work, we used the Plasma Research Facility (PRF) at Sandia National Laboratory to conduct temporally- and spatially-resolved electric field induced second harmonic (E-FISH) measurements of the electric field at and near the surface of a piezoelectric transformer, providing a fundamental understanding of how piezoelectric crystals can be used for plasma generation. We carried out two Objectives: Objective 1 – The first objective was to measure the temporal and spatial evolution of the electric field along the surfaces approaching the corner of a rectangular PT just below conditions that lead to plasma jet formation. Such a measurement can be used to explain when and where the electric field peaks, leading to plasma formation; Objective 2 – The second objective was to measure the temporal and spatial evolution of the electric field along the surfaces approaching the corner of a rectangular PT just at conditions of plasma jet formation. This, in principle, gives a more accurate determination of how the electric field leads to plasma formation but is more difficult due to the relatively stochastic plasma jet behavior of a PT. This work was complemented by an award from the Sandia PRF, and we worked with Dr. Edward Barnat at the Sandia PRF to carry out these objectives.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Comprehensive Framework for Valuation of Ecosystem Services in the Context of Hydropower

While models to value ecosystem services exist, they suffer from a lack of “portability” in the sense that a single modelling framework developed for one site cannot be imported and applied to another. Additionally, benefit estimations are often fragmented, incomplete, incomparable, and in heterogenous metrics, thus preventing aggregation to arrive at one comprehensive value. In the context of hydropower, the methods, as well as the metrics used to value the associated ecosystem services, vary between stakeholders (e.g., competing water users, agencies, etc.), detracting from the ability to assess the total value of a hydropower project, water management schemes, or comparing value between competing water users. Further, current methods to value water neglect non-market ecosystem services’ values by failing to account for externalities, resulting in misallocation of costs (e.g., obligatory stakeholder payments for water use) and misinterpretation of hydropower benefits. The benefit-cost ratios in hydropower development are often incomplete because non-market benefits are excluded (e.g., benefits, such as fish habitat resiliency and agricultural water reliability, derived from hydropower development). An approach to enable consistent, standardized hydropower benefit-cost analyses does not currently exist. This paper conceptualizes a methodology to standardize ecosystem services valuation in the context of hydropower projects through the integration of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s existing Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System framework and economic valuation techniques, and demonstrates the applicability of this methodology through a limited proof-of-concept application (the New Waddell Plant, a pumped hydroelectric energy storage facility in Phoenix, AZ). The beauty of our proposed framework lies in its ability to be imported and applied to any other pumped storage facility after accounting for site-specific features.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mercury Remediation Technology Development for Lower East Fork Poplar Creek—FY 2021 Update

Mercury remediation is a high priority for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. Mercury contamination in the environment can be found at all three DOE facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, but the greatest environmental risk concern relative to Hg on the Oak Ridge Reservation is likely associated with historical Hg losses at and near the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). Mercury in water and fish from East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) downstream of Y-12 exceeds regulatory thresholds. Because of the complexities of Hg transport and fate in the aquatic environment, conventional remedial options for EFPC are highly uncertain. DOE is using a phased adaptive management approach to Hg remediation at Y-12, with a focus in the next few years on construction of the Mercury Treatment Facility (MTF) to treat the most contaminated Y-12 outfall entering EFPC (DOE 2017a; DOE 2017b). Once operational, the MTF will provide additional protection against inadvertent releases of Hg into the stream from decontamination and decommissioning of Y-12 Hg-use buildings. Although the MTF is anticipated to substantially decrease Hg water concentrations and flux in upper EFPC (UEFPC), research and technology development are needed to develop appropriate and longer-term remedial solutions for the downstream environment. Since late 2014, the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management and URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC/Restoration Services Inc. have supported DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Sciences Division staff in conducting field and laboratory studies to develop Hg remedial technology solutions for lower EFPC (LEFPC). Whereas previous annual reporting updates for Hg remediation technology development for LEFPC have focused on presenting detailed results from the previous fiscal year, this FY 2021 update takes a comprehensive, higher-level approach to the research and technology development activities conducted since 2014. The report is organized to be consistent with the three tasks defined in the LEFPC strategic plan

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2022

Non-Powered Dam Retrofit Exemplary Design for Hydropower Applications

Non-powered dams (NPDs) represent complex systems, situated at the intersection of natural stream environments and the built environment. The presence and operations of NPDs affect stream constituents (e.g., fish, recreational craft, sediment, water) and serve one or more engineered purposes (e.g., recreation, flood control, water supply, irrigation, tailings and debris control, navigation). By definition, NPDs do not provide hydropower generation. However, every NPD contains some untapped hydropower resource potential, represented by the pre-existing hydraulic head created by the dam and presence of flowing water. Adding power generation to an NPD requires retrofitting the NPD, which could involve the addition of any new component or function beyond that currently installed. Because this research is funded by the US Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office, adding hydropower to NPDs is among the primary objectives for research investment. However, NPD retrofitting extends beyond the purview of hydropower additions. This report provides background information regarding NPD development in the United States, including an overview of the US NPD population, development potential, and recent development. It also summarizes challenges and opportunities facing NPD retrofit development, highlights the importance of maintaining or improving stream and dam functionality, notes key NPD characteristics, describes NPD retrofit methods, and identifies innovation areas for spurring future NPD retrofit development. Section 4 describes retrofit exemplary design principles and concepts that could apply to a wide range of NPD projects. These principles and concepts inform an NPD Retrofit Exemplary Design Specification (REDS), as included in Appendix A. The NPD REDS is heavily influenced by prior work under the standard modular hydropower technology acceleration research initiative, especially the work documented in the Exemplary Design Envelope Specification for Standard Modular Hydropower Technology (Witt et al., 2017). Whereas this prior work focuses on a particular technology class that applies most intentionally for new stream-reach development (i.e., greenfield sites), the NPD REDS contained herein applies more broadly to the NPD resource class and is technology-agnostic (i.e., the specific technologies intended to be described are not explicitly prescribed). This report serves as a part of early-phase research on NPD retrofit development, aimed toward spurring additional, follow-on efforts to specifically address development challenges, capitalize on development opportunities, and inspire innovation. As documented in the landmark “Hydropower Vision” report (DOE 2016), “transformative technical innovations able to meet the co-objectives of environmental sustainability and low-carbon energy will be critical to enabling additional hydropower growth.” This report serves as an important step in steering transformation of US non-powered dam infrastructure.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Floating Island International PHASE I FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT (Advancing the Development of Floating Solar-Powered Nanobubble Aeration Systems for Use with Floating Treatment Wetlands in Natural and Man-Made Waterbodies)

More and more freshwater lakes are suffering from algae blooms, which deprive water of oxygen and lead to widespread loss of aquatic life and production of dangerous toxins. When oxygen is lacking, methane is generated in the sediments as algae is decomposed; it has been calculated that more than half of global methane emissions come from nutrient-impaired freshwater systems (Beaulieu, 2021). Nutrients, mainly from agricultural run-off, feed algae blooms and are exacerbated by warming related to climate change. Artificial aeration is frequently used to restore oxygen to a waterbody. But diffuser aeration is inefficient and expensive, needs on-site grid power, and is failing to keep pace with the demands of water as it gets warmer with climate change. In the last five years, nanobubble aeration has been introduced into freshwater applications and shows promise for rapidly increasing dissolved oxygen effectively throughout the water column. Nanobubbles deliver oxygen in bubbles that have no buoyancy, so they stay in water longer and release their oxygen more fully, compared to large bubbles that rise and burst at the surface. The prospect of this new technology answering the deficiencies of diffuser aeration drove us to initiate the current project. During our Phase I period, we have successfully tested a nanobubble aeration system that can super-saturate oxygen levels. It is operated on solar power, and both the nanobubbler and solar array are mounted on a proprietary floating island platform, that also performs biological nutrient recycling. A rudimentary system was assembled and tested on a 6.5-acre research lake at our headquarters in Montana, where it was subjected to a summer drought that reduced water levels significantly, periods of severe cold in winter, and spring conditions that included heavy rainfall and violent thunderstorms. Our twice-weekly sampling throughout the project showed that dissolved oxygen levels rose rapidly and were maintained throughout winter and spring, well into June. The nanobubbler was able to run on solar power for long periods. Methane levels were tested periodically and found to decrease as oxygen increased. The nanobubbles appeared to have no adverse impact on fish or other aquatic life exposed to them. The stability of the installation survived the weather conditions. The many problems we encountered taught us what we need to improve in the next iteration. Towards the end of our Phase I, we were awarded a supplementary state grant that enabled us to acquire a new nanobubble system for testing that runs on DC, is extremely efficient and has few moving parts. We plan to team this with low-profile solar panels, lithium batteries and a controller that provides real-time data. The ultimate goal of this project is to commercialize an affordable and scalable lake management system that will oxygenate water from the surface down to the sludge. It will enliven fisheries, prevent toxic algae blooms and – most importantly for the fate of our planet - inhibit the production and release of methane from the sediments. We anticipate that as carbon credits expand to include methane, the cost of remediating waterbodies that produce methane will be offset. We firmly believe that this is a practical technology that works and will make a big difference when fully implemented.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Financial Analysis of the 2020 Macroinvertebrate Production Flow Experiment at Glen Canyon Dam

This report was prepared by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) in support of a financial analysis of the Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) flow experiment that was intended to support downstream macroinvertebrate production that are a primary food supply for fishes in the Colorado River. Also known as “bug flow” experiments, these experimental water releases were conducted on the weekends and holidays from the beginnings of May 2020 through the end of August 2020. This analysis was funded by the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Office of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). CRSP markets electricity produced by hydroelectric facilities collectively known as the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects including dams equipped for power generation on the Colorado, Green, Gunnison, and Rio Grande Rivers and on Plateau Creek in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Staff members in Argonne’s Energy Systems Division prepared this technical memorandum with assistance from WAPA’s CRSP and Energy Marketing and Management Offices (EMMO).

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

2022 Swainson Hawk Summary Report

This summary report, prepared by Condor Country Consulting Inc. (CCCI), covers all construction monitoring of the Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni, SWHA) nest that occurred from April 2022 to July 2022 at the Sandia National Laboratories, California (SNL/CA). SNL/CA personnel first observed the SWHA pair near the pine tree along East Avenue that contained last year’s nest on April 19th, 2022. SWHA are a threatened species in the state of California and require a quarter-mile non-disturbance buffer. SNL/CA received approval from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to continue work within the buffer area with a biological monitor on site to observe the SWHA for construction related disturbances. Monitoring began on April 20th, 2022 and concluded on July 1st, 2022.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2022

TEAMER: DAISY Flow-noise Testing (Abstract)

Evaluating impacts of marine energy devices is generally difficult given the dynamic environment where these devices need to be placed. The University of Washington’s (UW) DAISY (The Drifting Acoustic Instrumentation SYstem) is designed to measure radiated noise around marine energy converters operating in energetic waves and currents. In currents, a primary limitation for measurement fidelity at low frequencies (< 100 Hz) is the potential for non-propagating “flow-noise” to mask propagating sound and inflate estimates of the radiated noise from marine energy converters at frequencies that overlap with hearing sensitivities of fish and some marine mammals. While free-drifting measurements help to minimize the relative velocity that produces flow-noise, significant levels were still observed during initial DAISY tests. This motivated the development of a fabric “flow shield” around the hydrophone that disrupts both flow-noise generation mechanisms proposed by the initial tests. First, the flow shield is a source of substantial drag which keeps the hydrophone package moving with the approximate velocity of the surrounding water, compensating for differential wind or current forcing on the surface expression. By minimizing relative velocity around the hydrophone, turbulence shed by the hydrophone is also minimized. Second, the flow shield creates a largely quiescent pocket around the hydrophone, minimizing advection of free stream turbulence over the hydrophone element. Field data collected in these experiments will test effectiveness of these flow shields and provide quantitative data use and deployment.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Estimating Channel Width for the Middle Green River Using Remote Sensing

Channel geometry can affect the abundance and quality of fish habitats along rivers in the Colorado River basin. However, previous analyses of sediment transport and channel narrowing in the middle Green River have focused on very limited reaches of the river and have used techniques with varying degrees of resolution, leading to potential problems with interpretation and generalization to the overall reach. The goal of this study is to develop comprehensive baseline information for channel width estimation along the Green River by combining a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite imagery. The objectives are to (1) estimate channel width using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery alone, (2) estimate channel width using the high-resolution DEM with ancillary information extracted from the multispectral imagery, and (3) examine the agreement in channel width estimates between the products derived from the two methods to gain insights for cost effective channel-width monitoring.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Financial Analysis of the 2022 Macroinvertebrate Production Flow Experiment at Glen Canyon Dam

This report was prepared by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) in support of a financial analysis of the Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) flow experiment that was intended to support downstream macroinvertebrate production that are a primary food supply for fishes in the Colorado River. Also known as “bug flow” experiments, these experimental water releases were conducted on the weekends and holidays from the beginnings of May 2022 through the end of August 2022. This analysis was funded by and prepared for the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Office of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). CRSP markets electricity produced by hydroelectric facilities collectively known as the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects including dams equipped for power generation on the Colorado, Green, Gunnison, and Rio Grande Rivers and on Plateau Creek in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Staff members in Argonne’s Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis Division prepared this technical memorandum with assistance from WAPA’s CRSP and Energy Marketing and Management Offices (EMMO).

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Optimization and Commercialization of the Juvenile Eel/Lamprey Acoustic Transmitter and Micro-battery (Abstract)

Enhance studies to track in 3D and sub-meter accuracy the movements of sensitive species and early life stages of fish to advance understanding of migration timing and behaviors, habitat use, and survival rates, resulting in more informed management decisions regarding new and existing hydroelectric facilities and better designs of new hydropower systems that minimize or avoid environmental impacts.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

The Integrated Basin-Scale Opportunity Assessment Initiative: Pilot Assessment for the Deschutes River Basin

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind and Water Power Technologies Office provided funding to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Argonne National Laboratory to develop an approach for assessing a river basin as an integrated system within the context of existing uses and environmental conditions to identify opportunities for sustainable hydropower development and environmental improvements. Called the Integrated Basin-Scale Opportunity Assessment Initiative (BSOA Initiative), the project is one of seven action items of the March 24, 2010 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Sustainable Hydropower. Early efforts of the BSOA Initiative focused on forming a National Steering Committee, identifying potential basins for opportunity assessments, methodologies for stakeholder engagement, existing and needed analytical tools, barriers to the opportunity assessment process, and significant data gaps. One of the key outcomes was identifying a need for better collaborative decision-making tools that can be used by stakeholders. In response to this need, the Basin-Scale Project Team chose a scenario-based modeling approach for assessing hydropower, environmental, and other water-use opportunities. The approach involved the development of a daily hydrologic model for the Upper Deschutes River and Lower Crooked River subbasins to simulate alternative water management scenarios. Two example scenarios were constructed to demonstrate the use of the hydrologic model to explore three management goals in the Deschutes Basin: 1) increasing hydropower assets by adding new generation at existing dams or diversions and in existing irrigation canals or conduits, 2) increasing instream flows to benefit fish and aquatic ecosystems, and 3) maintaining existing water uses (primarily irrigation). Actions to achieve these goals were simulated by incrementally increasing minimum flow requirements during the storage season and reducing water demands during the irrigation season, while simulating hydropower generation at non-powered dams and in irrigation canals. As part of the effort to demonstrate scenario-based modeling, the project team also developed a web-based data-visualization interface for synthesizing modeling results. The interface allows users to view model results in raw form (daily flow) or in the form of value-based metrics that are based on specific information needs expressed by stakeholders (e.g., how often flow exceeds a conservation flow target at a certain location). In addition to the modeling efforts, 29 potential hydropower sites (14 non-powered dams, 15 canal/conduit sites) were evaluated for their technical and economic feasibility using ORNL’s Hydropower Energy and Economic Assessment tool. Results of the feasibility assessment indicated that eight of the sites (four non-powered dams, four canals/conduits) may be feasible and could add approximately 19 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectric capacity in the basin and generate over 78 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy per year. The approach presented here is intended to encourage consideration of methods that emphasize exploration of a range of potential management actions that may achieve a better balance among multiple, and often conflicting, management goals. It is important to consider the approach as an iterative and collaborative process focused on moving debates beyond agreement about an exact target that is acceptable to all parties to a discussion of how stakeholders can better understand how achieving their goals interacts with the achievement of goals by other stakeholder groups. By exploring the results of the model in this way, stakeholders are more likely to narrow the bounds of interest so that more in-depth analysis can be completed.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗