East Branch of the Sacandaga

The Problem:
Hydropower Dams have degraded many of New York’s finest rivers by depleting fisheries, diminishing recreational opportunities, and destroying vulnerable river ecosystems. When a river is dammed for hydroelectric energy production and ceases to be free flowing, that river is no longer truly a river. Hydropower ranks at the very top among all development threats to rivers. A poorly operated dam can damage a river by:

• Altering the natural timing and quantity of flow
• Degrading water quality, stopping nutrient flow and changing temperature and dissolved oxygen content
• Blocking the movement of fish, and
• Harming or killing wildlife and fish

Our Response:
The ultimate goal of NYRUs hydropower relicensing program is restoration of the natural river. By restoring the natural biodiversity and the restoration of natural flows that support the various biota, recreation and aesthetics, a dammed river could once again return to functioning as a natural dynamic river. For the benefit of New York State, NYRU is dedicated to transforming the privately owned hydropower industry from its subsidized degradation of public resources to a more responsible balance of values that accompany our rivers.

Through its active participation throughout the state acting as a coalition builder and conservation representative in hydropower facility licensing proceedings, NYRU seeks mitigation for past damages to the dammed rivers and the restoration of river communities in an attempt to achieve pre-project conditions. For ten years NYRU has been a crucial leader in numerous hydropower relicensing processes large and small. We have literally attended thousands of meeting in this regard. We have led the effort to find a balance between hydropower generation and river conservation and good management. These settlements have resulted in the rewatering of miles of rivers that were dry for decades providing habitat and recreation opportunities.

In addition to New York's hydropower projects NYRU has been very active in developing future policies in Washington D.C. as a member of the hydropower reform coalition. The coalition works at the regional and nation level to monitor policies and their effects on rivers. The coalition also creates model policies and provides a balanced point of view due to its diverse membership.

Results:
Because of NYRU efforts, stretches of New York rivers dammed for more than 50 years are free-flowing again on the Beaver River, the Salmon River, the Sacandaga/Hudson River, the Black River and — most recently — the Raquette River, where NYRU's advocacy led to the successful relicensing affecting 14 dams on 90 miles of the Raquette.

River Restoration Program

Fish Creek

In 2002 NYRU was honored by the Northern Forest Alliance for NYRU's efforts to protect priority wetlands and headwater areas located in the East Branch of Fish Creek watershed, the source of the City of Rome’s drinking water supply and determination to secure passage of state legislation to protect the city of Rome's water source on the Tug Hill Plateau.

NYRU is working to address the continued degradation of our waterways, not from pollution but from a lack of water. Since the creation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in the 1970’s, major gains have been made in water quality, but there continue to be loopholes in the process that create a gaping hole in river and stream protection: the issue of water quantity. The result has been the continued degradation of our waterways from a lack of water.

By water quantity we mean "instream flow," that amount of water required to maintain viable productivity of native species; that amount of water necessary for navigation of recreational crafts, that amount of water which maintains the aesthetic beauty of our rivers.

NYRU has developed two programs to address this problem:

• Effective Participation in the Hydropower Relicensing Procedure

Despite its lingering reputation as a renewable energy source, hydropower has depleted fisheries, degraded river ecosystems, and diminished recreational ppportunities on nearly all of the nation's rivers. NYRU continues our work in stream and river protection through our hydro activities. Currently we are in various stages of work on seven different river basins (Mohawk, Niagara, Oswego, Saranac, Oswegatchie, St. Lawrence and Salmon) with relicensing, while continuing to monitor our past settlement for implementation and enforcement actions.

• Selective Removal of Small, Non-Power Dams

Since there are more than 6,000 dams in New York, all of the state’s 17 major watersheds are fragmented and their health degraded by dams. All dams exact a heavy toll on rivers and river life. Even small dams can have big impacts on the aquatic environment of a stream. Foremost among the casualities are fish passage, water quality and the downstream movement of sediments.

NYRU has developed a program to assist communities and others facing hard decisions on dam repair or removal. NYRU’s goal is to ensure that communities faced with the repair/removal decision are aware of all of their options. NYRU’s new dam removal program advocates for the selective removal of dams with the intent of restoring degraded aquatic ecosystems, endangered fish populations and lost recreational opportunities.

The possibility of dam removal is an option that should be considered on its merits. Dam removal for safety and for the express purpose of river and ecosystem restoration may be a meritorious option. This removes the hazard, eliminates the liability and costs, and restores the river's natural values.

Other Current NYRU River Restoration Activities

NYRU is currently involved in two major watershed protections and restorations: the Hudson River PCB campaign and a major effort to protect the East Branch of Fish Creek. NYRU is also working to protect watersheds on specific rivers within the Great Lakes basin, the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes region.

River Advocacy
NYRU works with partner organizations to develop and enforce sound state and national governmental policies in pursuit of our common interests. We are on the steering committe for the national Citizens Agenda for Rivers and the Hydropower Reform Coalition. NYRU staff work in partnership with American Whitewater and other recreational groups on issues of access and instream flow that are of great interest to paddlers, fisherman and conservationists. Our cooperation with American Rivers is multifacted due to our shared mission. Working with these partner organizations allows us all to have a greater impact that we could possibly have working on our own.