E&S has conducted hydropower field studies over the last two decades to help determine the effects of hydropower development on river systems, including the Klamath River, and evaluate the effectiveness of proposed mitigation and enhancement measures. Through data acquisition and analysis in the field, laboratory, and office; we have contributed to fulfilling the needs of regulatory agencies and meeting the requirements for state certification under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Hydropower field studies are crucial in describing existing conditions of a river or lake and involve a variety of data collection activities ranging from hourly water samples to seasonal population surveys. These studies help determine the effects hydropower development can have on a river system and evaluate the effectiveness of proposed mitigation and enhancement measures. To maintain contact and open communication, public and technical working group meetings are held with various interested parties, such as Native American Tribes, environmental groups, citizen groups, and federal and state agencies. These group meetings provide a forum to present information, review study plans, develop mitigation measures, negotiate license conditions, and generally ensure a cooperative and coordinated process for project relicensing.
These projects have been ongoing since 2000.
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