Category Archives: Wanapitei River

OPG: Proposed Coniston Generating Station Life Extension Project Environmental Report

By Linda Heron on Monday, February 27th, 2023
Posted in Climate Change, Coniston GS, Dams, GHG Emissions, Hydroelectric, Industry, ORA Submissions, Repair/Replacement, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Wanapitei River, Water Quality

Wherever water levels have been lifted from their former undeveloped elevation must be considered the full extent of the reservoir/s. This crucial detail is not set out in the ER; however, the full extent of the cascading facilities must be considered when detecting, measuring and reporting total GHG emissions (CH2, CH4 and N2O). This cascading system creates one very large artificial and ongoing multi-level series of reservoirs that are highly regulated through the WRWMP, and likely very high in GHG emissions.

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Coniston Generating Station Upgrade – Life Extension Project

By Linda Heron on Thursday, March 10th, 2022
Posted in Coniston GS, Dams, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Heavy Metals, Hydroelectric, Mercury, ORA Submissions, Regulatory, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Wanapitei River, Water Quality

Hydroelectric is not emission-free or clean. A Washington State University study on the effects of damming conducted in a central European impounded river revealed that the reservoir reaches are a major source of methane emissions and that areal emission rates far exceed previous estimates for temperate reservoirs or rivers. It showed that sediment accumulation correlates with methane production and subsequent ebullitive release rates. Results suggested that sedimentation-driven methane emissions from dammed river hot spot sites can potentially increase global freshwater emissions by up to 7%.[1]  Hydroelectric facilities need to acknowledge and account for the associated GHG emissions they produce.

[1] Maeck, A., DelSontro, T., McGinnis, D.F, Fischer, H., Flury, S., Schmidt, M., Fietzek, P. and Lorke, A., 2013.  Sediment Trapping by Dams Creates Methane Emission Hot Spots, Environmental Science and Technology, 8130-8137, Online: http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1021/es4003907

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ORA Celebrates 10 years of Service to Ontario Rivers

By Linda Heron on Saturday, October 16th, 2021
Posted in Almonte GS, Annual Reports, Armstrong Creek, At Soo Crossing, Bala Falls, Big Eddy, Big Falls, Blanche River, Bonnechere River, Camp Rapids, Camp Three Rapids, Cascade Falls, Cedar Rapids, Crown Land Use Policy, Dams, Enerdu GS, Energy, Erin WWTP, First Chute, Fourth Slide Falls, Frederick House River, Half Mile Rapids, Hydroelectric, Ivanhoe River, Kabinakagami River, Kapuskasing River, Larder River, Marter Township GS, McCarthy Chute, McPherson Falls, Misema GS, Misema River, Mississippi River, Moon River, Neeskah, ORA Reports, Peeshoo, Petawawa River, Presentations, Raven Falls, Regulatory, Removal, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Serpent River, Sewage, Sturgeon Chute, Temagami River, The Chute, Third Falls, Trout Lake River, Vermilion River, Wabagishik Rapids, Wahpeeston, Wanapitei Dam, Wanapitei River, Wanatango Falls, Wapoose, Waste Water Treatment Facilities, West Credit River
A presentation made by the Chair of ORA:

A presentation made by the Chair at ORA’s 16 October 2021 Annual General Meeting:

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Terminated FIT Contracts

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, July 13th, 2016
Posted in At Soo Crossing, Big Eddy, Blanche River, Cascade Falls, E-Newsletter, Energy, FIT Program, Fourth Slide Falls, Frederick House River, Green Energy Act, Half Mile Rapids, Hydroelectric, Ivanhoe River, Kapuskasing River, Lapinigam Rapids, Larder River, Marter Township GS, Matawin River, McCarthy Chute, McGraw Falls GS, McPherson Falls, Middle Twp., Near North Boundary, ORA Reports, Outlet Kapuskasing Lk, Petawawa River, Raven Falls, Regulatory, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Serpent River, Sturgeon Chute, The Chute, Third Falls, Vermilion River, Wabagishik Rapids, Wanapitei River, Wanatango Falls

The Ontario Rivers Alliance filed a Freedom of Information Application with the IESO in February of 2016 to obtain the following list of terminated Feed-in-Tariff Contracts: Continue reading →

10 Ontario Rivers Protected from 19 Hydroelectric Projects

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, July 13th, 2016
Posted in At Soo Crossing, Big Eddy, Blanche River, Cascade Falls, Class EA for Waterpower, Dams, Energy, Environmental Reports, Fisheries, Fourth Slide Falls, Frederick House River, Government, Half Mile Rapids, Hydroelectric, Industry, Ivanhoe River, Kapuskasing River, Lapinigam Rapids, Larder River, Marter Township GS, Matawin River, McCarthy Chute, McGraw Falls GS, McPherson Falls, Middle Twp., Near North Boundary, ORA Reports, ORA Submissions, Outlet Kapuskasing Lk, Petawawa River, Press Release, Press Releases, Raven Falls, Regulatory, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Serpent River, Species at Risk, Sturgeon Chute, The Chute, Third Falls, Vermilion River, Wabagishik Rapids, Wanapitei River, Wanatango Falls, Water Quality

Wabagishik Rapids – Vermilion River

MEDIA RELEASE:  For Immediate Release:  13 July 2016

10 Ontario Rivers Protected from 19 Hydroelectric Projects

SUDBURY:  The Ontario Rivers Alliance (ORA) is celebrating a major victory in the protection of 10 Ontario rivers that have been under threat from 19 proposed hydroelectric projects.   Actions taken by the ORA and its members have led to what was considered to be impossible – the termination of 19 Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) Contracts.

In 2011, ORA came into being to address a rash of 87 proposed hydroelectric proposals initiated under the Green Energy Act.  The offer of generous incentives to produce power during peak demand hours had proponents rushing to claim access to falls and rapids on rivers all across the province.  The number of proposals to actually receive FIT Contracts was soon reduced to 41, and of those, Xeneca Power Development Inc. had secured 19 contracts for projects involving 23 Crown sites on 10 Ontario rivers. Continue reading →

Wanapitei Dam Repair, Wanapitei River

By Linda Heron on Saturday, July 12th, 2014
Posted in Dams, Repair/Replacement, Rivers at Risk, Wanapitei Dam, Wanapitei River

Hydro Control Dam at Outlet Bay, Lake Wanapitei- Sept 10, 2005

Project Name:  Wanapitei Dam Repair
Project Location:  Wanapitei Lake, Sudbury District
Proponent:  MNR
Contact:   J.L. Richard Engineers
Status:  Completed

Rehabilitation of 98 meter of existing 221 meter long structure.  New fish spawning habitat.  New elevated access road.  Completed.  Presented at the Canadian Dam Association Conference.

Secord Rapids – Wanapitei River

By Linda Heron on Saturday, July 5th, 2014
Posted in Rivers at Risk, Secord Rapids, Wanapitei River

Water Power Group is planning to develop a waterpower project at the Secord Rapids site, on the Wanapitei River, in the Sudbury District.  This proposal has been awarded Site Release in is moving through the Environmental Assessment process.  Installed Capacity is 750 kwh, but because of seasonal flows will generate approximately half that – 325 kwh and service approximately 325 homes.

For more information go here.

MNR Site:  2DB17
Location:  Sudbury District
Status:  EA Underway
To register as a stakeholder:  mpowell@waterpowergroup.com

River at Risk – Wanapitei River – Sturgeon Chute – Painting by Aleta Karstad

By Linda Heron on Thursday, June 26th, 2014
Posted in Art, Media, Rivers at Risk, Sturgeon Chute, Wanapitei River
Sturgeon Chute, Upper Rapids (oil on canvas, 12 x 16 in.)

Aleta Karstad – 1 October finds me painting at the upstream rapids of Sturgeon Chute on the Wanapite River, 6.7 kilometres northwest of Hartley Bay. To get just the right angle on the rapids, screened by flaming leaves of an overhanging Red Maple, I’m standing on a narrow grassy ledge, the small of my back leaning against a cold wall of smooth granite, with the feet of my easel only a few centimetres from the edge. About two metres below, courses the fast deep water….  To read Aleta’s notes and purchase her paintings, click here to visit Aleta’s website.

For more information on Sturgeon Chute – click here.

 

Black Sturgeon River Dam Decommissioning – Virginia Rook to Minister Gravelle

By Linda Heron on Sunday, February 10th, 2013
Posted in Dams, Impacts, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Studies & Reports, Sturgeon Chute, Wanapitei River

Virginia Rook
RR 2, Site 10, Comp 4
Alban, Ontario P0M 1A0

February 5, 2013

Honourable Michael Gravelle
Minister of Natural Resources
Suite 6630, 6th Floor, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1W3
Fax to: 416 325-5316

Dear Minister Gravelle:

Re: Black Sturgeon River Dam decommissioning

I have recently read Technical Report No. 06-03 produced for the Upper Great Lakes Management Unit – Lake Superior. This is a very thorough report that states that the collapse of the Black Bay walleye fishery coincides with the dam construction1. It states that many costly mitigation attempts were made to improve the fishery in the area, with little or no improvement.
The final recommendation of this report is to remove the dam.

I find it interesting that the major concerns were regarding the collapse of the commercial fishery and the loss of the recreational fishery. The report claims that if the dam was removed “Black Bay walleye population that is sufficiently recovered to permit recreational angling on Black Bay would be worth several hundred thousand dollars per year to open-water anglers from Thunder Bay alone.”2 To me, this means that the main concern of the Ministry of Natural Resources is all about profits!

I struggle to understand this. Continue reading →

Conditional FIT Contract – Xeneca Power Development Inc., Allen & Struthers Wanapitei River site

By Linda Heron on Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Posted in Dams, Energy, FIT Program, Green Energy Act, Hydroelectric, River Concerns, Rivers at Risk, Sturgeon Chute, Wanapitei River

Excerpt from letter – French River Delta Association to Ontario Power Authority:

We are writing to ask that you terminate Xeneca Power Development Inc. (“Xeneca”)’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) contract for the proposed Allen & Struthers hydro electric generating project (the “Proposed Project”). In our view, you have the power to do so, and should do so because:

1. The Proposed Project will not provide the promised amount of power;
2. The Proposed Project would cause significant harm to the natural environment and a provincial park;
3. Xeneca is in violation of the terms of its FIT contract, including multiple failures to obtain necessary permits on time;
4. Xeneca is not likely to obtain the necessary permits, given:
a. the staunch opposition of the local community, the municipality, and the First Nations;
b. its failure to consult the key local Band;
c. the presence of an aboriginal burial ground; and
d. the impact on endangered species; and
5. Xeneca may be using improperly obtained funding for the project.

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