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Our McNary fish way project uses one of two fish ladders on McNary Dam. The fish way project uses auxiliary attraction water on the Washington side of the dam and is located in East Central Washington on the Columbia River about 180 miles east of Portland. Lake Wallula lies directly behind McNary dam and extends 64 miles upstream to the US DOE Hanford site.

Northern Wasco PUD (NWPUD) and Klickitat PUD collaborated on this project and entered into an Ownership Agreement in August of 1995. The project is owned equally by both PUD’s and has a single 10-megawatt turbine generator. The project reroutes the supplementary water flow used to attract fish to the ladder, runs it through the turbine at 1600 cubic feet per second, and back to its original path. This method utilizes an energy source without subtracting from the water flow for the fish attraction system.

The project produced a total of 80,117 MW’s for 2005 and since coming on line in October of 1997 has averaged annually 76,859 MW’s. KPUD’s 2005 share of that power is enough to power about 2,700 homes and provides about 12 percent of Klickitat PUD’s total load.

In the short term picture the power from the project was slightly more expensive than wholesale power from BPA, but currently McNary power is coming in at less cost than BPA. The total cost of the project was 29 million dollars and brings the mortality numbers of the fish caught in the previous turbulent fish attraction system down by 85%. This collaborative effort while being good for the environment also allows both PUD’s the flexibility to use their own low cost power while still using some BPA power.

Klickitat PUD feels that future rate payers will benefit from the investment now into local and renewable power projects. Klickitat PUD has subsequently invested in an expansion to the Landfill Gas to Power plant and is currently co-owners of the White Creek wind project going into the Roosevelt vicinity. Klickitat PUD will continue to investigate and invest in projects consistent with our core strengths where clear benefits are generated for our rate payers.

McNary Dam Facts

Cost
$29 million
Capacity
10 megawatts
Output
76.8 million kwh a year
Energy
The 1,600 cubic feet per source second flow of water that attracts fish to McNary Dam fish ladder 

Photos
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McNary Diagram