Guidelines For Dam Decommissioning Projects

United States Society on DamsGuidelines for DamDecommissioning ProjectsJuly 2015Prepared by the USSD Committee on Dam Decommissioning

U.S. Society on DamsVisionA world class organization dedicated to advancing the role of dam and leveesystems and building the community of practice.MissionUSSD, as the United States member of the International Commission on LargeDams, is dedicated to:ADVOCATE: Champion the role of dam and levee systems in society.EDUCATE: Be the premier source for technical information about dam and leveesystems.COLLABORATE: Build networks and relationships to strengthen the community ofpractice.CULTIVATE: Nurture the growth of the community of practice.The information contained in this report regarding commercial products or firms may not be used foradvertising or promotional purposes and may not be construed as an endorsement of any product or firm bythe United States Society on Dams. USSD accepts no responsibility for the statements made or the opinionsexpressed in this publication.Copyright 2015 U. S. Society on DamsPrinted in the United States of AmericaISBN 978-1-884575-71-6U.S. Society on Dams1616 Seventeenth Street, #483Denver, CO 80202Telephone: 303-628-5430Fax: 303-628-5431E-mail: info@ussdams.orgInternet: www.ussdams.org

FOREWORDThe primary objective of these Guidelines for Dam Decommissioning Projects is toprovide dam owners, dam engineers, and other professionals with the informationnecessary to help guide decision-making when considering dam removal as a projectalternative. If selected as the preferred alternative, these Guidelines may help in thedevelopment and execution of a successful dam decommissioning project, which wouldinclude all necessary activities associated with the removal of a dam and restoration ofthe river, from project planning through design and implementation.These Guidelines define dam removal as the full or partial removal of an existing damand its associated facilities such that the statutory definition of a dam is no longer met orthe structure no longer presents a downstream hazard. Chapter 1 provides this definitionand other background information on dams within the United States. Chapter 2 describesthe primary factors to consider in the decision-making process, including public safety,fish passage and aquatic migration, river restoration, economics, funding availability andsource, potential public and owner benefits, and potential environmental impacts. Chapter3 describes the general project planning components and issues, including problem andstakeholder identification, environmental compliance, and permitting requirements, andthe evaluation of project alternatives. Chapter 4 addresses the basis of design, designstages, project schedules, and cost estimates. Chapter 5 focuses on issues related tosediment management, including potential downstream impacts and managementalternatives. Chapter 6 describes various construction activities related to dam removaland site restoration. Chapter 7 describes performance monitoring and mitigation forpotential physical, biological, and socioeconomic impacts. Chapter 8 provides casehistories representative of various types of decommissioning projects completed orplanned within the United States.These Guidelines have been prepared by the Committee on Dam Decommissioning of theUnited States Society on Dams (Hover et al., 2006; Randle and Hepler, 2012) Theprincipal contributors are listed below: Timothy Randle, Bureau of Reclamation – Committee ChairThomas E. Hepler, Bureau of Reclamation (retired) – Past Committee ChairWayne D. Edwards, W.D. Edwards Consulting - Past Committee ChairWilliam H. Hover, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. - Past Committee ChairChris Krivanec, HDR – Past Committee Vice-ChairAdditional contributions and review comments were received from the followingCommittee members: Michael L. Brown, Golder Associates, Inc.Robert L. Dewey, Bureau of Reclamation (retired)Charles Karpowicz, National Park Service (retired)David M. Leone, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.Kevin Schneider, Barnard Construction Company, Inc.iii

John R. Shuman, Johnson, Miraman & Thompson, Inc.Stephen L. Whiteside, CDM SmithJennifer Bountry, Bureau of ReclamationThe Committee is grateful to external peer reviewers Kenneth A. Steele, Consultant;Daniel J. Hertel, Engineering Solutions, LLC; Martin J. Teal, WEST Consultants, Inc.;and Laura Wildman, Princeton Hydro, who provided very helpful contributions; and toSusan Ward, Bureau of Reclamation, who provided final format editing and wordprocessing services.iv

LIST OF DMPEMPIDDefinitionAssociation for the Advancement of Cost EstimatingAdvisory Council on Historic PreservationAmericans with Disabilities ActArea of Potential EffectAssociation of State Dam Safety OfficialsBureau of Indian AffairsBest Management PracticesClean Air ActCalifornia American WaterCalifornia Clean Air ActCalifornia Environmental Quality ActCalifornia Endangered Species ActCode of Federal RegulationsClean Water ActDepartment of Environmental ProtectionDepartment of Fish & GameEnvironmental AssessmentEmergency Action PlansEssential Fish HabitatEnvironmental Impact ReportEnvironmental Impact StatementEnvironmental Protection AgencyEndangered Species ActFederal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Energy Regulatory CommissionFinding of No Significant ImpactFederal Power ActFish & Wildlife Coordination ActUS Fish & Wildlife ServiceGeographic Information SystemGlobal Positioning SystemHistoric American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Engineering RecordInternational Commission on Large DamsInflow Design FloodLight Detection and RangingMunicipal and IndustrialMaximum Credible EarthquakeManagement Information System for DamsMost Probable EstimateModoc Point Irrigation Districtv

finitionMegawattsNative American Graves Protection and Repatriation ActNational Clearinghouse of Dam Removal InformationNational Economic DevelopmentNational Environmental Policy ActNon-governmental OrganizationsNational Historic Preservation ActNational Inventory of DamsNational Marine Fisheries ServiceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AgencyNotice of IntentNational Pollutant Discharge Elimination SystemNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesNotice to ProceedOregon Department of Fish and WildlifePennsylvania Department of Environmental ProtectionPolychlorinated BiphenylsPacific Gas & Electric CompanyProbable High EstimateProbable Low EstimateProbable Maximum FloodPublic Utilities CommissionRoller Compacted ConcreteU.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of ReclamationRegional Economic DevelopmentRiver MileRecord of DecisionSan Clemente DamState Historic Preservation OfficerStorm Water Pollution Protection PlanU.S. Army Corps of EngineersU.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceU.S. Indian ServiceUnited States Society on DamsWork Breakdown Structurevi

TABLE OF CONTENTSFOREWORD . iiiLIST OF ACRONYMS .vTABLE OF CONTENTS . viiLIST OF TABLES .xLIST OF FIGURES . xi1. INTRODUCTION .11.1 Objective of Guidelines .11.2 Definitions for Dams and Appurtenant Structures.21.3 Dam Size and Hazard Classifications .71.4 National Inventory of Dams .91.5 Dam Removal Statistics in the United States .102. FACTORS TO CONSIDER FOR DAM DECOMMISSIONING PROJECTS .142.1 General .142.2 Public Safety .142.3 Fish Passage and Aquatic Migration .152.4 River Restoration .162.5 Economics .182.6 Project Funding .192.7 Public Benefits .202.8 Owner Benefits .212.9 Environmental Impacts .213. PROJECT PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING .233.1 Problem Identification .233.2 Stakeholder Identification .233.3 Environmental Compliance Requirements .243.3.1 Federal .243.3.2 State .283.4 Evaluation of Project Alternatives .283.5 Permitting Requirements .303.5.1 Federal Regulations .303.5.1.1 Clean Water Act (CWA) .303.5.1.2 Endangered Species Act (ESA) .313.5.1.3 Magnuson-Stevens Act .323.5.1.4 Federal Power Act (FPA) .323.5.1.5 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA) .333.5.1.6 Clean Air Act (CAA) .333.5.1.7 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) .333.5.1.8 National Flood Insurance Program .343.5.1.9 Other Potential Federal Regulations .343.5.2 State Regulations .343.5.3 Local Regulations.364. ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS .374.1 General .374.2 Basis of Design .38vii

5.6.4.2.1 Structure Removal Limits .384.2.2 Design Data Collection .424.2.3 Special Design Requirements .454.3 Design Stages .494.3.1 Feasibility Study .494.3.2 Conceptual Design .514.3.3 Preliminary Design.524.3.4 Final Design .524.4 Implementation Plan and Schedule .534.5 Cost Estimates.544.6 Project Documentation .574.6.1 Design Records .574.6.2 Construction Records .584.6.3 Reservoir Drawdown and Surveillance Records .584.6.4 Post-Construction Monitoring Records .584.6.5 Permanent Files .59SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT .605.1 Sediment-Related Impacts .605.1.1 Reservoir Sediment Impact Indicators .605.1.1.1 Relative Reservoir Capacity .605.1.1.2 Reservoir Operations .615.1.1.3 Relative Reservoir Sediment Volume .625.1.1.4 Relative Reservoir Width .625.1.1.5 Relative Concentration of Contaminants .645.1.2 Primary Issues .675.1.3 Reducing Impacts .685.2 Sediment Management Alternatives .695.2.1 No Action Alternative .695.2.2 River Erosion Alternative .705.2.3 Mechanical Removal Alternative .745.2.3.1 Sediment Removal Methods .755.2.3.2 Sediment Conveyance Methods .765.2.3.3 Sediment Disposal Options.775.2.4 Stabilization Alternative.775.3 Evaluation of Sediment Management Alternatives .79CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES .836.1 Construction Contracting .836.2 Site Access and Mobilization .846.3 Reservoir Drawdown .856.4 Reservoir Drawdown .866.4.1 Drawdown Release Capacity .866.4.2 Drawdown Rate Limitations .886.5 Streamflow Diversion .896.6 Demolition and Removal .936.6.1 Concrete Removal Methods .936.6.1.1 Drilling and Blasting.93viii

6.6.1.2 Mechanical Demolition .946.6.1.3 Diamond-wire Sawcutting .946.6.1.4 Chemical Demolition .956.6.1.5 Other Methods .956.6.2 Embankment Removal Methods .956.6.3 Special Considerations for Dam Demolition .956.7 Disposal of Removed Materials .966.8 Site Restoration .976.9 Project Costs .997. PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND MITIGATION.1017.1 General .1017.2 Physical Impacts .1017.3 Biological Impacts .1057.4 Socioeconomic Impacts .1067.5 Performance Monitoring Plans .1087.5.1 Physical Impact Monitoring .1107.5.2 Biological Impact Monitoring .1128. SELECTED CASE HISTORIES .1148.1 Battle Creek Restoration Project near Manton, California .1158.2 Birch Run Dam, near Fayetteville, Pennsylvania .1238.3 Bluebird Dam, Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes Park, CO .1268.4 Cascades Diversion Dam, Yosemite National Park, near El Portal, CA .1278.5 Chiloquin Diversion Dam, Near Chiloquin, Oregon .1298.6 Condit Dam near Underwood, Washington .1348.7 Elwha River Restoration Project near Port Angeles, Washington .1368.8 Hall Brook Dam, near Adams, Massachusetts .1498.9 Klamath River Dams Removal near Keno, Oregon and Hornbrook, CA.1518.10 Livermore Pond Dam near Easton, Connecticut.1578.11 Marmot Dam near Bull Run, Oregon .1608.12 Matilija Dam near Meiners Oak, California .1638.13 Milltown Dam near Missoula, Montana .1668.14 Old Berkshire Mill Dam near Dalton, Massachusetts .1688.15 Rising Pond Dam in Great Barrington, Massachusetts .1718.16 Saeltzer Dam near Redding, California .1748.17 San Clemente Dam near Carmel, Ca

BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BMPs Best Management Practices CAA Clean Air Act CAW California American Water CCAA California Clean Air Act CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CESA California Endangered Species Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations CWA Clean Water Act .