52nd Association of Power Biologists Annual Conference (PDF Version)
October 11th - 13th, 2011, Hood River, Oregon
Dear APB Members,
Plans are being rescheduled along for the Association of Power Biologists
52nd Annual Conference. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Portland
General Electric have graciously re-offered to re-host 2011's conference.
Attendees will gain experience from presentations from professionals
around the region engaged in aquatic and terrestrial research, mitigation,
and compliance.
The conference is rescheduled for October 11 - 13, 2011 in Hood River,
Oregon. On Tuesday, October 11th, the APB Opening Night Social shall
begin at 5:00 pm and will be located at Orchard Lanes Bowling Center in
Hood River. On Wednesday, October 12th, the 2011 Conference tours will
conclude with a banquet at Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River from
6:30pm to 9:00pm.
Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from two unique one day
tours. One tour will focus on fisheries issues at Bonneville Dam and fish
projects conducted by the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District.
The other tour will focus on wildlife issues associated with the Biglow
Canyon Wind Farm:
The Corps of Engineer's Flagship Hydroelectric Project, Bonneville Dam, is
a 2.5 billion dollar multipurpose wonder that spans the Columbia River just
miles below the town of Cascade Locks, OR. The project's first powerhouse,
spillway, and original navigation lock were completed in 1938 to improve
navigation on the Columbia River and provide hydropower to the Pacific
Northwest. A second powerhouse was completed in 1981, and a larger
navigation lock in 1993. A Public Works Administration project of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, portions of Bonneville Lock
and Dam Project were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Bonneville Dam has an extensive array of adult ladders, state of the art
juvenile bypass systems, and adult handling facilities that boast some of the
best survival and passage rates of any project on the Columbia. The first
powerhouse has recently undergone a 13 year turbine rehabilitation
program to replace the aging turbines and generators with more efficient
and fish friendly Minimum Gap Runner (MGR) turbines. The project tour
will include a detailed and behind the scenes visit to both powerhouses and
the adult and juvenile bypass systems (including our 60,000 square foot
Smolt Monitoring building and outfall structures).
Following the Bonneville Dam tour, the Hood River Soil and Water
Conservation District has graciously agreed to show us around some of
their fish projects.
Biglow Canyon Tour -
Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, located on 25,000 acres near Wasco in
Sherman County, Oregon, represents PGE's largest renewable project, with
a total installed capacity of 450 megawatts. Given the variability of wind
power, the plant produces an average of around 150 MW - enough to
power the homes of about 125,000 average PGE residential customers.
As a condition of the Oregon EFSC site certificate for the project, PGE is
required to monitor avian and bat fatalities at the facility and conduct
wildlife habitat mitigation. The project tour will include a discussion of the
technical and operational aspects of the wind facility, siting and permitting,
impacts on wildlife, and habitat mitigation.
Presentations -
If you would like to be a presenter at the 2011 workshop, start thinking
about topics or papers to present. The second call for paper will be
distributed in mid-July. Since we all cannot concurrently attend the FERC
Fish Passage Workshop, the FERC Shoreline and Land Management
Workshop, and the Salvelinus confluentus Curiosity Society Conference -
all scheduled for the third week of September—any information sharing
from those APB members who attend these events will be welcomed. New
members are encouraged to apply and are welcome to attend the 2011
Conference. An application and membership requirements are appended to
this announcement. New applications can be mailed to Lisa McLaughlin,
APB Secretary (4200 Roosevelt Blvd, Eugene, OR 97440-2148).
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The Best Western Hood River Inn is holding a limited number of rooms for the Association of
Power Biologists October 11 - 12, 2011 at the discounted rates of $119.00 (Riverview),
$99.00 (non-view) and $77.00 (GSA with Government ID - for non-view rooms only) plus tax.
Please call (800) 828-7873 no later than September 9th to guarantee your room with
credit card information. Be sure to ask for the Association of Power Biologists group
discount.
The Hood River Inn's unique Columbia River shoreline location is convenient to many
nearby attractions and recreational opportunities in the Columbia River Gorge and Mt.
Hood area. Complete with waterfront access and a private beach, the Hood River Inn is an
easy one-hour drive from Portland along scenic Interstate-84. Rich with culture, natural
splendor and recreation, the area presents something for everyone. Discover what's special
about the Hood River Inn and its surroundings.
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