MONROE — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a new 40-year license to Bear Swamp Power Company for the operation of its hydroelectric power station on the Deerfield River.
The license, issued by the commission on Nov. 26, authorizes the company to continue operation of the 676-megawatt Bear Swamp Project through 2065. The project includes an 118-acre reservoir, a 180-foot-long, 130-foot-high dam, and a concrete powerhouse located on the Deerfield River in the towns of Monroe and Florida. The company has been operating with provisional licenses issued annually since 2020, when its original license [issued in 1970] expired.
As a result of the efforts of various environmental groups and recreation companies, the licenses include several requirements aimed at expanding protection of natural resources, habitats, and recreational features of the Deerfield River.
“We formed a working group to advocate for better conditions, particularly around water flows,” said Kevin Parsons, a former member of the Deerfield River chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Parsons said that working with the Connecticut River Conservancy, Mass Fish and Wildlife, and other groups, Trout Unlimited was able to study “what they (Bear Swamp) could do to make things better and what impact they were having.”
They found that Bear Swamp, owned by Brookfield Renewable, is unable to make huge changes to its operations, as the facility is downstream of other hydropower dams and limited by flows sent down the river from those operations. However, a few “slight adjustments” could make big improvements to the lives of the fish that call the river home.
“Even with modest adjustments, we can make significant improvements,” he said.
Parsons said that when the relicensing process began in 2019, Brookfield had proposed that it continue operations as normal, with continuous releases of 125 cubic feet per second (cfs), but the working group was able to increase that to 225 cfs during the winter months to ensure fish have adequate water coverage during spawning season.
“We were advocating for better winter flows, so when those fish go into shallower water for spawning, they’re still covered,” Parsons said. “It’s not perfect, but it should have a good impact in keeping those red (trout) covered for the winter months.”
Parsons said that the new license would not change much in terms of environmental protections, but they expect more changes and improvements to come as part of the water quality certification from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The new license notes that a water quality certification must be given within a year of the license being issued or it will be revoked.
The new license also requires Bear Swamp to work with DEP to develop plans to manage vegetation and invasive species, as well as protective measures for bald eagles that nest in the region, “provide $33,250 annually to Massachusetts DFW for a dragonfly mitigation fund,” and “provide $125,000 to Massachusetts DEP for an aquatic resources protection fund.”
He said the majority of the new requirements in the license focus on improvements for recreational access to the river.
According to the license, to maintain whitewater boating opportunities, Bear Swamp must maintain the impoundment levels between 830 and 835 feet between 10 a.m. and noon on the 32 days a year the company is scheduled to release whitewater flows.
Other requirements include the construction and maintenance of boater egress and access trails, parking spaces, restrooms, and the installation of warning sirens, flashing lights, and signage to indicate when water releases will occur. The license also requires Bear Swamp to develop a website that notifies the public of the annual schedule for whitewater release dates, flow timings and updates, and maps and information on recreational sites and amenities.
Parsons said he was told by Brookfield representatives that it would take three years to implement all the changes; as they require construction, not only to develop and widen access trails, but also to make physical changes to the dam structure to accommodate increased flows. He said he looks forward to seeing how these changes will improve the fish habitat.
“This is a big deal for the fish and the other critters on the river,” Parson said.