Tools

Hidden Hydropower Value Calculator

Almost a decade ago, OVG Consultants prepared a study that calculated the additional hydropwoer and revenue that could be produced at 8 major dams in the Northwest by using pneumatic rather than hydraulic fish passage. Today, using the same careful methodology, but using updated wholesale pricing, we are excited to share a simple tool to calculate how much new power and revenue the near waterless Whooshh Passage Portal instead of a traditional fish ladder. The results are eye catching.

Go To Calculator

Is there "Take" ? ESA §7 / NMFS Consultation Decision Tree

Assuming there are ESA listed fish species in the river, consultation may be required with regulatory agencies with jurisdiction such as NMFS, USFW, and /or others, to determine whether a take permit is required. Under the ever changing case law and currently binding laws and regulations, this easy to use tool, is intended to help practitioners and agencies alike navigate the otherwise confusing legal landscape. Give it a try, you just might be surprised where you land.

"Experimental" only means its not yet published in non-binding agency guidelines. Your proposed solution may still go forward without uncertainty or adding costly delay. This tool puts you and your consulting agency on the right path

NMFS fish passage guidelines are not the same in every jurisdiction, but the questions that must be answered in the right order to send you down the right path, are usually the same. Take a few minutes to answer the questions in this decision tree and you'll be guided to your probable path for NMFS regulatory compliance. Important Note: Regulatory guidelines are not enforceable standing alone. They are guidelines not law. Anything not in the guidelines is often tagged as "experimental", but that is an unfortunate misnomer and leads to incorrect understanding of intent. If your solution is missing from or runs counter to the guidelines, then the preferred way to overcome it is to prove by one or more studies that it works as well or better than what is anticipated by the guidelines. For all parties, such proof can be better than relying on a general guideline or paper study and can reduce potential litigation later.

Upstream Fish Passage Options - Quickly Create a Comparative Matrix For your Fish Passage Site

Use this tool to help you quickly understand how available fish passage options stack rank given your answers to a defined set of specific questions. The higher the score the higher the probability it is the solution for fish passage success for your site.

Scientific Support: Reference List

To add credence to any fish recovery or passage proposal, agency and regulator best practice dictates you will need to site other experts and their studies to support your proposal. We have done some of that work for you. Please feel free to use the list of fish passage studies referenced in the document below, to save you both time and effort finding them, and give yourself more time to read and understand what they teach us about how to improve our collective practices moving forward..