Puget Sound Energy, the operator of the facility is to spend some US$40M to ensure it meets the conditions listed in the new license, as well as carry out a turbine upgrade that will increase generation capacity from the current figure of 44MW up to 49MW.
The money is to be spent on:
• the replacement of the existing concrete diversion dam upriver from the falls with a hard rubber, air-filled weir that can be deflated to help lower flood waters around the city of Snoqualmie;
• modified operating procedures and a range of project upgrades for better fish protection;
• the development of riparian habitat to promote fish propagation;
• increased minimum flows in the Snoqualmie river during low-water periods;
• the installation of new recreational facilities near the power plant.
The scheme dates back to 1898 and consists of a dam and two power houses; one built into the cliff at Snoqualmie Falls and a second located downstream, constructed in 1910 and expanded in 1957.
