The Idaho Water Resource Board has owned and operated the Dworshak Small Hydropower Plant since its commissioning in June of 2000. The facility is located in Ahsahka, near Orofino, downstream of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Dworshak Dam located on the North Fork of the Clearwater River.
The facility was built upon an existing water distribution system that conveys water from the Dworshak Reservoir to the Clearwater Fish Hatchery and the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery. Two penstocks with different inlet elevations, to allow the hatcheries to maintain optimal water temperature, descend the face of the dam to the power plant, where excess hydraulic energy is converted to electricity. Operation and maintenance of the facility is performed by a private contractor hired by the Board. All operations are coordinated with the hatcheries and other regulatory agencies as needed.
The facility’s power generating capacity depends upon two Pelton turbines: a 2.5 MW primary unit and a 0.4 MW secondary unit. On average, the facility generates approximately 18,000 MWh of energy per year, which is wheeled through Clearwater Power Company and sold to the Bonneville Power Administration. The Board uses revenue from the facility to support other projects across the state, via Water Project Loans and Grants.
Website Links:
Clearwater Fish Hatchery
https://idfg.idaho.gov/visit/hatchery/clearwater
Dworshak National Fish Hatchery
https://www.fws.gov/fish-hatchery/dworshak
Dworshak Dam and Reservoir
https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams/Dworshak-Dam-and-Reservoir/
