Pic Mobert First Nation White River Watershed Compensation Flow Management & Development

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1 Showcasing Water Innovation Pic Mobert First Nation White River Watershed Compensation Flow Management & Development Pic Mobert Leaders and Members celebrate a water ceremony at the site of the Gitchi Animki Hydroelectric Project. Nibi (Ojibwe) or Water, is among the most sacred of the elements in our Ojibwe Culture.

2 High Level Results Demonstrated the technical, financial and environmental feasibility of integrating low-impact micro-turbine generation (MTG) technology sustained entirely by compensation flows within a hydroelectric project, thereby making beneficial use of a resource that would not have been captured. Installed, commissioned and achieved commercial operations for MTG units at each of the two generating stations that comprise the Gitchi Animki Hydroelectric Project (GAH Project), for a combined installed capacity of 830 kw. Secured new economic values from the source waters that have sustained the Pic Mobert First Nation for time immemorial, while enhancing community safety and respecting environmental sustainability and the values of the Pic Mobert People and other residents and users of the White River Watershed. As a First Nation, water resources management must balance our heritage, traditional values of our Elders and economic needs of our children and future generations. The Showcasing Water Innovation program supported our community by enabling us to incorporate an innovative, low impact technology that ensured we met both economic and ecological values. Chief Wayne Sabourin Pic Mobert First Nation Project Context The Na tah me sah ka mig People of the Pic Mobert First Nation have lived on and from the lands and waters of the White River watershed, since time immemorial. The White River watershed encompasses some 5,283 km2 ha extending some 130 km from its headwaters to Lake Superior. The modern day Pic Mobert community that is home to some 400 people, is located on White Lake, a man-made lake created with the construction of a regulating dam, now known as the White Lake Dam, by the forest industry in the 1940 s. Over time, this artificially regulated lake has developed and now supports new values and interests including White Lake Provincial Park, approximately sixty residential cottages, and a recreational boat club and campground. White Lake is a popular sport fishing and recreational boating lake and is also a popular put-in point for canoeists paddling the White River down to Pukaskwa National Park and Lake Superior. While the Pic Mobert First Nation continues to use the lake and surrounding river systems for traditional activities such as trapping, hunting, fishing and transportation, its connection with the waters of the White River watershed area have over time diversified to also include recreation and economic development and, beginning in the Spring of 2016, as a source of drinking water for the community with the completion of the new and modern drinking water source and treatment system. 2

3 The Showcasing Water Innovation (SWI) Project is a component of the Gtichi Animki ( Big Thunder ) Hydroelectric Project ( GAH Project ), that the Pic Mobert First Nation has developed in partnership with White River Hydro Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Regional Power and Manulife Financial; the Pic Mobert First Nation holds a 50% equity ownership stake in this project. The GAH Project consists of two hydroelectric generating stations, Bezhig and Niizh, with a combined generating capacity of 18.9 MW. The Behzig generating station will replace the White Lake Dam which is now owned and operated by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and is at risk of failure and need of replacement. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Pic Mobert First Nation investigated the feasibility of operating the White Lake Dam as both a regulating dam and for generating electricity. It was envisioned that the sale of electricity would not only support a business case for investment of the capital costs of replacing the regulating dam, but also generate a revenue stream to offset its operating costs and provide a net revenue stream for the community. A subsequent pre-feasibility study recommended that the optimal location for the regulating dam was approximately three kilometres downstream of its current location. In 2004, Pic Mobert First Nation received approval from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in response to an application requesting to relocate the dam and generate electricity at that location. The approval was conditional on continuing to operate the new dam principally to meet the lake level management objectives of the existing structure. Challenge Although both of the generating stations of the GAH Project are contracted to sell electricity under the terms of a 40-year contract with the IESO s Feed in Tariff Program, the Project was financially constrained, in part due to environmental protection requirements and obligations related to the water management objectives, which have until now been the responsibility of Ontario as owner of the White Lake Dam. The challenge, therefore, was to identify options to increase the power production at the GAH generating stations without increasing the footprint and overall environmental impact of the project as scoped within an extensive environmental screening and assessment process undertaken between 2006 and Project Goals In keeping with the goals of Ontario s Showcasing Water Innovation program, the project broadly sought to demonstrate the technical, environmental and financial feasibility and benefits of a unique waterbased technology through a public-private partnership including a First Nation, creating opportunities for economic development and clean-technology jobs in Ontario; and conserving and sustaining water resources for present and future generations. The more site-specific goals of the project included: Providing a viable strategy for redevelopment of the White Lake Dam; Preserving the drinking water supply for the Pic Mobert community; 1

4 Providing more consistent water levels in White Lake throughout the year, which could improve aquatic habitats; Enhanced biologic engineering in the White River through the incorporation of ponding and habitat creation downstream of the White Lake dam; Reduced risk of flooding in the Pic Mobert community, White Lake Provincial Park and cottages located on White Lake through more active and precise management of flood flows; and Maximization of the energy potential of water passing through the White River watershed and onto existing and planned water power facilities on the lower White River. The use of the MTG in this Project was considered in the conceptual and preliminary design work, and was approved by regulatory agencies in the environmental assessment process completed in Solution In response to noted challenges, the project partners identified and evaluated the incorporation of micro-turbine generator units (MTG) into each of the regulating dams for the GAH Project. The MTG s have been integrated into the dams at both the Bezhig and Niizh sites, and will capture the energy potential of compensation flows that would otherwise pass the structure without any economic return. Compensation flow is water that passes by a hydroelectric dam for environmental or aesthetic reasons, and is not normally used for generating electricity. The MTG s are a low impact technology that occupy roughly 10% of the visible footprint of a conventional microturbine system, with the powerhouse being integrated directly into the regulating dam. No additional external lighting is required at the site, which also helps satisfy the limited impact at nightfall. The MTG is flood proof by design and is not expected to present any concerns of spillage or contamination from production fluids. Entrance & stair to MTG power house within regulating dam. Cross Section Drawing of MTG Installation 2

5 MTG generator unit and control room. participating in the construction, as well as significant business revenues for the community s development corporations and business joint ventures. During operations, the MTG s will generate a total of 7.23 million kwh of clean renewable energy annually, all of which will be sold onto the grid through the IESO Feed- In-Tariff contract. The Pic Mobert First Nation s new drinking water source and treatment project, which uses the White River watershed as its source, was also completed in the spring of 2016 Results The Project was successfully constructed and commissioned, and commenced initial operations (delivery of power to the Provincial grid) in March, This included the installation of two MTG units supplied by Litostroj Canada, with a combined generating capacity of 830kw. The newly constructed GAH Project has now replaced the function of the White Lake Dam, which will be fully decommissioned and removed in the summer of The new structure will provide more precise, predictable and reliable water management and flood mitigation than in the past, better ensuring the safety of the Pic Mobert community and other lake residents and users. Also, the enhanced water management capabilities of the new system, along with the incorporation of ponding and habitat creation downstream of the powerhouses are anticipated to improve aquatic habitats within the White River. The construction of the GAH Project provided significant economic benefits for the Pic Mobert First Nation and Ontario, employing 30+ plus Band and Community members for approximately 2 years, with peak employment of all persons exceeding 280 including some 1,200 persons View from new water treatment source intake on White Lake. Next Steps The Pic Mobert First Nation community, as it continues to pursue a sustainable economy and diversified revenue base for current and future generations, intends to pursue other opportunities based on the technology both within and beyond its traditional territory. The First Nation is closely monitoring and evaluating opportunities arising out of changes in the IESO s Feed-In-Tariff Program and Ontario s site disposition and environmental approvals process for the development of generation potential at existing dams and regulating structures. 3

6 Application for Ontario communities The Project could benefit the owners of other regulating dams by showing them how to incorporate micro-turbines into existing and new regulating dam developments, and demonstrating the benefits of incorporating them. Currently, there are approximately 90,000 regulating dams in North America, including 2,600 in Ontario that could benefit from this knowledge. Contact Information Norman R. Jaehrling Chief Executive Officer Pic Mobert First Nation (807) ext. 223 PO Box nd Street Mobert, Ontario P0M 2J0 This project has received funding support from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the governments of Ontario or Canada of the contents of this material. 4