NC0024406_Temporary Cooling Water Intake Structure_20081031

JI iy �
.2 0F WAT�c'Q
0 QG
C0 .
7
October 31, 2008
Ronald E. Lewis
Duke Power Company
Fossil/ Hydro Generation Dept.
P.O. Box 1006
Charlotte, North -Carolina 28201-1006
Michael F. Easley, Governor
State of North Carolina
William G. Ross, Jr., Secretary
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Coleen H. Sullins, Director
Division of Water Quality
Subject: Authorization to Operate
Temporary Cooling Water Intake Structure
NPDES Permit NCO024406
Duke Power/ Belews CreekSteamStation
Stokes County
Dear Mr. Lewis:
This -letter authorizes the operation of a temporary cooling water intake structure at the existing steam electric
plant. The intake structure will pump water from the Dan River to Belews Lake, which provides condenser
cooling water for the subject facility. In a typical year, Belews Lake fills in the spring to 724.5 feet msl, then loses
2 — 4 feet over the summer and fall. Due to exceptional drought conditions, projections for 2008 2009 indicate
Belews Lake may fall below the minimum spring lake level necessary for continued intake pump operation
through the summer period (i.e. 720 feet msl). The plan proposes to pump lake levels to a minimum of 720 feet
msl, up to a maximum of 724.5 feet msl, by the end of March 2009.
This pumping plan has been proposed to ensure uninterrupted power production at this base load facility, while
mitigating effects on the aquatic community and downstream users. This plan was reviewed in 2002 (when it was
first requested) by staff of the NC Division of Water Quality (DWQ), NC Division of Water Resources (DWR),
NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), NC Division of Land Resources (DLR), and the US Army Corp of
Engineers. Pumping was authorized, but was terminated early due to rainfall. A second temporary request to
pump from the Dan River into Belews Lake was made in 2007, reviewed and approved by the Division of Water
Quality, Division of Water Resources and Environmental Sciences Section. Pumping occurred from January
through March of 2008.
The temporary .pumping plan is authorized to be implemented with the following operational and design
conditions to minimize biological impacts and downstream water supply concerns:
➢ Pumping is scheduled to begin in December 2008 and end in March 2009, which coincides with the
historical period of maximum flow in the Dan River, and avoids the April -May fish spawning period. If
water levels in Belews Lake are still below 720 feet msl after this period, Duke Power must request
authorization to continue temporary pumping beyond this date.
➢ Pumping must not lower the flow in Dan River below 110 cfs, which is the Division of Water Resources
target flow recommendation for this site. River flow at the pumping location must be checked at a newly
installed USGS Gage Station near the old USGS Pine Hall gage station prior to each daily pumping
event.
➢ The minimum pumping rate will be 10 cfs (6 MGD), and the maximum pumping rate will be 100 cfs (65
MGD).
➢ The Dan River pumps intake will be positioned above the river bottom and have an approach velocity less
than or equal to 0.5 feet/ second across screening with mesh openings of less than 1 cm2 to minimize fish
entrainment and impingement.
➢ The withdrawal location will be near the confluence of the spillway channel below Belews Lake Dam and
the Dan River. This is a scoured bottom area that does not provide suitable aquatic habitat.
1617 MAIL SERVICE CENTER, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27699-1 61 7 - TELEPHONE [phone]/FAX [phone]
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/NPDES

NCO024406
Page 2 of 2
October 31, 2008
Please note that this authorization does not affect the legal requirements to obtain other permits which may be
required by the Division of Water Quality, the Division of Land Resources, the Coastal Area Management Act, or
any other federal or local governmental permits.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Jim McKay of my
staff at [phone].
S' e ,
aul Rawls
Surface Water Protection Section Chief
cc:CentralFiles
WDES_Unit Files j
Winston-Salem Regional Office — Surface Water Protection
NCDWR/ Fred Tarver
. A

Proposed Pumping Rates
Withdrawals will be variable based upon available river flow; a flow measuring device will be
installed near the intake location: The Division of Water Resources target flow
recommendation for the Dan River at this site is 110 cfs. Pumping will not lower the in -stream
flow rates to less than 110 cfs. Thus, the in -stream flow rate should be sufficient for NPDES
discharges and water withdrawals. The minimum pumping fate will be 10 — 20cfs, and the
maximum pumping rate will be 100 cfs. The following is an outline of proposed pumping
rates.
Table 1— Proposed Pumping Rates
River Flow
cfs
Pumping Rate
cfs
>210
100
200
90
190
80
180
70
170
60
160.
50
150
40
140
30
130
20
120
10
110 or less
0
Proposed Pumping Schedule
Pumping is scheduled to begin in December 2008, and withdrawals will vary based on
available river flow as outlined in Table 1. At the maximum proposed pumping rate, 61 days
of continuous pumping would be required to raise the lake level from 716 to 720 feet msl from
December through mid-February. If the lake level drops to 715 feet msl, then 101 days of
continuous pumping would be required to raise the lake level from m 715 to 720 feet msl from
December through mid-March.

R,F%raft of Duke Power Temporary Authorization to pump from Da...
Subject: RE: Draft of Duke Power Temporary Authorization to pump from Dan River to Belews Lake
From: "Lewis, Ron" <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:32:17 -0400
To: James Mckay <[e-mail]>
CC: Fred Tarver <[e-mail]>
Jim,
The only comment is with respect to the additional lake monitoring that we've been
doing during the pumping. Since our repeated monitoring of Belews Lake water quality
during prior pumping activity has consistently demonstrated nil effects lake -wide, is
this monitoring requirement still needed? The existing semiannual program (winter
and summer)would still continue.
Thanks for your assistance and prompt response to our request,
Ron
Duke Energy
Mail Code: EC13K
526 S. Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Office 980-373-5710
Mobile [phone]
-----Original Message -----
From: James Mckay [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:51 AM
To: Lewis, Ron
Cc: Fred Tarver
Subject: Draft of Duke Power Temporary Authorization to pump from Dan River to Belews
Lake
Attached is a PDF of the subject letter. Please send any comments or
questions to me by Wednesday, 10/29/2008.
Jim McKay
7
it d ^/ e,"
r
r�
1 of 1 10/30/2008 2:50 PM

5
2 �� f ' . /� \� . �.
a,

N
wp
C
I
I
I
I
f
I