St. Cloud Council Approves Work on Hydroelectric Dam

(KNSI) – St. Cloud City Council authorized rehabilitation work on tainter gates at the hydroelectric dam near University Avenue.

Public Works Director Tracy Hodel explains the role of the gates in electricity production. St. Cloud’s dam operates in river mode, which means no lake backs up behind the structure.

“We can’t drastically change the levels of the pool upstream or downstream. We’re essentially at a little bit of wiggle room and maximize it for energy production. Those tainter gates control that flow.”

The gates have been untouched for 37 years. The low bid was $646,500, 27% above the engineer’s estimate. Councilwoman Karen Larson asked Hodel about the discrepancy. She replied that they have to use a third-party firm for structural engineering estimates.

This particular project has a lot of unknowns attached to it. When the work will happen is still up in the air. Hodel says weather plays a large part in that decision.

“One of the things that will be a challenge for us is the flow itself. Whenever we do a rehabilitation project or any sort of construction project, we want to make sure that we’re doing it during low flows, because during high flows, we’re maximizing production and energy.”

Flows typically peak in the spring during the snow melt and bottom out in late summer, but there is a lot of variability. A gradual thaw coming out of winter or a powerful summer storm system can turn seasonality upside down.

The city had set aside $535,000 for the project. The rest will come from reserves.

Other business included approving a Planned Unit Development agreement for 1971 Pine Cone Road to allow Love of Christ Church to expand an adult day care facility from 12 to 20 people and vacating rights of way between 19th Avenue South and Cooper Avenue. The hope is that combining land parcels at the site will spur development. Everything passed by unanimous vote, except for Councilman Mark Johnson, who was not at the meeting.

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