The Ozark Beach Hydroelectric Project, owned and operated by The Empire District Electric Company, is a FERC-licensed, 16 MW run-of-river project located on the White River in south central Missouri. As part of project relicensing, EDEC revised the project boundary to exclude land that is no longer required for project operation to streamline the process and save on administrative costs.

1. Resolving Project Boundary Challenges
to Streamline Relicensing
Authors:
Kyle Slagle, Director of Water Operations, Empire District Electric Company
Sarah Howard, Sr. Environmental Scientist, Black & Veatch Corporation
Randy Boyce, P.E., Chief Hydro Engineer, Black & Veatch Corporation
Doug Timpe, Project Manager / Technical Lead-Environmental Services,
Black & Veatch Corporation
5 July 2017

2. Ozark Beach Hydroelectric Project
• Located in Southwest Missouri
• Constructed in 1913
• White River — Lake Taneycomo
• 2,200-acre impoundment
• Federally-operated projects
• Table Rock upstream
• Bull Shoals downstream
Photo courtesy of Empire. 2

3. Project Boundary
• Existing Project Boundary
• Encompasses large blocks of land
• Extends far beyond hydro structures
• Much of it not required for project operations
and maintenance
• Revise Project Boundary
• 18 CFR 4.41(h)
•
Photo courtesy of Empire. 3

4. • Defined by the normal maximum surface
elevation
• Up to 200-foot offset
• Define the normal maximum surface
elevation
• Table Rock turbine discharges without
spilling
Photo courtesy of Empire.

5. Define Flow Releases From
Table Rock
• USACE records 2012-2016
• 13,500 cfs
• Discharged through turbines
• Non-flood value
• Exceeded only 5% of all days
Table Rock Dam 5

6. Implement HEC-RAS Modeling
USACE HEC-RAS
model developed in
2000
Resulting contour is
normal maximum
surface elevation
Revised project
boundary
sometimes
extended beyond
existing boundary
• Adopted existing
boundary configuration
• Or 200-foot offset
6

7. Agency Feedback
• FERC informal approval of rationale and
approach
• Adopting limits of existing boundary, as
necessary
• Project has operated for decades with no
known complaints
Photo courtesy of Empire. 7

8. 8

9. Issues Encountered and their
Resolution
• No regulatory definition of normal
maximum surface elevation
• Up to licensee to make determination
• Releases from Table Rock
• Tributaries contribute little in-flow
• Significant residential development
Photo courtesy of Empire. 9

10. Revised Project Boundary Findings
• Excludes properties not necessary for
operations / maintenance or other project
purposes
• Includes project-related recreational
facilities
• Includes wetland mitigation sites
• Reduce liability due to development
• Conforms more closely to 18 CFR 4.41(h)
10

11. Revised Project Boundary Will Not
Affect
operations or
maintenance
procedures
Affect current
ownership or
easements
No significant,
adverse
impacts to
land owners
or residents
Extend
beyond the
existing
project
boundary
11

12. howardsh@bv.com 913-458-6584
Sarah Howard
30 JUNE 2017