Hydropower Environmental Management Services

Hydropower is a critical renewable energy source for today’s substantial energy consumption demands. However, hydropower development projects tend to occur in environments with significant environmental regulatory control and often significant public interest. Development and maintenance of hydropower facilities across the nation requires the ability to coordinate, communicate, and collaborate across multiple disciplines and interests.

Steigers Corporation has extensive experience in hydropower construction, maintenance, repair, regulatory compliance, and regulatory program management. Success for our clients is correlated to understanding the dynamic needs of complying with regulatory requirements, local considerations, and integrating the goals and objectives of our client. Steigers’ capabilities in this area have been demonstrated through repeated, successfully executed projects.

Experience and Skills

Consultation with Regulatory Agencies
Environmental & Biological Assessments
Environmental Planning
Federal, State, Tribal, & Local Regulatory Compliance
FERC Re-licensing, Compliance, Coordination
Monitoring Reports
Quality Control Inspection Program

Scoping & Development of Study Plans
Spill Prevention, Control, & Countermeasure Plan
Storm Water/Groundwater Management
Terrestrial & Aquatic Studies
Threatened & Endangered Species
Vegetation & Wildlife Management Plans
Water Quality

Seasoned Understanding

Our staff has a seasoned understanding of the importance of regulatory compliance, scheduling, coordinating with stakeholders, exceptional communications, and delivery of a product on time. Technical staff are available to provide on-site and off-site assessments to address all of the various issues that may be part of a project. We offer an in-depth understanding of FERC compliance requirements, biological considerations, and the aquatic ecology requirements unique to hydropower – all founded in the context of the demands of construction and operations.

Hydropower in Practice

Steigers’ staff have worked on numerous hydropower projects from 100-year-old aging infrastructure to new construction. We have provided technical and management expertise for multi-year construction and maintenance projects, short-term repair projects, upstream fish passage efficiency evaluation and analysis, emergency permitting response, and license compliance management. Most projects demand an integrated approach and our team has the capabilities to address all of the various project needs and complexities associated with hydropower.

Recent projects include comprehensive environmental support for a $230M hydropower construction project.

Prepared and maintained all federal, state, and local permits, from design through construction.
FERC Article preparation and FERC compliance
Project liaison with federal, state, and local agencies
Biological data collection – aquatic and terrestrial
Prepared contractor environmental permits

Site-wide stormwater planning and management
Site restoration and revegetation planning, design, and oversight
Threatened and Endangered species management plans
Environmental compliance inspections and reporting
Developed an environmental compliance system

FERC Re-licensing, Compliance, and Coordination

Integrated License Process
FERC Article Preparation
National Environmental Policy Act
Federal, State, Tribal, & Local Regulatory Permitting & Compliance
Mitigation Plans
Quality Control Inspection Program
Spill Prevention, Control, & Countermeasure
Health & Safety Plan
Erosion & Sediment Control Plans
Dredging Plans

Wildlife & Waterfowl Surveys
Vegetation & Riparian Surveys
Wetland Delineations
Fisheries Data Analysis & Reporting
Water Quality Monitoring & Reporting
Revegetation Planning, Contracting, & Monitoring
Coordinating Cultural & Recreation Resources
Water Rights
4(e) Conditions
401 Water Quality Certification

Fish Passage

Threatened & Endangered Species Biological Assessment
Project construction environmental permitting
Development & maintenance of management tools for fish & operations data
Fish passage annual reporting

10-year evaluation planning to assess fish passage efficacy
Multi-agency committee coordination to develop annual studies, allocate funding, & implement study plans
Off-site mitigation planning & reporting