Hydropower Resources

Water rushes over steep rock faces at Cohoes Falls, New York, located within the within the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

NPS

The National Park Service (NPS) Hydropower Assistance Program collaborated with several partner organizations to develop guidance on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing process and evaluate impacts on river resources.

• Hydropower Licensing 101 Toolkit
  • This toolkit, available through the River Management Society website, includes detailed information on hydropower practitioner core competencies like the licensing process, regulations & regulatory roles, facility types, collaboration & negotiation, natural, cultural, and recreational resources, and community engagement & accessibility. The toolkit also includes a video playlist of webinars.
• River Access Planning (2020)
  • This guide provides a step-by-step process for planning river access with recreation users in mind.
• Flows and Aesthetics: A Guide to Concepts and Methods (2017)
  • This guide provides a common framework for requesting, designing, or reviewing flow-aesthetics studies. It outlines specific methods for conducting those studies in a hydropower licensing or water adjudication proceedings, with attention to the aesthetic values of rivers.
• Hydrokinetic Energy Projects and Recreation: A Guide to Assessing Impacts (2010)
  • “Hydrokinetic Energy Projects” refers to technologies that generate electricity from waves, tides, and ocean or river currents. This guide offers methods for studying recreation impacts and suggests ways to minimize adverse effects.
• Flows and Recreation: A Guide to Studies for River Professionals (2005)
  • This guide supports decision-making to define flows for recreation on regulated rivers.

To learn more about hydropower, visit our What is Hydropower? webpage.