This paper was prepared based on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) analyses of data from a reservoir sedimentation survey by the Electric Power Research Institute (ERRI) of primarily non-Federal reservoirs in the United States. The three primary purposes. of the joint FERC and EPRI efforts are to 1) ascertain the scope and seriousness of sedimentation problems in the reservoirs, 2) explore the feasibility of applying modern technologies to mitigate sedimentation problems, and 3) to determine the needs for technical guidelines to assist FERC staff in licensing of hydroelectric projects with reservoir sedimentation problems and to assist hydropower operators in protecting valuable hydro resources from sediment damages. The results of the survey are summarized which indicate that 25 percent of hydropower reservoirs are negatively impacted by sedimentation. In addition, steps that can be undertaken by reservoir operators to assess the scope and impacts of their sediment problems are discussed.
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