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Natural resources

Revised Water Quality Monitoring Plan for the Belleville Hydroelectric Project

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Belleville Hydroelectric Project, operated by American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP), has submitted a revised Water Quality Monitoring Plan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in response to License Article 402 requirements. The revised plan aims to improve the effectiveness of the monitoring program by relocating monitoring equipment, adjusting monitoring periods, and enhancing reporting protocols. The proposed changes are intended to align with practices at other Ohio River hydroelectric facilities and collect data more relevant to project operations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The revised plan proposes relocating monitoring equipment from the Ohio side of the river to the West Virginia side, immediately upstream of the Project powerhouse.
  • Monitoring would continue immediately downstream of the powerhouse, consistent with AMP's other Ohio River hydroelectric projects.
  • The monitoring period would shift from year-round (January 1-December 31) to seasonal (May 1-October 31) to better align with other AMP-operated facilities.
  • Real-time data would be collected every 15 minutes via cellular connection and made available to consulting agencies through WQData Live.
  • The revised plan eliminates the annual reporting requirement, with data still available through WQData Live.
  • The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) was the only agency to respond to the proposed revisions, with concerns regarding continued temperature monitoring year-round.
  • AMP has replied to WVDNR, pointing to existing alternate sources of temperature data.
  • The revised plan would involve servicing water quality sondes at least monthly for cleaning, maintenance, and calibration.
  • The water quality sondes would deliver real-time data to an off-site server and website every 15 minutes via a cellular connection.

Statistics:

  • The revised plan proposes relocating monitoring equipment from the Ohio side of the river to the West Virginia side.
  • The monitoring period would shift from year-round to seasonal (approximately 6 months).
  • Real-time data would be collected every 15 minutes.
  • The revised plan eliminates the annual reporting requirement.
  • Water quality sondes would be serviced at least monthly for cleaning, maintenance, and calibration.
  • The water quality sondes would deliver real-time data to an off-site server and website every 15 minutes via a cellular connection.

Sources:

  • American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP). (2025). Revised Water Quality Monitoring Plan for the Belleville Hydroelectric Project (Attachment 1).
  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). (1989, September 27). License for the Belleville Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 6939).
  • Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). (2025). Dissolved Oxygen. Retrieved from .
  • United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (n.d.). Belleville Locks and Dam.

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