Crews encountered some difficulties beginning the project due to a warm winter and wet spring that left water levels higher than expected at Swan Lake near Ketchikan, KFSK-FM reported (http:\/\/bit.ly\/28AomDH). While construction continues, the Southeast Alaska Power Agency\u2019s hydroelectric plant will continue generating power for Wrangell, Petersburg and Ketchikan.<\/p>\n
Eric Wolfe, SEAPA\u2019s director of special projects, told the agency\u2019s board that the work would result in a 30 percent increase of water storage at Swan Lake and also increase capacity at SEAPA\u2019s other plant at Tyee Lake near Wrangell.<\/p>\n
Crews with the Seattle-based construction company Pacific Pile and Marine will be installing large panels along the top of the spillway at Swan Lake this summer.<\/p>\n
CEO Trey Acteson said the lake level had made it difficult for crews to begin work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean they\u2019ve gotta build, put anchors on, put the safety walkways up, and these were all the functions that had planned to be taken at that time,\u201d Acteson said.<\/p>\n
Acteson said Ketchikan Public Utilities didn\u2019t initially agree to buy more power in an effort to lower the lake so crews could begin work.<\/p>\n
A power sales agreement allowed Ketchikan and Petersburg to use their own cheaper electrical sources before purchasing SEAPA electricity. SEAPA had asked KPU to buy more from Swan Lake and use less of its local power resources.<\/p>\n
Board member Stephen Prysunka said Wrangell and Petersburg were on board with the project and voiced frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat bothers me with this is that our community voted overwhelmingly to support this project and to put our lot in with this bond and to make sure that this project moved forward,\u201d Prysunka said.<\/p>\n
Another SEAPA board member and KPU\u2019s electric division manager, Andy Donato, said the utility tried to help lower Swan Lake but also had to worry about its own business plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe unfortunate thing is, I think operating this utility or KPU, KPU also has a business plan,\u201d Donato said.<\/p>\n
The water levels in the lake have been lowered, but project managers say they are working to protect crews working on top of the dam by reducing the water even further to be prepared for potential heavy rains this summer.<\/p>\n
The project is scheduled to finish in October.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
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