NIAGARA TUNNEL PROJECT - Niagara Falls

A comparison of differences in size between the Niagara Tunnel Project and the Sir Adam Beck #2 Project

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) breaks through into the Grout Tunnel on March 1st 2011

BEST MONTH: July 2009 for mining with a distance of 467.8 meters (1,534.7 feet)
BEST WEEK: July 12th-July 18th 2010 for mining with a distance of 153.2 meters (503 feet)
BEST DAY: May 1st 2010 for mining with a distance of 25.4 meters (88.33 feet)
BEST SHIFT: July 5th 2009 for a mining shift with a distance of 14 meters (46 feet)

The TBM reached the 5,000 meter milestone of the Niagara Tunnel Project at 14:08 hours (2:08 p.m.) on July 29th 2009

The TBM reached the 5,079 meter official halfway milestone of the Niagara Tunnel Project at 02:30 hours (2:30 a.m.) on August 4th 2009

The TBM intersected the Grout Tunnel at the 9,845 meter milestone of the Niagara Tunnel Project at 13:15 hours (1:15 p.m.) on March 1st 2011

The TBM reached the 10,143.026 meters milestone officially ending the mining phase of the Niagara Tunnel Project at 12:34 hours (12:34 p.m.) on May 13th 2011

The Niagara River is 35 miles (59 km) long and runs in a north-south direction from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It is an International Boundary between Canada and USA. The average flow of the river is estimated at 6,000 cubic meters per second (211,887 cubic feet per second).

The Niagara River Water Diversion Treaty between Canada and the United States concerning the uses of the waters of the Niagara River was signed on February 27th 1950 and came into force October 10th 1950. Its purpose is to preserve and enhance the scenic beauty of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River, while providing for the most beneficial use of the river waters.

Limitations on the amount of water diverted from the Niagara River for power generation purposes initially established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 were terminated and replaced by the 1950 treaty. Temporary diversion agreements for power generation in 1941 and 1948 agreements between the two Governments were rescinded.

The Niagara River Water Treaty of 1950 established new limitations of water diversion for power generation.

The amount of water available for diversion under the provisions of the latest treaty was specified to include:

1. the total outflow from Lake Erie through the Welland Canal

2. the total outflow from lake Erie through the Niagara River (including the Black Rock Canal)

3. not to include the amount of water used and necessary for domestic/sanitary purposes and for the canals for navigation purposes.

In order to preserve the scenic beauty of the Falls, the Niagara River Water Diversion Treaty of 1950 stipulated that no water diversions for power generation would be allowed that would reduce the flow of water over Niagara Falls as follows:

no less than 100,000 cubic feet of water per second (cf/s) From April 1st to September 15th (inclusive) between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

no less than 100,000 cubic feet of water per second (cf/s) from September 16th to October 31st (inclusive) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

no less than 50,000 cubic feet of water per second (cf/s) from November 1st to March 31st (inclusive)

The specified rates of water flow over the Falls (listed above) are mandatory minimums. All water specified in this Treaty in excess of water reserved for scenic purposes may be diverted for power purposes.

On April 17th 1973, the governments agreed to use Eastern Daylight Savings Time as the basis of interpreting the hours specified by section IV of the treaty.

Under the terms of this treaty all excess waters available for water diversion for power generation shall be divided equally between Canada and the United States. An exception allows Canada to divert an additional 5,000 cubic feet of water per second from the Welland Canal or the Niagara River by a 1940 government agreement pertaining to the downstream use of waters from Canada's Long Lac and Ogoki water diversions into the Great Lakes. These water diversions are specifically excluded from the waters allocated in the Niagara River Water Diversion Treaty of 1950.

The Niagara River Water Diversion Treaty came into force upon the date of the exchange of ratifications [Oct. 10, 1950] and continues in force for a period of fifty (50) years and thereafter until one (1) year from the day on which either party shall give notice to the other party of its intention of terminating the Treaty.

The 1950 Treaty stipulated: "Until such time as there are facilities in the territory of one party to use its full share of the diversions of water for power purposes agreed upon in this Treaty, the other party may use the portion of that share for the use of which facilities are not available".

In order to best utilize the water available for diversion, the New York State Power Authority and Ontario Power Generation signed an agreement on January 19th 1965 to share generation capacity. Both power companies have rented available power generating capacity from each other to maximize utilization of their respective shares of water available for power production. Original ownership of the water shares has been maintained. This agreement allows each company to minimize the costs of equipment outages and to provide for the handling of ice problems. In simple terms, when Ontario Power Generation (OPG) - Sir Adam Beck Power Stations (Canada) has surplus water shares available for diversion and no extra generation capacity, they rent the generation capacity available at New York State Power Authority (NYSPA) - Robert Moses Power Station for power generation. The power generated is for the use of Ontario Power Generation. This agreement is reciprocal and NYSPA does the same with their surplus water share.

The power companies of both countries continue to upgrade their power generators to increase power capacity however their respective abilities to draw water are limited by not only the terms of this treaty but their capacity to draw available waters (refer below).

Ontario Power Generation has a combined water drawing capacity of 72,400 cubic feet per second (includes DeCew Falls Generating Station). At present, New York State Power Authority - Robert Moses Generating Station has a water drawing advantage of approximately 36,600 cubic feet per second.

There are occasions when power generation is reduced below actual capacity at times of low water flow rates in order to maintain the treaty minimal flow over the Falls.

There are occasions when the amount of water in the Niagara River available for diversion exceeds the ability of the power stations to draw this excess. Ontario Power Generation and the Ontario Government are currently studying methods upon which to increase their water share drawing capacity in order to increase power generation capacity.

The megawatt (symbol: MW) is a unit for measuring power equal to one million (10⁶) watts.
The gigawatt (symbol: GW) is a unit for measuring power equal to one billion (10⁹⁾watts.

To learn more about the Niagara Tunnel project visit following educational web sites:

POWER STATION INTAKE CAPACITY
Power Station Name	Cubic Feet Per Second
Robert Moses Generating Station (NYSPA)	109,000
Sir Adam Beck Generating Stations (OPG)	64,400
DeCew Falls Generating Station (OPG)	8,000
Canadian Niagara Power (Fortis)- Rankine Generating Station - not producing	35

ONTARIO POWER GENERATION
SIR ADAM BECK HYDRO-ELECTRIC GENERATING STATIONS - NIAGARA GROUP CAPACITY TABLE - NIAGARA RIVER DIVERSION
GENERATING STATIONS	YEAR IN SERVICE	DIVERSION CAPACITY cubic meters/second (cubic feet/second)	POWER CAPACITY megawatts	AVERAGE ANNUAL ENERGY gigawatt-hours

Sir Adam Beck #1 GS	1922	625 cm/s (22,072.5 c/ft/s)	487	2,700
Sir Adam Beck #2 GS	1955	1,200 cm/s (42,377.4 c/ft/s)	1,472	9,200
Sir Adam Beck Pump GS	1958	n/a	122	-100

CURRENT TOTALS		1,825 cm/s (64,448.9 c/ft/s)	2,081	11,800

Niagara Tunnel Project	2009	500 cm/s (17,657.2 c/ft/s)	N/A	1,600

FUTURE TOTALS		2,325 cm/s (82,106.2 c/ft/s)	2,081	13,400

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