Hydrolox Water Screens Provide Lower Maintenance for Snohomish P.U.D.

In 2008, the Snohomish Public Utility District (PUD) purchased the partially constructed Youngs Creek Hydroelectric Project located just south of the city of Sultan, Washington. Construction of this project began in the mid-1990s but was never completed. The powerhouse is above a natural impassible barrier to fish on Youngs Creek, which is a tributary of Elwell Creek.

The project went online in October 2011 with an estimated capacity of 7.5 megawatts with an annual production of 18,000 MWh—enough to power about 1,500 homes. It is the first new hydroelectric project in Washington state in nearly 20 years.

Snohomish PUD decided to use Hydrolox water screens in the project because of their low maintenance, which would not require frequent pulling of the screens for repair. Hydrolox screens are designed to be installed below grade and to comply with all relevant state and federal regulations concerning fish protection. The screens greatly reduced the intake’s maintenance due to their self-cleaning mechanism  and chainless drive system.

The Snohomish PUD–Youngs Creek project received Renewable Energy World magazine’s 2012  Hydro Project of the Year Award and the 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers’ Outstanding Achievement Award.

For more information, see the Snohomish PUD's project summary on their website.