Dam Failure Inundation Analysis for the Niagara Power Project

The 2400 MW Niagara Power Project, owned and operated by the New York Power Authority, is one of our nation's largest and most important hydroelectric projects. The project consists of the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and Lewiston Pump Generating Plant which share with the province of Ontario the approximately 200,000 CFS of Niagara River discharge not required to pass over Niagara Falls. The project lies adjacent to an area which is both densely populated and one of the most highly industrialized in the United States. In accordance with current requirements of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the authors have recently completed flood routings and mapping for the hypothetical failure of portions of the embankment dam and powerhouse at the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant. These analyses were completed for emergency action planning only and do not reflect in any way on the integrity of the project structures.