Alyeska Creek
Alyeska Creek offers several opportunities for the development of micro-scale hydropower. During spring 2010, students from the UAA School of Engineering's senior civil engineering design course proposed, designed and analyzed several options for micro-hydro power plants on the creek. This work included studying the possibility of using Alyeska Resort's existing snow-making pipe system as hydroelectric penstocks, when the pipes are not being used for producing snow. The power potential was estimated to be slightly greater than 100 kW, which is a small fraction of Girdwood's power demand, but large enough to power the Alyeska Daylodge, and other buildings around the base of the ski area. The student design team had to roughly estimate the stream flow characteristics, without long-term flow measurements. If Alyeska Resort decides to build upon the work of the students and build one or more micro-hydro plants on the ski area slopes, more detailed stream flow information will be needed.
The final report of the Aleyska Creek spring 2010 student design team can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
The final report of the Aleyska Creek spring 2010 student design team can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
| alyeska_creek_hydropower_final_report_ce_a438_spring_2010.pdf |
Alyeska Creek Flow Measurements
Detailed long-term, continuous flow measurements had not been conducted on Alyeska Creek until an electronic stream gauge was installed on a test basis by the UAA Girdwood research team in March 2010 at a location about 1/4 mile downstream from the Alyeska Daylodge (see photo below). This stream gauge was refitted with a taller 'stilling well' and moved to a more permanent location on a culvert on Aleyska Resort in July 2010. Below is a graph of the water level, and water temperature, recorded by the gauge between July 8, 2010 and September 18, 2010. Several more stream flow (discharge) measurements need to be made at the site before a calibration curve can be developed for stream flow vs. water level. UAA students and researchers have made the following sporadic "point" flow measurements since late 2004, listed below.
Measurement location: highest footbridge at base of Chair 1
Day-of-year: Date [year-mo-da] (time): stream flow [cubic meters per second]:
239 2005-08-27 ( afternoon) 0.3 m3/sec
143 2009-05-23 (time: 11:40) 0.5 m3/sec
157 2009-06-06 (time: 11:24) 0.6 m3/sec
171 2009-06-20 (time: 14:25) 0.5 m3/sec
178 2009-06-27 (time: 14:00) 0.4 m3/sec
199 2009-07-18 (time: 14:00) 0.3 m3/sec
221 2009-08-09 (time: 11:50) 0.2 m3/sec
255 2009 09-12 (time: 11:40) 0.2 m3/sec
Measurement location: about 1/4 mile downstream from Chair 1
318 2004-11-13 0.1 m3/sec
135 2009-05-15 0.5 .m3/sec
Measurement location: culvert stream gauge (shown in graph below)
226 2010-08-14 (time: 20:05) 0.4 m3/sec (cloudy)
261 2010-09-18 (time: 15:15) 0.1 m3/sec (cloudy)
311 2010-11-07 (time: 13:55) 0.1 m3/sec (snowing)
This website will be regularly updated with the latest data on stream flow, water level and temperature on Alyeska Creek
Measurement location: highest footbridge at base of Chair 1
Day-of-year: Date [year-mo-da] (time): stream flow [cubic meters per second]:
239 2005-08-27 ( afternoon) 0.3 m3/sec
143 2009-05-23 (time: 11:40) 0.5 m3/sec
157 2009-06-06 (time: 11:24) 0.6 m3/sec
171 2009-06-20 (time: 14:25) 0.5 m3/sec
178 2009-06-27 (time: 14:00) 0.4 m3/sec
199 2009-07-18 (time: 14:00) 0.3 m3/sec
221 2009-08-09 (time: 11:50) 0.2 m3/sec
255 2009 09-12 (time: 11:40) 0.2 m3/sec
Measurement location: about 1/4 mile downstream from Chair 1
318 2004-11-13 0.1 m3/sec
135 2009-05-15 0.5 .m3/sec
Measurement location: culvert stream gauge (shown in graph below)
226 2010-08-14 (time: 20:05) 0.4 m3/sec (cloudy)
261 2010-09-18 (time: 15:15) 0.1 m3/sec (cloudy)
311 2010-11-07 (time: 13:55) 0.1 m3/sec (snowing)
This website will be regularly updated with the latest data on stream flow, water level and temperature on Alyeska Creek
