3.0 WATER AND AIR: MONITORING AND INTERPRETATIONS 



3.1 Poplar River Power Station Operation 



In 2004, the two 300-megawatt coal-fired units generated 4,557,536 gross megawatt hours (MWh) of 

 electricity. The average capacity factors for Unit No. 1 and 2 were 84.4 percent and 85.9 percent, 

 respectively. The capacity factors are based on the maximum generating rating of 305 MWh for both 

 Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2. Similar to other years, scheduled maintenance was completed in the spring 

 and fall of 2004. 



3.2 Surface Water 



3.2.1 Streamflow 



Streamflow in the Poplar River basin was above normal in 2004. The March to October recorded flow of 

 the Poplar River at International Boundary, an indicator of natural flow in the basin, was 13,490 cubic 

 decametres (dam^) (10,940 acre-feet), which was 131 percent of the 1931-2000 median seasonal flow of 

 10,290 dam^ (8,340 acre-feet). A comparison of 2004 monthly mean discharge with the 1931-2000 

 median monthly mean discharge is shown in Figure 3.1. 



Median of Monthly Mean Discharge for 1931-2000 

 ' Monthly Mean Discharge for 2004 



Apr 



May 



Aug 



Sep 



Figure 3.1 Discharge during 2004 as Compared with the Median Discharge from 

 1931-2000 for the Poplar River at International Boundary. 



