3.0 WATER AND AIR: MONITORING AND INTERPRETATIONS 



3.1 Poplar River Power Station Operation 



In 2000, the two 300-megawatt coal-fired units generated 4,454,500 gross megawatt hours (MW/h) of 

 electricity. The average capacity factors for Unit No. 1 and 2 were 73.9 percent and 90.6 percent, 

 respectively. The capacity factors are based on the maximum generating rating of 305 MW/h for Unit 

 No. 1 , and 3 1 MW/h for Unit No. 2. 



3.2 East Poplar River 

 3.2.1 Streamflow 



Streamflow in the Poplar River basin was below normal in 2000. The March to October recorded flow 

 of the Poplar River at International Boundary, an indicator of natural flow in the basin, was 7,010 cubic 

 decametres (dam^) (5,680 acre-feet), which was 69 percent of the 1931 to 1990 median seasonal flow. 

 A comparison of 2000 monthly mean discharge with the 1931-90 median discharge is shown in Figure 

 3.1. 



2.5 



1.5 



0.5 





 MAR 



'Median of Monthly Mean Discharge for 1931-90 

 'Monthly Mean Discharge for 2000 



1* 



O. 



-o— 



=8= 



APR 



AUG 



SEP 



140 



(0 

 100 K 



80 !" 



lU 



40 O 



20 <0 





 OCT 



Figure 3.1 Discharge during 2000 as Compared with the Median Discharge from 

 1931-1990 for the Poplar River at International Boundary. 



