Water Quality

Chautauqua County Citizens for Responsible Wind Power has several concerns about the effect that an Industrial Wind Power facility would have on the local water quality.

Bell Creek Gorge

In the project area, there is a historically and geologically significant land formation. According to Chautauqua Wind Power LLC, this is an unnamed creek and gorge but the creek does have a name - Bell Creek. This project threatens Bell Creek in at least two ways.

One is the placement of 12 turbines in the watershed of Bell Creek that will sit on 30 by 30 foot slabs of concrete that reach 30 feet into the ground or 22 feet into the water table. Substantial connector and construction roads, typically 20 feet wide and capable of carrying extremely heavy loads, would also have to be built in the watershed to facilitate the installation of these turbines. (Each turbine requires about 30 trailer loads of equipment and parts to be delivered, 10 to 20 cement trucks and a heavy duty crawler crane) Not only does this watershed supply the creek - it also supplies numerous wells, including some shallow dug wells, in the area that people rely on for their drinking water. If the construction of these foundations interferes with the aquifer, it is possible that some wells may dry up . It is also possible that the flow of ground water could be changed in such a way as to divert water away from the creek which is fed by ground water. If this creek dries up, we have lost an important piece of our area.

Another way that this important water course is threatened by the proposed wind power project is by construction near its banks. According to Chautauqua Wind Power LLC, they will need to install above grade wires to traverse Bell Creek. This will involve construction near the banks of the creek. The water in this creek is crystal clear - construction near its banks can cause silt and soil runoff into the creek, turning the beautiful clear water into a muddy mess. Chautauqua Wind Power LLC claims that this creek is insignificant. If that is the case then why is it that just about every rock that you pick up from the creek bed is fossilized?

There is abundant wildlife in Western New York - including several species of turtles, some of which are endangered or threatened. (See the Western New York Turtle and Tortoise Guide for more information) If creeks and streams are damaged in the construction of Wind Turbines, the water supply for these animals is damaged and they could be gone from the area forever. Almost every spring evening, the sound of huge choruses of frogs can be heard throughought the area. This is a beautiful and sweet sound to hear and fall asleep to - not to mention that frog populations are an indicator of the general health of the environment. If the frog population is injured as a result of the installation of wind turbines, a beautiful sound of nature could be replaced by the noise of industry.

Drinking Water

Aside from changes in ground water flow, the actual construction of these turbines is a possible threat to drinking water in the area by contamination. All drinking water on the ridge is drawn from wells. The aquifer on the proposed sites is close to the surface and feeds many of the wells in the area - particularly those that are lower on the ridge than the turbines. On the construction site, several liquids that can cause contamination will be used. If there is a spill of gasoline or hydraulic oil on the construction sites, many wells can be destroyed and many homes could be left without clean water. Chautauqua Wind Power LLC has not made public any plans for containment of spills on construction sites.

If the water table is damaged, it can't be fixed!