# 2026-12626: Historic Dam Trades Wooden Boards for Inflatable Tech

2026-12626, Erie Boulevard Hydropower L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment, is a Federal Register notice from Energy Department, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission published 2026-06-24; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12626
- As of: 2026-07-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12626
- Title: Erie Boulevard Hydropower L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Energy Department; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Citation: 91 FR 37967
- Published: 2026-06-24
- Effective: unknown
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-07-01

## In one line

Historic Dam Trades Wooden Boards for Inflatable Tech

## Summary

Erie Boulevard Hydropower is swapping out old wooden flashboards for a cool new inflatable system at their Beebee Island dam in Watertown, NY. This upgrade will make the dam safer, easier to control, and better for the environment by keeping water levels steady. They’ll lower the water for about six weeks during installation, and the government plans to finish reviewing the project by November 2026.

## Effects PRIA read

- Temporary 1.0-foot Reservoir Drawdown: cost, low. The licensee will lower the reservoir about 1.0 foot below the dam crest for approximately six weeks to install the new pneumatic flashboard system. Reservoir elevation will be returned to normal after construction.
- Required Veiling Flows Maintained: benefit, low. As part of the project, the licensee will install a sump pump and pipe to provide required veiling flows of 0.5 inch along the top of the dam from May 1 to October 31. The veiling flow measure is positioned behind the pneumatic flashboard plate.
- Pneumatic Flashboards Improve Dam Control: benefit, low. The project will replace the remaining 3-foot-high wooden flashboards with a pneumatic flashboard system that uses steel plates and inflatable air bladders. The replacement is intended to enhance operational control of the spillway, improve the dam safety program, increase operational efficiency, a…

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## Sources
- [2026-12626 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12626/erie-boulevard-hydropower-lp-notice-of-intent-to-prepare-an-environmental-assessment)
- [2026-12626 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-24/pdf/2026-12626.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-12625, Sugar River Hydro II, LLC; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12625)
- [Next: 2026-12627, Puget Sound Energy, Inc., Sumas Pipeline Company, Sumas Dry Kilns, Inc.; Notice…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12627)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12626 (as of 2026-07-01).