NYtSfcd
By Paul (Ip) Lien
“Utilize your natural re
sources and you can’t go wrong,”
says any power expert we have
ever listened to.
On the Chatanika River, 32
miles from Fairbanks, a group
of enterprising and forward
thinking citizens have built a
' hydroelectric power plant using
water from the old Davidson
Ditch of the U. S. Smelting,
Mining and Refining Co.
With dredging operations of the
F. E. Dept, of USSM&R closing
down in the next year or two. the
old Comstock at Mile-32, with all
the pipe, would have ended up a
pile of junk.
Now it is utilized for the purpose
of providing much needed power
for Fairbanks and the immediate
area—and at a much lower cost.
Arne Hanson, president of Cha
tanika Power Company, Inc., took
us for a look at the plant Saturday.
Sell to GVEA
At present all of the output of
power is sold to Golden Valley Elec
tric Assn, at a cost of 10 mills per
killowatt hour.
It costs GVEA approximately 26
nills to produce power in their
steam boilers.
“Water from the Chatanika River
is brought into the ditch 43 miles
above the plant,” said Hanson.
“The water drop from the ditch
to the plant through the comstock
is 550 feet with a pressure of 235
pounds per square inch at the noz
zle.
“From here the water hits the
GENERATING POWER ON THE CHATANIKA RIVER — Shown
here is the generator in the ultra-modern power plant of the C'hata
nika Power Co., Inc., 32 miles north of, Fairbanks, pn the Steese
Highway. Saturday, top production was achieved' sihce the plant
was built two and ont-half years ago when 3200 kilowatt hours
were generated in a 1 hour period.
OFFSHORE LAND LEASE SET
State lands to be offered for com- i
petitive leasing by the petroleum
industry, for the next competitive
sale which is tentatively scheduled
for early in July as nominated by
interested parties are in the follow- j
ing described general areas. The
numbers of the appropriate protrac- I
tion sheets are included with the !
designated, areas of interest.
(1) Approximately 61,400 acres of
Offshore Lands in the Knik Arm
area covered by State of Alaska Pro
traction Sheet S-13-1.
(2) Approximately 178.560 acres
of Offshore Lands in the Upper
Cook Inlet Basin area (above east
and west forelands). The general
area is covered by State of Alaska
Protraction Sheets S-13-2, S-13-3.
9-13-5, S-13-6, S-13-7, S-13-11,
S-13-12.
(3) Approximately 138,880 acres
of lands offshore of Kalgin Island
in the Lower Cook Inlet Basin area.
The general area is covered by State
of Alaska Protraction Sheets S-13-12.
S-13-13, S-12-16, S-12-9, S-16-4,
S-17-1.
(4) Approximately 1,920 acres of
Offshore Lands in the Wide Bay
area. The general area is covered
by State of Alaska Protraction
Sheets S-22-14, S-25-3.
The maps and legal descriptions
[ of the specific tracts will be avail
1 able at the Office of the Director of
the Division of Lande, 344 Sixth
Avenue, Anchorage, by the first
week in June. An official notice
will be given prior to the sale spe
! cifying date and place of the sale
; and describing each of the areas of
i fered by a tract and grid number.
COMMANDER COMPLETELY AUTOMATIC
24,000 GRAIN DOUBLE TANK
Installed Free! .
WATER SOFTENERS
$330.00
Offer Expires June 15
COMMANDER PUMPS
Torgerson Bros., Inc.
1213 Second Avenue
GL 6-5437
i Pelton wheels which are six feet in
diameter.
“The penstock pipe is 46 inches
in diameter, and is reduced to two
30-inch pipes, and then further re
duced to 18-inch pipes to feed the
nozzles.
. “The two nozzles hitting the
wheel turn the generator at 350
revolutions per minute.
“In a 24 hour period 73.500 kwh
are produced—making an average of
3,200 kw's per hour.
Now Producing More
“We are now producing more
power than we have since the opera
tion began two and one-half years
ago.
“The rotating part of the plant
weighs only 42 tons compared to
diesel D-8 plants, which weigh 25
tons.
“If we could get more water into
the ditch we could generate far
more power, as the plant is designed
to develop 6.900 horse-power, and
is now only running at 5,000 to pro
duce the 3.200 kws.
“The voltage generated of 4,160
kvs is stepped up to 35,000 kvs by
our transformers and placed on the
power line.
“We ai-e now supplying this en
tire output of power to GVEA.
“Our operation this year was a
bit late in getting started on May
17, but we expect to be running un
til October 10.
“Our power is used mainly lor
“peaking” purposes and the GVEA
people are able to give their gen
erators a rest and make repairs
during the summer months.
May Hit 10,000,000
“Last year we produced approxi
mately 8,200.000 kws during a five
month period, and if we keep going
as we are. we might make it over
10.000.000 kws this season.
“Only a half dozen men are
needed to maintain our operation,
one is at the plant, two.on the line
and the others on the ditch," said
Hanson.
Art Bryant, who was formerly
with the F. E. Co., is now the power
plant operator. He came to Fair
banks 15 years ago from Idaho.
“The installed capacity of the
plant is 5.600 kws—and our output
is determined Dy me now ui water
in the ditch.
“The cost of the entire operation
for generating power is approxi
mately $350,000.
“The turbines cost $100,000, the
switch gear $40,000, the transformer
$40,000 and the building and other
costs amounted to $70,000," said
Hanson.
This miniature operation on the
Chatanika River could be the be
ginning of hydroelectric power as
we shall see it in the future.
Rampart Dam on the Yukon Riv
er, which looms on the horizon, is
capable of producing over 4,500,000
kws compared to the 3,200 kws gen
erated on the Chananika River—but
it is a small step in the right direc
tion in our effort to obtain cheap
power and develop future industries.
DR. LAWRENCE S. JORDAN
Anchorage - Fairbanks
PODIATRIST - FOOT SPECIALIST;
Announces the opening of offices at
954 Cowles Street
ARCTIC BOWL BLDG., ROOM 146 - GL 2-3247
FAIRBANKS
In Fairbanks 1st and 3rd week of every month
HOME BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS
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