Micro hydro could be created on Cottonwood Creek by City
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily
The City of Nelson could be entering the independent power project game, using the crashing waters of Cottonwood Creek and the falls right in the city limits to generate power, says one City councilor.
Coun. Kim Charlesworth, the City’s point person on the Cottonwood Park revitalization project, told council Monday night in their committee of the whole meeting, that she will be approaching Nelson Hydro (and any other partners) about the possibility of locating a demonstration micro hydro system down on the creek.
“My initial thought was ‘I don’t think the Cottonwood Creek Restoration Society would be very happy about that,” she said. “But, to my surprise, they actually thought it was a great idea.”
The idea for a micro hydro system arose out of the process to revitalize the Cottonwood Creek Park area and the farmer’s market.
Coun. Deb Kozak thought it was fitting to have a micro hydro system in the park.
“How is exciting is that we would have a small power generating opportunity on the site of the first Nelson power plant,” she said.
