Circulating Water Tunnel Under Lake Ontario

This paper describes the engineering and construction features of the Circulating Water System (CWS) at the 643 MW Somerset Station located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, approximately 45.06 km (28 miles) northeast of Buffalo, New York. The paper discusses the aspects of the CWS that are unique to Somerset Station (including fish deterrent/fish return system, staged diffuser, intake velocity cap, etc.), and the provisions made in the design to satisfy the stringent licensing requirements of regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the project such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Finally, the unconventional construction techniques which were used to enable the system to be built within the framework of a tight construction schedule and environmental constraints are discussed.