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To protect roosting migratory birds along the Platte River this season, Southern Public Power has installed 140 devices supplied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on its transmission lines crossing the Platte south of Shelton.
The devices, called "fireflies," have reflective material on them and spin, creating small flashes of light to alert migratory birds of the location of the line.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife felt the district was refusing or "balking" on the installation of the fireflies, said Gary Hedman, president and chief executive officer of Southern Power District. But Hedman said Southern felt it was a significant request that needed to be examined first.
Hedman said the fireflies have been installed in other states with mixed results.
Southern was supplied with two types, including one with a swivel that allows the reflective material to spin. Hedman said one company Southern contacted about putting them up with a helicopter said they had to replace 8,000 of the devices in California within six months.
Hedman said Southern officials were concerned about ongoing expense and maintenance. Also, the current river conditions did not allow use of normal equipment, and a check of available track-mounted aerial devices found none available for two months.
Hedman said the water depth limited the type of track unit that could be used as well. The cost of having available contractors do this ranged from $12,000 to $18,000.
And that additional cost comes at a time when Southern continues to recover from the massive financial hit it took from last year's ice storm.
But Hedman said Southern line personnel came up with an innovative in-house solution. While it took a lot of labor, they were able to install the fireflies within two days after delivery, which was in February and in time for the bird migration season. Some 14 district employees were involved with the project.
LeAnne Doose, Southern Power District communications director, said that, to the district's knowledge, bird fatalities from their transmission lines have not been a big problem in the past, but the extra protection will help.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 170 million birds die each year in the United States as a result of colliding with transmission lines.
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