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 He performs regularly with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, Thalia Symphony Orchestra and various community ensembles with the Puget Sound Horn Society. He also played in the "Dam Band" at the 2002 and 2004 HydroVision conferences in Portland and Montreal. Dick is an excellent ensemble player at work too. In 1996, he and his wife, Nan Nalder, started the Acres office in Seattle, which has since grown to 10 full-time staff.
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He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University in 1963 and his M.S. in Structural Mechanics from California State University in 1970. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.
Dick’s specialty is in hydroelectric power generation and water resource management. He is currently focused primarily on dam safety, plant upgrade studies and applications of Vista – leading-edge water resource optimization software developed by our affiliate company Synexus Global. He regularly draws on a full range of hydropower experience working closely with hydro-plant operators, utility engineers, operations/resource planners and real-time traders.
One ongoing responsibility is his role as Project Manager of the Vista pilot study for Seattle City Light’s (SCL) hydroelectric resources. The study is part of SCL’s objective to increase operational efficiency and productivity while maintaining compliance with environmental and operational constraints. He was also an Independent Consultant for the FERC Part 12D Safety Inspection programs for Washington’s Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams, Alaska’s Blind Slough and Terror Lake Projects and Oregon’s Reeder Gulch Project.
As Project Manager for the Mossyrock powerhouse unit upgrade study for Tacoma Power, Dick was responsible for the application of AUTO Vista to evaluate the power benefits of selected upgrade scenarios. A risk-based asset management analysis was then undertaken using HydroVantage to determine optimum timing for major equipment replacement. Mossyrock powerhouse, commissioned in 1968, contains two generating units, each rated at 150 MW and operating at a rated head of 310 feet. He has managed similar studies for Chelan County PUD’s Rock Island Powerhouses 1 and 2 to consider the potential effects of FERC licensing, fish passage and dissolved gases on the rehabilitation or redevelopment of the project.
He continues to be involved in projects to upgrade the instrumentation programs and data interpretation systems for concrete dams. In the case of the 380-foot-high arch Boundary Dam for the City of Seattle, assessment of existing instrumentation data, stress analyses and geotechnical analysis led to the conclusion that observed cracking was associated with normal thermal movements within the dam itself rather than with movement of the abutment.
Various other activities include geotechnical investigations and seismic upgrading projects, remedial measures, environmental impact assessments and relicensing analyses for various clients in Washington and Alaska.
With 33 years of hydro experience, Dick Griffith can probably answer your questions on the subject. So whether you’re curious about water flow or music tempo, feel free to drop him a line.
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For further information, please contact:
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Dick Griffith, Senior Consultant
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