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<br />A typical prefeasibility study assesses the technical <br />and economic factors listed in Table 2 on page 21. A <br />logical place to start a prefeasibility study is by <br />assessing the market for your power by determining <br />the value of your power and identifying potential <br />buyers. If you can identify a favorable market for the <br />output of your project, the next step is to estimate the <br />hydroelectric power potential of the site based on the <br />available head and average annual flow. <br /> <br />The available head, that is, the difference between <br />headwater and tail water elevation, can be directly <br />measured in various \tays. However, it may be avail- <br />able from the Inventory of Dams compiled by the <br />Army Corps of Engineers or other published source. <br />Additional data may be available if a Phase I Dam <br />Safety Inspection and Evaluation of the dam has been <br />performed by the U.S. Army corps of Engineers, or if <br />an evaluation has been made by the Colorado Division <br />of Water Resources. <br /> <br />The optimum installed capacity of the turbine- <br />generator unit(s) will vary from site to site but will <br />. <br />typically correspond to a rated unit discharge ranging <br />from the average annual flow of the stream to twice <br />the average annual flow. <br /> <br />Determining average annual flow can be more chal- <br />lenging. The factor appropriate for your area can be <br />estimated from water resource data published by the <br />U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for gaging stations <br />located in the vicinity of your site. The drainage area <br />for your dam can be obtained from the Dam Safety <br />Report, if available; from other information compiled <br />by the Corps of Engineers or the Colorado Division of <br /> <br />20 <br />