LEWISTON — The city would take over the downtown canal system under a plan going before City Councilors Tuesday night.

Councilors are scheduled to vote on a transfer agreement with Next Era, formerly Florida Power and Light,  at their regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m in Lewiston City Hall.

Under the plan, Lewiston would close the generator at the Upper Androscoggin Generating Station — at the end of the Upper Canal and just south of Locust Street and surrender its federal license to generate electricity.

The utility would transfer canal ownership to the city and would then guarantee to keep water flowing at 70 cubic feet per second.

Next Era is planning to install a $2 million in new rubber dams at the Lewiston sections of the Monty Hydro facility and the Deer Rips Dam and the city would create a Tax Increment Finance District on that work.

That TIF money would pay for repairing leaks at dams, weirs and gates along the canal. Canal repairs are expected to cost $750,000.

The city and Next Era began negotiating for the canals  in 2009.

The canals were dug in mid-1800s and have been a feature of the downtown ever since. The 4,400-foot-long main canal runs from just above the Great Falls, through downtown along Canal Street to Gulley Brook, where it empties back into the Androscoggin River.

The Cross Canal cuts off from the main canal at about Ash Street, running to the river. The lower canal cuts off from the Cross Canal at about Oxford Street, running parallel to the main canal before turning back to the river at about Chestnut Street.

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