Hydropower Project License Summary PIT RIVER, CA PIT 1 HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (P-2687) Pit River below Pit 1 Powerhouse

Transcription

1 Hydropower Project License Summary PIT RIVER, CA PIT 1 HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (P-2687) Pit River below Pit 1 Powerhouse Photo: Hydropower Reform Coalition This summary was produced by the Hydropower Reform Coalition

2 PIT RIVER, CALIFORNIA PIT 1 HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (P-2687) DESCRIPTION: The project is located on the Fall and Pit Rivers, near the towns of Fall River Mills and McArthur in Shasta County, California. The project was constructed in and began operation in The original license for the project was issued in 1970 and expired in The most recent license was issued in March A. SUMMARY 1. License application filed: December 20, License Issued: March 19, License expiration: February 28, Capacity: MW 5. Waterway: Pit River 6. Counties: Shasta 7. Licensee: Pacific Gas and Electric 8. Project Facilities: The project encompasses approximately 3,500 acres of land and water, almost 3,000 of which form the upper project, the area above the project s 15-foot-high, 595- foot-long diversion dam on the Fall River. The upper project consists of approximately 22 miles of the Fall River, 5 miles of the Tule and Little Tule Rivers, and Horr Pond and Big Lake on the upper reaches of the Tule River. Also included are 698 acres of land adjacent to Big Lake and Horr Pond, and about twelve miles of levees along Horr Pond, Big Lake, and the Fall, Tule, and Little Tule Rivers. The Tule and Little Tule Rivers, Horr Pond and Big Lake, the 698-acre piece of land, and associated levees comprise about 2,000 acres and are part of the 6,000-acre McArthur Swamp, an important wildlife and cattle grazing area. B. IMPORTANT PROVISIONS AND REQUIREMENTS IN LICENSE 1. Flows [Reference: License Appendix Water Quality Certificate Conditions, Page 53 of the license] Under the conditions put by the state of California for the Water Quality Certification, PG&E is required to make continuous flow releases from the Pit 1 Forebay into the Lower Fall River thence the Pit River and maintain the following instantaneous flows downstream of the Fall River Pond as measured at the Fall River Weir: November 1 to November 15 November 16 to May 15 May 16 to May 31 June 1 to October cubic feet per second (cfs) 50 cfs 75 cfs 150 cfs September 2014 Page 2 of 5

3 PG&E is required to monitor the flow releases at the Fall River Weir in accordance with United States Geological Survey (USGS) standards and submit a streamflow measuring plan to the State Water Resources Control Board for approval within 6 months of the issuance of the FERC license. The plan shall include a schedule for implementation of the streamflow measuring program. For the life of the license PG&E is required to provide the State Water Resources Control Board by December 31 of each year, a report containing the flow records from the previous water year. 2. Water Quality [Reference: License Appendix Water Quality Certificate Conditions, Page 58 of the license] Under the Water Quality Certification conditions, PG&E shall prepare a water quality monitoring plan to be submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board for written approval within 6 months of the issuance of the FERC license and shall implement the water quality monitoring plan in the first full summer monitoring season following approval of the monitoring plan. The water quality monitoring program shall be instituted for a term of no less than 5 years. Water quality need to be monitored at the following eight locations from May 16 to October 31 of each year: Fall River just downstream of Pit 1 Forebay Fall River Pond Lower Fall River just downstream of Fall River Pond Pit River at McArthur Pit River just downstream of Big Eddy Pit River just below Pit River Falls Pit River at the footbridge upstream of the Pit 1 powerhouse Pit River downstream of the Pit 1 powerhouse 3. Wildlife [Reference: Article 406, Page 33 of the license] By September 2003, PG&E is required to file with FERC, for approval, a management plan for the 698-acre Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project (WHIP) land and the remaining 2,335 acres (1,855 acres of permanent open space and 500 acres of wetlands, annual grasslands, and other vegetative types) outside of the WHIP in McArthur Swamp on land that is within the existing project boundary for the enhancement of wildlife and wildlife habitat, and the preservation of wetlands in the project area. The plan shall be prepared in consultation with Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, CA Department of Fish and Game, CA Department of Parks and Recreation, CA State September 2014 Page 3 of 5

4 Historic Preservation Officer, the California Waterfowl Association, and the Fall River Big Valley Cattlemen s Association. 4. Shasta Crayfish [Reference: Articles 412, 413, and 414, Page of the License] Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the incidental take statement filed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, within six months of license issuance, PG&E shall file for Commission approval a comprehensive Shasta crayfish management plan for project lands and waters approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Within one year of license issuance, PG&E is also required to file for Commission approval a plan to construct and maintain a minimum of two exclusion barriers to protect Shasta crayfish habitat from invasion by signal crayfish as well as a vegetation management plan that identifies comprehensive conservation measures to be implemented as part of the operation and maintenance of the project and related facilities to protect both the Shasta crayfish and the bald eagle. 5. Foothills Yellow-legged Frog [Reference: Articles 420, 421, 422 Page of the License] Within 6 months of license issuance, PG&E is required to file for Commission approval, the following plans: A foothills yellow-legged frog protection plan, which shall determine if measures are necessary to protect foothills yellow-legged frogs from potential adverse impacts associated with the flow regimes, A northwestern pond turtle protection plan, which shall determine if measures are necessary to protect northwestern pond turtles from potential adverse impacts associated with the flow regimes, and A plan to survey for the occurrence of the Townsend s big-eared bat, the pale bigeared bat, and the spotted bat in project structures which shall determine if measures are necessary to protect the surveyed bat species from potential adverse impacts associated with project operations. 6. Recreation [Reference: Article 423, Page 44 of the License] Within 6 months of license issuance, PG&E shall file for Commission approval a recreation plan that will provide recreational enhancements, facilities, or measures at the project, including maintenance of the existing public access area at the Rat Farm, an access facility on the Fall River at the licensee s Glenburn site, and access to Pit River flow information by telephone among others. C. MAP There are two convenient ways to become familiar with this project on the Hydropower Reform Coalition website, September 2014 Page 4 of 5

5 Go directly to the project page p-2687 To understand the geographical context of the project, visit the On Your River section of the site. This link ( will take you to the section for rivers in California. Then zoom in toward northeasters region of the state until you can see Shasta Lake. The Pit 1 project is located northeast of the Lake along Hwy 299. September 2014 Page 5 of 5