Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.18.19 Email from FERC - P-2107-000 PGE Poe Project Streamflow Gaging Plan - Request for Approval Enclosure 1 Poe Streamflow Gaging Plan Poe Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan November 2019 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY Poe Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan November 2019 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan Poe Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION................................................... 1 1.1 Gaging Plan Objectives .......................................................................................................1 SECTION 2.0PROJECT GAGE INFORMATION ............................................................2 SECTION 3.0DATA QUALITY AND QA/QC ....................................................................4 SECTION 4.0DATA STORAGE AND AVAILABILITY..................................................5 4.1 Data Storage and Availability .............................................................................................5 4.2 Publicly Accessible Streamflow Data .................................................................................5 4.3 Reporting.............................................................................................................................5 4.4 Plan Revisions .....................................................................................................................6 SECTION 5.0LITERATURE CITED..................................................................................7 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1.Flow Gaging Location .......................................................................................3 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1. Gage 23 Details ..................................................................................................2 ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1FERC Article 401 and Form L-1 Article 8 Requirements Attachment 2FERC Appendix A –Water Quality Certification Condition 7 Attachment 3 FERC Appendix B – Forest Service 4(e) Condition No. 23 and No. 28 November 2019 Page i Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan SECTION 1.0 Background and Introduction This Gaging Plan (Plan) addresses monitoring set forth in Condition 7 of Appendix A of the new license for Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) Poe Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No. 2107 issued December 17, 2018. Appendix A is the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Final 401 Water Quality Certification Conditions. The requirements are incorporated into License Article 401 and FERC’s Form L-1 Article 8. The contents of this Plan also address the United States Forest Service (USFS) 4(e) Conditions No. 23 and No. 28. Attachments 1, 2, and 3 contain the language from the three documents as applicable to this Plan. The Poe Project is located within the North Fork Feather River Basin, which contains extensive forested lands and is sparsely populated. The “Poe Reach” or “Poe Bypass Reach” is the section of the North Fork Feather River (NFFR) from Poe Dam downstream to Poe Powerhouse. The North Fork Feather River originates from several small creeks south of Mt. Lassen Peak in northwestern Plumas County and flows through the Upper North Fork Feather River Project No. 2105 and the Rock Creek-Cresta Project No. 1962 prior to being utilized by the Poe Project. Waters of the Poe Project include the Poe Reservoir, a 7.62-mile-long bypass reach, and the Big Bend Reservoir, which serves as the afterbay for the project. The Poe powerhouse and Big Bend Reservoir are located just upstream of Lake Oroville. Lake Oroville is the primary storage reservoir for the Feather River Project No. 2100. 1.1 Gaging Plan Objectives The purpose of this Plan is to describe how the Licensee documents compliance with streamflow in the new FERC license. The gaging data from this monitoring efforts will be made available for other Project resource efforts, such as implementation of other resource management plans and measures included in the new license. Specific objectives are: Location and equipment whereby the Licensee monitors compliance with the requirements in the license related to streamflows. Data retrieval, frequency of data downloads, quality assurance/quality control procedures, and data storage. Data availability to FERC, agencies, and the public. November 2019 Page 1 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan SECTION 2.0 Project Gage Information The Licensee is responsible for the operation and maintenance of one gage, Gage 23 (NF-23; Figure 2-1). Details describing this gage are provided in Table 2-1 below. The Licensee owns and operates Gage 23, which is used to document compliance with minimum streamflows as required by the FERC license. PG&E reviews flow and elevation data daily via a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and its Hydrologic Data Storage and Retrieval Software (HYDSTRA) for operations and to ensure compliance. PG&E verifies stage accuracy using a staff gage during site visits, and submits site visit records to USGS for annual review. PG&E and USGS are each required to make a minimum of two low-flow measurements per year to validate gage data. Table 2-1. Gage 23 Details Project ID NF-23 4 USGS No.11404500 Gage NameNorth Fork Feather River at Pulga, CA 1 Approximate Location Lat: 39.795 or 39 47’40” Long: -121.451 or 12127’ 02” Location Description 1.6 miles downstream of Poe Dam. Two tributaries, Mill Creek and Flea Valley Creek, provide inflow between Poe Dam and stream gage NF-23 Gage Type and Range Pressure transducer, full range of flows 23 Data Collection and Reporting Continuous 15-min collection License Compliance Instream flow Period of RecordStart: 10/1 annually (starting in 1911) End: 09/30 of the following year Notes: -- = Not Applicable N/A = Not Available 1. Referenced to North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27) 2. Flow data will be reported annually to the USGS as mean daily flows (i.e., 24-hour average). Manual measurements will be collected when on-site for maintenance activities and reported annually. California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR’s) California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) 3. Data will be upload to website (https://cdec.water.ca.gov/) Specific location to date is http://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryF?s=NFP 4. CDEC Site ID. NFP November 2019 Page 2 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan Figure 2-1. Flow Gaging Location November 2019 Page 3 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan SECTION 3.0 Data Quality and QA/QC PG&E and USGS provide data quality control. PG&E and USGS verify the stage-to-discharge relationship by making a streamflow measurement based on conditions. Six to ten measurements are taken per year in an effort to represent the full range of rated flows. Data logger gage height is verified with outside staff gages monthly. Each year, a mean-daily flow summary station analysis and description, shift rationale, gage height corrections, current meter measurement summary, field data sheets, datum adjustments, rating tables, and hydrographs for the entire water year are submitted to USGS. Gage benchmarks, reference gages, and water-surface elevation (WSE) are surveyed to determine if there has been any movement in the reference elevations, in accordance with USGS protocols and timelines. If changes occur information can be provided to the Forest Service as part of the annual consultation on affected National Forest resources (Condition No. 3) if requested. Gage data are processed and stored using HYDSTRA software. Rating tables are created in HYDSTRA within the software program where HYDSTRA plots stage-to-discharge relationships based on streamflow measurements made during stream gage rating checks on a log-log graph, drawing a best-fit curve, and interpolating between graphical points on the curve. Manual adjustments can be made to the software-derived rating curves by the hydrographer when needed. New ratings are rare due to the stability of the concrete weir boxes and bedrock or boulder dominated channels. November 2019 Page 4 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan SECTION 4.0 Data Storage and Availability 4.1 Data Storage and Availability Data are stored using the following methods: Data loggers: Campbell Scientific CR1000 dataloggers are now used at most sites. HYDSTRA: Long term storage for all data. This data is stored and backed up on PG&E servers. SCADA: Approximately 6 months to a year of data for all sites. 4.2 Publicly Accessible Streamflow Data Hourly flow data may be retrieved by the public from California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR’s) California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) website for North Fork Feather River at Pulga, NF-23 (CDEC Station ID NFP). Data may be accessed at: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryF?s=NFP As part of the new License, real-time streamflow data will be made available to the public for the reach below Poe Dam within four hours of collection and will be accessible to the public via the internet site referenced above including, but not limited to, the previous seven days of flow information. The Licensee will provide hourly flow data to the public from gage NF-23 (USGS 11404500). The Licensee will make these flow data available to CDEC (or at such time that CDEC is no longer viable, other similar entity that provides publicly available flow information as agreed upon by Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and Licensee). In addition, by December 15 of each year, PG&E submits to USGS mean daily flow data for the previous water year for the cross-listed gages. USGS typically reviews and certifies the data by late spring of the following year. Certified historical mean-daily flow data and instantaneous peak streamflow data for the entire period of record for each gage may be retrieved via USGS at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/. 4.3 Reporting By January 31 of each year, the Licensee will provide a draft streamflow data report to the SWRCB, Forest Service, USFWS, and CDFW for their review and comment. The report will include the following information for the preceding water year (October1 through September30): 1) for NF-23 which monitors compliance with conditions in the FERC license, flow data of appropriate time step in electronic format; and 2) a description of any deviations from the flow requirements in the license. For the purpose of reporting compliance with the instream flow requirement, daily mean data shall be included in the report for all continuously gaged locations. November 2019 Page 5 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan Continuous 15-minute or hourly flow data in DSS format (or comparable format) will be provided to the Forest Service, State Water Board, USFWS, and, CDFW upon request. The report will also state that information on any modifications to this gage to meet requirements in Section 3.0 above, should be available on the CDEC website for North Fork Feather River at Pulga, NF-23 (CDEC Station ID NFP). 4.4 Plan Revisions The Licensee, in consultation with the State Water Board will review, update, and/or revise the Plan, as needed, when significant changes in the existing conditions occur. Sixty days will be allowed for the SWRCB to provide written comments and recommendations. After consultation and agreement SWRCB, the Licensee will work with the SWRCB to file the updated Plan with FERC. The Licensee will include all relevant documentation of coordination and consultation with the updated Plan filed with FERC. If the Licensee do not adopt a particular recommendation by the SWRCB, the filing will include the reasons for not doing so. The Licensee will implement the Plan as approved by FERC. November 2019 Page 6 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan SECTION 5.0 Literature Cited Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). 2018. Order Issuing New License. Project No. 2107-016. Prepared by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Energy Projects, Division of Hydropower Licensing. Washington, DC. December 17, 2018. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). 2003. Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 2107, Application for New License (Volume 1 of 4). December 2003. State Water Recourses Control Board (SWRCB). 2017. Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project No. 2107. Water Quality Certification. December 28, 2017. November 2019 Page 7 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan ATTACHMENT 1 FERC Article 401 and Form L-1 Article 8 Requirements November 2019 Attachment 1 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan FERC ARTICLE 401 – COMMISSION APPROVAL, REPORTING, NOTIFICATION, AND FILING OF AMENDMENTS (FERC 2018) (a) Requirement to File Plans for Commission Approval The State Water Resources Control Board’s (Water Board) section 401 water quality certification (WQC) (Appendix A) and the U. S. Department of Agriculture – Forest Service’s (Forest Service) section 4(e) conditions (Appendix B) require the licensee to prepare plans in consultation with other entities for approval by the Water Board or Forest Serviceor for submittal to the Commission, and implement specific measures without prior Commission approval. The following plans must also be submitted to the Commission for approval by the deadlines specified below: Water Board WQC Forest Service 4(e) Plan NameCommission Due Date Condition No. Condition No. Within 1 year from license Streamflow gaging plan 7 - issuance *excerpt from FERC 2018 Article 401 With each plan filed with the Commission, the licensee must include documentation that it developed the plan in consultation with the above-listed agencies and provide copies of any comments received, as well as its response to each comment. The Commission reserves the right to make changes to any plan filed. Upon Commission approval, the plan becomes a requirement of the license, and the licensee must implement the plan, including any changes required by the Commission. Any changes in the above schedule or plans require approval by the Commission before implementing the proposed change. (b) Requirements to File Reports. Certain conditions of the Water Board WQC in Appendix A and the Forest Service’s section 4(e) conditions in Appendix B require the licensee to file reports with other entities. Because these reports relate to compliance with the requirements of this license, each such report must also be submitted to the Commission. These reports are listed in the following table: November 2019 Attachment 1 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan Water Board WQC Forest Service 4(e) Plan NameCommission Due Date Condition No. Condition No. 723Annual hydrology summary Annually, no later than reports December 31, for the previous year *excerpt from FERC 2018 Article 401 With each report filed with the Commission, the licensee must include documentation of consultation with the agencies specified in the conditions noted above and provide copies of any comments received, as well as its response to each comment. The Commission reserves the right to requirechanges to project operation or facilities based on the information contained in the report and any other available information. FERC POE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT LICENSE ORDER, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, FORM L-1 Article 8. The Licensee shall install and thereafter maintain gages and stream-gaging stations for the purpose of determining the stage and flow of the stream or streams on which the project is located, the amount of water held in and withdrawn from storage, and the effective head on the turbines; shall provide for the required reading of such gages and for the adequate rating of such stations; and shall install and maintain standard meters adequate for the determination of the amount of electric energy generated by the project works. The number, character, and location of gages, meters, or other measuring devices, and the method of operation thereof, shall at all times be satisfactory to the Commission or its authorized representative. The Commission reserves the right, after notice and opportunity for hearing, to require such alterations in the number, character, and location of gages, meters, or other measuring devices, and the method of operation thereof, as are necessary to secure adequate determinations. The installation of gages, the rating of said stream or streams, and the determination of the flow thereof, shall be under the supervision of, or in cooperation with, the District Engineer of the United States Geological Survey having charge of stream-gaging operations in the region of the project, and the Licensee shall advance to the United States Geological Survey the amount of funds estimated to be necessary for such supervision, or cooperation for such periods as may mutually agreed upon. The Licensee shall keep accurate and sufficient records of the foregoing determinations to the satisfaction of the Commission, and shall make return of such records annually at such time and in such form as the Commission may prescribe. November 2019 Attachment 1 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan ATTACHMENT 2 FERC Appendix A – Water Quality Certification Condition 7 November 2019 Attachment 2 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan APPENDIX A, WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION (DECEMBER 2017) CONDITION 7. GAGING MAINTENANCE The Licensee shall operate and maintain Gage 23 (USGS gage no. 11404500) for the duration of the license and any extensions. Within one year of license issuance, the Licensee shall submit a Gaging Plan to the Deputy Director for review and approval. The Deputy Director may make modifications as part of any approval. The Licensee shall file the Deputy Director's approval, and any required modifications, with FERC. The Gaging Plan shall outline how and where the Licensee will provide real-time release and stage change data (Condition 5) as well as a list of best management practices (BMPs) the Licensee will implement for gage installation and maintenance. Real-time flow information shall be available within four hours of collection and shall be accessible to the public via the internet including, but not limited to, the previous seven days of flow information. All provisional streamflow values shall be labeled as: "These provisional data have not been reviewed or edited and may be subject to significant change" or other similar language approved by the Deputy Director. All data recorded by the above-mentioned equipment shall comply with USGS standards and record flows at no less frequently than 15 minute intervals. The Licensee shall document all instream flows in readily accessible formats. Stream flow data collected by the Licensee shall be reviewed by hydrographers as part of a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocol. Upon completion of the QA/QC process and no later than December 31, the raw and reviewed data for the previous water year (October 1 —September 30) shall be catalogued and made available to USGS in an annual hydrology summary report(s). The Licensee shall provide notice to State Water Board staff when the data are submitted to USGS and provide the location on the internet where the annual hydrology summary report(s) can be found. November 2019 Attachment 2 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan ATTACHMENT 3 FERC Appendix B – Forest Service 4(e) Condition No. 23 and No. 28 November 2019 Attachment 3 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 Streamflow Gaging Plan USFS SECTION 4E RESOURCE CONDITIONS CONDITION NO. 23: STREAMFLOW Part 4. Streamflow Measurement. For the purpose of determining the river stage and Minimum Streamflow below Poe Dam, Licensee shall operate and maintain the existing gage at NF-23 (United States Geological Survey (USGS) gage 11404500) consistent with all requirements of the Commission and under the supervision of the USGS. Any modification of the gage facilities at NF-23 that may be necessary to measure the new Minimum Streamflow releases shall be completed within three years after issuance of the New Project License. The Licensee shall measure and document all instream flow releases in publicly available and readily accessible formats. Flow data collected by Licensee from the stream gages will be reviewed by the Licensee’s hydrographers as part of its QA/QC protocol. Upon completion of the QA/QC process, the data will be catalogued and made available to USGS in annual hydrology summary reports. Licensee understands that the USGS will then complete their QA/QC review of the data and subsequently publish the data and post it within their electronic database that can be accessed via the Internet. The flow values (generally 15-minute recordings) used to construct the 24-hour average flows will be available to the resource agencies from the Licensee upon request. CONDITION NO. 28: RIVER FLOW INFORMATION Within one year of new Project License issuance, Licensee shall make information on streamflow at North Fork Feather River NF-23 available to the public via toll-free phone and/or Internet. Within 4 hours of collection of streamflow at North Fork Feather River NF-23 post the flow on the Internet site for the current and prior 6 days for the entire year. All streamflow values shall be rounded to the nearest 100 cfs and plots or tables showing these data will be labeled “These provisional data have not been reviewed or edited and may be subject to significant change.” The Licensee may, at their discretion but limited by their good faith intent to routinely and continuously provide this flow information, block the posting of this information when the information is determined by the Licensee to have significant market value that could adversely affect Licensee bidding activities and power or ancillary service prices. November 2019 Attachment 3 Poe Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2107 ©2019, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Enclosure 2 Agency Consultation From:Downey, Savannah@Waterboards To:Bauman, Steve; Lind, Amy -FS; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife Cc:Joseph, Matthew; Visinoni, Jamie; "Sandy Slayton"; Leigh Bartoo; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS; Richards, Kevin Subject:RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Date:Thursday, November 21, 2019 7:43:08 AM Attachments:image001.png image002.png image003.png image004.png *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** Works for me as well. Savannah Downey Environmental Scientist Water Quality Certification Program State Water Resources Control Board (916) 322-1585 From: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 3:00 PM To: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov>; Richards, Kevin <K1Ra@pge.com> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Your proposed changes are acceptable to PG&E. Steve From: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov> Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 2:57 PM To: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov>; Richards, Kevin <K1Ra@pge.com> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** Folks – I am okay with the first change proposed in the trailing email, for Section 4.3. For Section 3.0, how about this…. In accordance with USGS protocol, Gage benchmarks, reference gauges, and water-surface elevation (WSE) are surveyed to determine if there has been any movement in the reference elevations, in accordance with USGS protocols and timelines. I understand that CDFW is okay with this change. Thanks much, Amy Amy Lind Hydroelectric Coordinator Forest Service Tahoe and Plumas National Forests p: 530-478-6298 amy.lind@usda.gov 631 Coyote St. Nevada City, CA 95959 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people Please note my new email, and update your address books. From: Bauman, Steve \[mailto:SJB2@pge.com\] Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2019 2:04 PM To: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov>; Richards, Kevin <K1Ra@pge.com> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Importance: High Hi Amy – no worries about causing confusion…we need these conversations to get us all on the same page! With that in mind, we’ve attached a revised version with two final comments (hopefully) that are also summarized below: 4.3 Reporting: Replace the following sentence: If the report does not include 15-minute data, the report will state that 15-minute data will be provided upon request. With the following sentence that comes from Bucks: For the purpose of reporting compliance with the instream flow requirement, daily mean data shall be included in the report for all continuously gaged locations. Continuous 15-minute or hourly flow data in DSS format (or comparable format) will be provided to the Forest Service, State Water Board, USFWS, and, CDFW upon request.” Rationale – the newly proposed language provides more specificity in the data to be provided in the annual report, plus it allows for 15-minute or hourly average data upon request. Our concern is that we don’t want our “future selves” to default to annual 15-minute data requests. Also, at some point in the near future, it may be worthwhile to modify minimum instream flow requirements in the Poe License from “instantaneous” to hourly average like was done with RCC and Bucks - “In Wet, Normal, and Dry Years, the average hourly stream flow measured at NF57 (and NF56) shall be at least 90% of the minimum base flows set forth in Table A.3” 3.0 DATA QUALITY AND QA/QC We propose the following changes in this sentence to clarify and respond to your comment: Every 5 years In accordance with USGS protocols, gage benchmarks, staff gages reference gauges, point-of- zero flow, and water-surface elevation (WSE) are surveyed to determine if there has been any movement in the reference elevations. To support these changes, our hydrographer provided the additional comments: Though worthwhile, we often can’t ever survey pzf’s bc they are the deepest and swiftest part of the stream immediately downstream of the gage station (they also often move, which is covered by on-going field measurements and rating shifts). I’d also change “staff gage” to “reference gauges”, bc the reference gauges may be a staff, wire-weight or other device. Thanks! Steve From: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov> Sent: Monday, November 18, 2019 4:16 PM To: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov >; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov>; Richards, Kevin <K1Ra@pge.com> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** Steve – Sorry for any confusion on the call this morning. Hopefully I have addressed PG&E’s concerns, but also continued to daylight elements of the annual report that will be helpful to include for “our future selves”… The attached revised Reporting language has been run by the other agencies (CDFW, USFWS, SWRCB), and it received a ‘thumbs up’. I also noted a couple of other potential edits (margin comments), for your consideration. Amy Amy Lind Hydroelectric Coordinator Forest Service Tahoe and Plumas National Forests p: 530-478-6298 amy.lind@usda.gov 631 Coyote St. Nevada City, CA 95959 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people Please note my new email, and update your address books. From: Bauman, Steve \[mailto:SJB2@pge.com\] Sent: Friday, November 15, 2019 4:14 PM To: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Thanks Amy! I’m fine with your suggested edits, and I moved the meeting to 11:00 for a quick check-in. Have a great weekend! Mine starts now! Steve From: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov > Sent: Friday, November 15, 2019 3:56 PM To: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** Hi All – I am okay with the changes to the reporting dates that make this Plan more consistent with Bucks Creek. For the other edits, how about the attached revision, to resolve those. I am also not available at 10-11am on Monday (11/18), but am available at almost any other time that day. Amy Amy Lind Hydroelectric Coordinator Forest Service Tahoe and Plumas National Forests p: 530-478-6298 amy.lind@usda.gov 631 Coyote St. Nevada City, CA 95959 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people Please note my new email, and update your address books. From: Bauman, Steve \[mailto:SJB2@pge.com\] Sent: Friday, November 15, 2019 2:45 PM To: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Hi Amy and others – I had a brief conversation with Kevin yesterday and would like to propose some slight changes on the attached revision. In Section 3.0, I believe the new text addresses your concerns and simply makes the QA/QC data/results from the USGS available upon request. Section 4.3 Reporting, we were incorrect in referencing a December 31 date (which I know comes from Condition 7, but it is not technically feasible for USGS to complete that review by December 31). Therefore, I suggest revising the date based on the Bucks Gaging Plan, which also uses January 31 as the date that a draft report will be provided. The December 31 date is not possible to meet because USGS receives the data by December 15. Requiring PG&E to provide data by December 31 would preclude USGS from completing their QA/QC work. Furthermore, when PG&E provides the data on January 31, it is considered “draft” because it is subject to change if USGS has not completed their QA/QC review by then. In an effort to complete this review quickly so that we file meet our deadline to go final, I will create a calendar invite for a call on Monday morning at 10:00. If that time doesn’t work please suggest another time that works, or simply respond to this email. I would also like to make it clear that I have not fully vetted this response within PG&E. However, if this language is acceptable, I should be able to obtain PG&E concurrence quickly on Monday. Thanks! Have a great weekend! Steve From: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov > Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2019 5:04 PM To: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** Steve – The Forest Service supports the edits proposed by the SWRCB (trailing email). For consistency with 4e conditions, we also propose additional edits to Sections 3.0 and 4.2 (see attached redline), which we suggest the other agencies review. Assuming these edits are made, the Forest Service has no additional comments. Thank you, Amy Amy Lind Hydroelectric Coordinator Forest Service Tahoe and Plumas National Forests p: 530-478-6298 amy.lind@usda.gov 631 Coyote St. Nevada City, CA 95959 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people Please note my new email, and update your address books. From: Bauman, Steve \[mailto:SJB2@pge.com\] Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 1:53 PM To: Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Thanks Savannah! We will edit Section 4.2 as you requested and submit the final plan for approval. Steve From: Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov> Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 11:37 AM To: Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** We have just one comment – section 4.2 should say that real-time flow information will be available within four hours of collection and accessible to the public for at least the following seven days (see the second paragraph of our Condition 7). Otherwise, I believe it’s good to go. Savannah Downey Environmental Scientist Water Quality Certification Program State Water Resources Control Board (916) 322-1585 From: Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov> Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 10:30 AM To: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review CDFW is ok with this plan. Thank you! Sarah C. Lose Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) CA. Dept of Fish and Wildlife/North Central Region Water Program-FERC Coordinator 1701 Nimbus Rd. Rancho Cordova, CA. 95670 (916) 747-5226: cell From: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 6, 2019 4:31 PM To: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: Poe - Revised - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Importance: High Hi Everyone – we’ve addressed the comments we received on the draft Gaging Plan dated 2019-09-18. Attached is a redline and a clean version of the near-final Poe Streamflow Gaging Plan. The redline version is for you to see how each comment was addressed; and the clean version is for making new comments or clarifying questions that you may have. I’ll assume that Agency comments will be coordinated through Savannah and Amy, but feel free to communicate directly with me if you have questions. When I know that you’re satisfied with this final draft, we will incorporate any remaining comments and prepare a final document to send to the SWRCB for formal approval. Thanks again! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Also attached for your review is a separate file of the Figure 2-1 which will be embedded in the final Plan. Steve From: Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2019 3:30 PM To: Bauman, Steve <SJB2@pge.com>; Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com>; Sarah Lose <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Leigh Bartoo <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Beth Lawson <beth.lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Angulo, Oswaldo -FS <oswaldo.angulo@usda.gov> Subject: RE: Poe - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review *****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links or opening attachments.***** Steve – Attached are FS comments on Poe Gaging Plan. We provided these comments to the State Water Board and other agencies and they did not have any comments to add. Please let me know if you have questions, Amy Amy Lind Hydroelectric Coordinator Forest Service Tahoe and Plumas National Forests p: 530-478-6298 amy.lind@usda.gov 631 Coyote St. Nevada City, CA 95959 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people Please note my new email, and update your address books. From: Bauman, Steve \[mailto:SJB2@pge.com\] Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2019 7:18 AM To: Downey, Savannah@Waterboards <Savannah.Downey@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov> Cc: Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>; 'Sandy Slayton' <sandy.slayton@erm.com> Subject: Poe - Draft Streamflow Gaging Plan for Review Savanah and Amy - Attached for your review is the draft Streamflow Gaging Plan (Plan) for the Poe Hydroelectric Project (FERC 2107). The Plan is required under Condition 7 of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Final 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) Conditions and requires SWRCB approval. Since the contents of this Plan also address the United States Forest Service (Forest Service) 4(e) Conditions No. 23 and No. 28, I wanted to make sure that the Forest Service had the opportunity to review the plan to make sure it addresses their requirements. The requirements are also incorporated into License Article 401. Since I’ll be on vacation from 9/26 through 10/14, please coordinate with Jamie if you have any questions or comments. I believe this Plan lends itself to simply providing electronic “redline” comments. However, if a meeting is warranted, please coordinate with Jamie and feel free to set it up with her either before or after I return from vacation. After your review and we address any comments, we hope to the revised Plan to the SWRCB so that they can include it in their “bundled” approval letter. We are trying to get as many plans that require SWRCB or Forest Service approval into both agencies by mid-to-late October so that they may “bundle” their agency approval letter into a single letter. Thanks! Steve Steve Bauman, P.E. Sr. Licensing Project Manager PG&E Hydro Licensing D 415 973 7410 | C 415 264 6599 This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. Enclosure 3 PG&E letter dated November 22, 2019 requesting approval of the Plan