HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.16.20 Board Correspondence - FW_ Request for Delay of Action_Extension of Time submitted in FERC P-619-000 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.
From:Schuman, Amy
To:Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Lambert, Steve;Lucero, Debra;McCracken, Shari;Paulsen, Shaina;Pickett, Andy;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;Rodas,
Amalia;
Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Request for Delay of Action/Extension of Time submitted in FERC P-619-000 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.
Date:Friday, October 16, 2020 11:32:00 AM
Good morning,
Please see the email from FERC.
Amy Schuman
Associate Clerk of the Board
Butte County Administration
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965
O: 530.552.3300 |D: 530.552.3308 | F: 530.538.7120
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From: 'FERC eSubscription' <eSubscription@ferc.gov>
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2020 11:25 AM
Subject: Request for Delay of Action/Extension of Time submitted in FERC P-619-000 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.
.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening attachments, clicking on links, or replying..
On 10/16/2020, the following Filing was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C.:
Filer: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
No Organization Found (as Agent)
Docket(s): P-619-000
Lead Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Filing Type: Request for Delay of Action/Extension of Time
Description: Pacific Gas and Electric Company submittal Re: Request for Flow Variance Extension for the Bucks Creek-Grizzly Hydro Project under P-619
To view the document for this Filing, click here https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_num=20201016-
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From:Lose, Sarah@Wildlife
To:Visinoni, Jamie; Bartoo, Aondrea; Lind, Amy -FS; Edlund, Leslie - FS; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife; Heard, Colleen -FS
Cc:Wise Jr., Larry; Joseph, Matthew; Jukkola, Jeff; Viscarra, Jesus
Subject:RE: Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619 - Flow and Lake Elevation Variance Extension
Date:Tuesday, October 13, 2020 1:01:34 PM
*****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links
or opening attachments.*****
CDFW approves this variance request.
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: Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2020 12:42 PM
To: Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Bartoo, Aondrea
<aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS
<leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Heard, Colleen -
FS <colleen.heard@usda.gov>
Cc: Wise Jr., Larry <LMWO@pge.com>; Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Jukkola, Jeff
<JAJV@pge.com>; Viscarra, Jesus <JRV8@pge.com>
Subject: Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619 - Flow and Lake Elevation Variance Extension
Importance: High
Warning: This email originated from outside of CDFW and should be treated with extra caution.
Hello Bucks Creek Stakeholders,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has performed extensive repairs and
maintenance at Lower Bucks Lake Dam this summer, part of PG&E’s Bucks Creek
Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No.
619. Due to delays caused by fires in the Bucks Lake area, PG&E is requesting U.S.
Forest Service (Forest Service), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW),
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) review and approval to extend the
FERC Order Granting Temporary Variance of Minimum Instream Flow and Reservoir
Elevation Pursuant to Article 13 issued on May 7, 2020.
Impacts to Construction and Schedule
On August 17, 2020 a series of lightning events impacted California. A
collection of individual fires, now known as the North Complex, began near the
work area. To date, the fire has claimed 15 lives, burned 318,930 acres, and
is currently 90% contained. Following the August 17 lightning events, 24-hour
pumping was reduced to 12-hour shifts, impacting the project schedule. On
September 8, 2020, the fire threat increased in the project area and mandatory
evacuations were ordered. No work was completed for 21 days, from
September 8 until September 29. The evacuation orders were lifted, and all
work crews were able to return to the work on site as of October 12, 2020.
As a result of these impacts to schedule and pumping efforts, additional time is
needed to complete the project. PG&E requests to extend the Bucks Creek
Minimum Instream Flow Variance, the Grizzly Creek Minimum Instream Flow
Variance, the Flow Averaging Period Variance, and Lower Bucks Lake
Minimum Pool Variance end date from November 1, 2020 to December 31,
2020.
License Requirement
License Article 13 requires, in part, that PG&E maintain a minimum instream
flow in Bucks Creek below the Lower Bucks Dam. Minimum Instream Flows
(MIF) are as follows:
(1) Minimum streamflows from Lower Bucks Lake to Bucks Creek:
Period Flow, in cubic
feet per second
(cfs)
November 1 through April 30 4 cfs
May 1 through June 308 cfs
July 1 through October 31 6 cfs
(2) Minimum streamflows from Grizzly Forebay to Grizzly Creek:
Period Flow, in cubic
feet per second
(cfs)
November 1 through April 30 4 cfs
May 1 through June 30* 8 cfs
July 1 through October 316 cfs
License Article 13 also requires PG&E to maintain a minimum water elevation
for all lakes. The minimum elevation for Lower Bucks Lake is 4,966 feet.
Schedule for Temporary Flow and Reservoir Elevation Variances
Bucks Creek Variance
PG&E is seeking a variance extension to use 24-hour average of the flow
(mean daily flow) for minimum stream flow measurement and reporting until
December 31, 2020. PG&E will average all the instantaneous readings from
midnight of one day to 11:59 pm of the next day. Flow monitoring will continue
to be achieved by the temporary flow meter installed on the bypass piping
system.
Grizzly Creek Variance
PG&E is seeking a variance extension until December 31, 2020 to allow flow
releases below Grizzly Dam to match the natural inflow into the reservoir,
which may drop below the license required 4 cfs for the Nov 1 – April 30 period
depending on water year type. This variance aims to preserve storage so that
Grizzly Forebay remains above the minimum water elevation of 4,303 feet.
PG&E requests the 24-hour average of the flow (mean daily flow) be used for
MIF measurement and reporting until December 31, 2020. PG&E will average
all the instantaneous readings from midnight of one day to 11:59 pm of the
next day. Flows will be monitored and recorded at NF22. Adjustments to
outflow will be made as needed to maintain the reservoir elevation, therefore
generally matching inflow to outflow.
Lower Bucks Lake Water Elevation Variance
PG&E is also seeking permission to keep Lower Bucks Reservoir below its
license required minimum pool elevation of 4,966 ft through December 31,
2020. The current project forecast anticipates the reservoir refill reaching
4,966 feet by December 1, 2020, but it is still too early to confirm based on the
status of the fires. Therefore, PG&E requests a variance extension to the
minimum elevation for Lower Bucks Lake to December 31, 2020.
Biological Resource Evaluation
Flow Averaging Period Variance
PG&E is proposing to continue 24-hour averaging of MIF through December
31, 2020. This change could result in short-term fluctuations below the 4 cfs
MIF, but these short-term fluctuations are not likely to adversely affect aquatic
life below in Bucks Creek and Grizzly Creek.
Lower Bucks Lake and the portion of Bucks Creek immediately downstream of
Lower Bucks Dam are located within designated critical habitat for Sierra
Nevada yellow-legged frog (SNYLF), listed as endangered under the
Endangered Species Act.
In 2019, FERC and PG&E consulted with the USFWS for this Project, and on
April 10, 2020 received a letter of concurrence. In its letter, the USFWS
provided concurrence with FERC’s determination that the Project “may affect
but is not likely to adversely affect” the frog or its critical habitat with the
implementation of various conservation measures. These conservation
measures included, but are not limited to, preconstruction surveys (including
collection of eDNA) in the Project area and localized surveys of various areas
prior to ground disturbing activities.
The Project surveys did not find any SNYLF within the Project Area. The
nearest known occurrence of SNYLF was in Bear Ravine, about 0.3 miles
north of Lower Bucks Lake Dam and was found during relicensing of the Bucks
Creek Hydroelectric Project. The flow and water level variances associated
with this project would not adversely affect habitat values in Bear Ravine.
The extension of the flow variance would not affect the minimum instream
flows relative to the current Bucks Creek Project license, only the averaging
period for compliance. This is unlikely to affect SNYLF or their habitat.
It is necessary to continue matching outflows and inflows at Grizzly Forebay
because there is not sufficient water in Grizzly Forebay to supplement inflows
and keep the water surface elevation above the minimum pool requirement of
4,303 ft through the end of November in the event of a dry fall. PG&E will not
be able to move water from Lower Bucks to Grizzly forebay for some time.
Inflows are currently about 4.5 cfs but could drop if rains begin late.
Maintaining the outflows that match inflows would not result in adverse impacts
to aquatic resources relative to the unimpaired condition and would maintain
conditions close to the license required instream flows.
Lower Bucks Lake Minimum Pool Variance
Given the delays caused by factors related to the fires, it is unlikely the
reservoir will be completely dewatered as originally planned. Thus, the
impacts to fish in the reservoir will likely be less than anticipated, and some
fish are likely to survive. Impacts to the fishery in Lower Bucks Lake are being
mitigated through a Fish Restocking Plan being implemented by PG&E in
cooperation with CDFW, which began with additional stocking of trout in Bucks
Lake in 2020, and will continue with stocking of trout into Lower Bucks Lake in
2021 and 2022.
SNYLF habitat in Lower Bucks Reservoir has historically been of low value
because the lake is occupied by fish that would likely prey on SNYLF. Lower
Bucks Lake has been drawn down to well below its normal operating level
since April 2020, creating a wide area with no cover between the reservoir and
the surrounding vegetation and riparian areas. It is unlikely SNYLF would
cross this area to get to the reservoir. As no SNYLF have been observed in
surveys, this is unlikely to impact this species.
PG&E staff are available to discuss this variance extension request in more detail, if
needed. If you have any questions, please call:
General Questions – Jamie Visinoni, 530-215-6676
Project/Engineering – Jeff Jukkola, 530-624-8640
Biological Review – Larry Wise, 925-785-8831
PG&E is requesting your response as soon as possible so we may include it in our
extension request filing to FERC, we plan to file our request on 10/19/2020.
Thank you,
Jamie Visinoni
Hydro License Coordinator | Power Generation
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
d: (530) 894-4779 | m: (530) 215-6676 | e: jnvs@pge.com
From:Carlton, Christopher - FS
To:Visinoni, Jamie; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife; Bartoo, Aondrea; Lind, Amy -FS; Edlund, Leslie - FS; Lawson,
Beth@Wildlife; Heard, Colleen -FS
Cc:Wise Jr., Larry; Joseph, Matthew; Jukkola, Jeff; Viscarra, Jesus
Subject:RE: Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619 - Flow and Lake Elevation Variance Extension
Date:Thursday, October 15, 2020 1:40:22 PM
Attachments:image001.png
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*****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links
or opening attachments.*****
All,
Plumas NF concurs with the extension request.
Thanks,
Chris
Chris Carlton
Forest Supervisor
Forest Service
Plumas National Forest
p: 530-283-7810
c: 530-927-7713
christopher.carlton@usda.gov
159 Lawrence Street
Quincy, CA 95971
www.fs.fed.us
Caring for the land and serving people
From: Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2020 12:42 PM
To: Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <Sarah.Lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Bartoo, Aondrea
<aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS
<leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Heard, Colleen -
FS <colleen.heard@usda.gov>
Cc: Wise Jr., Larry <LMWO@pge.com>; Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Jukkola, Jeff
<JAJV@pge.com>; Viscarra, Jesus <JRV8@pge.com>
Subject: Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619 - Flow and Lake Elevation Variance Extension
Importance: High
Hello Bucks Creek Stakeholders,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has performed extensive repairs and
maintenance at Lower Bucks Lake Dam this summer, part of PG&E’s Bucks Creek
Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No.
619. Due to delays caused by fires in the Bucks Lake area, PG&E is requesting U.S.
Forest Service (Forest Service), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW),
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) review and approval to extend the
FERC Order Granting Temporary Variance of Minimum Instream Flow and Reservoir
Elevation Pursuant to Article 13 issued on May 7, 2020.
Impacts to Construction and Schedule
On August 17, 2020 a series of lightning events impacted California. A
collection of individual fires, now known as the North Complex, began near the
work area. To date, the fire has claimed 15 lives, burned 318,930 acres, and
is currently 90% contained. Following the August 17 lightning events, 24-hour
pumping was reduced to 12-hour shifts, impacting the project schedule. On
September 8, 2020, the fire threat increased in the project area and mandatory
evacuations were ordered. No work was completed for 21 days, from
September 8 until September 29. The evacuation orders were lifted, and all
work crews were able to return to the work on site as of October 12, 2020.
As a result of these impacts to schedule and pumping efforts, additional time is
needed to complete the project. PG&E requests to extend the Bucks Creek
Minimum Instream Flow Variance, the Grizzly Creek Minimum Instream Flow
Variance, the Flow Averaging Period Variance, and Lower Bucks Lake
Minimum Pool Variance end date from November 1, 2020 to December 31,
2020.
License Requirement
License Article 13 requires, in part, that PG&E maintain a minimum instream
flow in Bucks Creek below the Lower Bucks Dam. Minimum Instream Flows
(MIF) are as follows:
(1) Minimum streamflows from Lower Bucks Lake to Bucks Creek:
Period Flow, in cubic
feet per second
(cfs)
November 1 through April 30 4 cfs
May 1 through June 308 cfs
July 1 through October 31 6 cfs
(2) Minimum streamflows from Grizzly Forebay to Grizzly Creek:
Period Flow, in cubic
feet per second
(cfs)
November 1 through April 30 4 cfs
May 1 through June 30* 8 cfs
July 1 through October 316 cfs
License Article 13 also requires PG&E to maintain a minimum water elevation
for all lakes. The minimum elevation for Lower Bucks Lake is 4,966 feet.
Schedule for Temporary Flow and Reservoir Elevation Variances
Bucks Creek Variance
PG&E is seeking a variance extension to use 24-hour average of the flow
(mean daily flow) for minimum stream flow measurement and reporting until
December 31, 2020. PG&E will average all the instantaneous readings from
midnight of one day to 11:59 pm of the next day. Flow monitoring will continue
to be achieved by the temporary flow meter installed on the bypass piping
system.
Grizzly Creek Variance
PG&E is seeking a variance extension until December 31, 2020 to allow flow
releases below Grizzly Dam to match the natural inflow into the reservoir,
which may drop below the license required 4 cfs for the Nov 1 – April 30 period
depending on water year type. This variance aims to preserve storage so that
Grizzly Forebay remains above the minimum water elevation of 4,303 feet.
PG&E requests the 24-hour average of the flow (mean daily flow) be used for
MIF measurement and reporting until December 31, 2020. PG&E will average
all the instantaneous readings from midnight of one day to 11:59 pm of the
next day. Flows will be monitored and recorded at NF22. Adjustments to
outflow will be made as needed to maintain the reservoir elevation, therefore
generally matching inflow to outflow.
Lower Bucks Lake Water Elevation Variance
PG&E is also seeking permission to keep Lower Bucks Reservoir below its
license required minimum pool elevation of 4,966 ft through December 31,
2020. The current project forecast anticipates the reservoir refill reaching
4,966 feet by December 1, 2020, but it is still too early to confirm based on the
status of the fires. Therefore, PG&E requests a variance extension to the
minimum elevation for Lower Bucks Lake to December 31, 2020.
Biological Resource Evaluation
Flow Averaging Period Variance
PG&E is proposing to continue 24-hour averaging of MIF through December
31, 2020. This change could result in short-term fluctuations below the 4 cfs
MIF, but these short-term fluctuations are not likely to adversely affect aquatic
life below in Bucks Creek and Grizzly Creek.
Lower Bucks Lake and the portion of Bucks Creek immediately downstream of
Lower Bucks Dam are located within designated critical habitat for Sierra
Nevada yellow-legged frog (SNYLF), listed as endangered under the
Endangered Species Act.
In 2019, FERC and PG&E consulted with the USFWS for this Project, and on
April 10, 2020 received a letter of concurrence. In its letter, the USFWS
provided concurrence with FERC’s determination that the Project “may affect
but is not likely to adversely affect” the frog or its critical habitat with the
implementation of various conservation measures. These conservation
measures included, but are not limited to, preconstruction surveys (including
collection of eDNA) in the Project area and localized surveys of various areas
prior to ground disturbing activities.
The Project surveys did not find any SNYLF within the Project Area. The
nearest known occurrence of SNYLF was in Bear Ravine, about 0.3 miles
north of Lower Bucks Lake Dam and was found during relicensing of the Bucks
Creek Hydroelectric Project. The flow and water level variances associated
with this project would not adversely affect habitat values in Bear Ravine.
The extension of the flow variance would not affect the minimum instream
flows relative to the current Bucks Creek Project license, only the averaging
period for compliance. This is unlikely to affect SNYLF or their habitat.
It is necessary to continue matching outflows and inflows at Grizzly Forebay
because there is not sufficient water in Grizzly Forebay to supplement inflows
and keep the water surface elevation above the minimum pool requirement of
4,303 ft through the end of November in the event of a dry fall. PG&E will not
be able to move water from Lower Bucks to Grizzly forebay for some time.
Inflows are currently about 4.5 cfs but could drop if rains begin late.
Maintaining the outflows that match inflows would not result in adverse impacts
to aquatic resources relative to the unimpaired condition and would maintain
conditions close to the license required instream flows.
Lower Bucks Lake Minimum Pool Variance
Given the delays caused by factors related to the fires, it is unlikely the
reservoir will be completely dewatered as originally planned. Thus, the
impacts to fish in the reservoir will likely be less than anticipated, and some
fish are likely to survive. Impacts to the fishery in Lower Bucks Lake are being
mitigated through a Fish Restocking Plan being implemented by PG&E in
cooperation with CDFW, which began with additional stocking of trout in Bucks
Lake in 2020, and will continue with stocking of trout into Lower Bucks Lake in
2021 and 2022.
SNYLF habitat in Lower Bucks Reservoir has historically been of low value
because the lake is occupied by fish that would likely prey on SNYLF. Lower
Bucks Lake has been drawn down to well below its normal operating level
since April 2020, creating a wide area with no cover between the reservoir and
the surrounding vegetation and riparian areas. It is unlikely SNYLF would
cross this area to get to the reservoir. As no SNYLF have been observed in
surveys, this is unlikely to impact this species.
PG&E staff are available to discuss this variance extension request in more detail, if
needed. If you have any questions, please call:
General Questions – Jamie Visinoni, 530-215-6676
Project/Engineering – Jeff Jukkola, 530-624-8640
Biological Review – Larry Wise, 925-785-8831
PG&E is requesting your response as soon as possible so we may include it in our
extension request filing to FERC, we plan to file our request on 10/19/2020.
Thank you,
Jamie Visinoni
Hydro License Coordinator | Power Generation
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
d: (530) 894-4779 | m: (530) 215-6676 | e: jnvs@pge.com
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.
From:Bartoo, Aondrea
To:Visinoni, Jamie; Lose, Sarah@Wildlife; Lind, Amy -FS; Edlund, Leslie - FS; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife; Heard, Colleen
-FS
Cc:Wise Jr., Larry; Joseph, Matthew; Jukkola, Jeff; Viscarra, Jesus
Subject:Re: \[EXTERNAL\] Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619 - Flow and Lake Elevation Variance Extension
Date:Thursday, October 15, 2020 9:43:10 AM
*****CAUTION: This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Think before clicking links
or opening attachments.*****
The USFWS approves the variance request below. I have no questions or concerns at this time.
A. Leigh Bartoo
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 8-300
Sacramento, California 95814
916-930-5621
From: Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com>
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2020 12:42 PM
To: Lose, Sarah@Wildlife <sarah.lose@wildlife.ca.gov>; Bartoo, Aondrea
<aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Lind, Amy -FS <amy.lind@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS
<leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <beth.lawson@wildlife.ca.gov>; Heard, Colleen -
FS <colleen.heard@usda.gov>
Cc: Wise Jr., Larry <LMWO@pge.com>; Joseph, Matthew <MWJA@pge.com>; Jukkola, Jeff
<JAJV@pge.com>; Viscarra, Jesus <JRV8@pge.com>
Subject: \[EXTERNAL\] Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619 - Flow and Lake Elevation Variance Extension
This email has been received from outside of DOI - Use caution before clicking on
links, opening attachments, or responding.
Hello Bucks Creek Stakeholders,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has performed extensive repairs and
maintenance at Lower Bucks Lake Dam this summer, part of PG&E’s Bucks Creek
Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No.
619. Due to delays caused by fires in the Bucks Lake area, PG&E is requesting U.S.
Forest Service (Forest Service), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW),
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) review and approval to extend the
FERC Order Granting Temporary Variance of Minimum Instream Flow and Reservoir
Elevation Pursuant to Article 13 issued on May 7, 2020.
Impacts to Construction and Schedule
On August 17, 2020 a series of lightning events impacted California. A
collection of individual fires, now known as the North Complex, began near the
work area. To date, the fire has claimed 15 lives, burned 318,930 acres, and
is currently 90% contained. Following the August 17 lightning events, 24-hour
pumping was reduced to 12-hour shifts, impacting the project schedule. On
September 8, 2020, the fire threat increased in the project area and mandatory
evacuations were ordered. No work was completed for 21 days, from
September 8 until September 29. The evacuation orders were lifted, and all
work crews were able to return to the work on site as of October 12, 2020.
As a result of these impacts to schedule and pumping efforts, additional time is
needed to complete the project. PG&E requests to extend the Bucks Creek
Minimum Instream Flow Variance, the Grizzly Creek Minimum Instream Flow
Variance, the Flow Averaging Period Variance, and Lower Bucks Lake
Minimum Pool Variance end date from November 1, 2020 to December 31,
2020.
License Requirement
License Article 13 requires, in part, that PG&E maintain a minimum instream
flow in Bucks Creek below the Lower Bucks Dam. Minimum Instream Flows
(MIF) are as follows:
(1) Minimum streamflows from Lower Bucks Lake to Bucks Creek:
Period Flow, in cubic
feet per second
(cfs)
November 1 through April 30 4 cfs
May 1 through June 308 cfs
July 1 through October 31 6 cfs
(2) Minimum streamflows from Grizzly Forebay to Grizzly Creek:
Period Flow, in cubic
feet per second
(cfs)
November 1 through April 30 4 cfs
May 1 through June 30* 8 cfs
July 1 through October 316 cfs
License Article 13 also requires PG&E to maintain a minimum water elevation
for all lakes. The minimum elevation for Lower Bucks Lake is 4,966 feet.
Schedule for Temporary Flow and Reservoir Elevation Variances
Bucks Creek Variance
PG&E is seeking a variance extension to use 24-hour average of the flow
(mean daily flow) for minimum stream flow measurement and reporting until
December 31, 2020. PG&E will average all the instantaneous readings from
midnight of one day to 11:59 pm of the next day. Flow monitoring will continue
to be achieved by the temporary flow meter installed on the bypass piping
system.
Grizzly Creek Variance
PG&E is seeking a variance extension until December 31, 2020 to allow flow
releases below Grizzly Dam to match the natural inflow into the reservoir,
which may drop below the license required 4 cfs for the Nov 1 – April 30 period
depending on water year type. This variance aims to preserve storage so that
Grizzly Forebay remains above the minimum water elevation of 4,303 feet.
PG&E requests the 24-hour average of the flow (mean daily flow) be used for
MIF measurement and reporting until December 31, 2020. PG&E will average
all the instantaneous readings from midnight of one day to 11:59 pm of the
next day. Flows will be monitored and recorded at NF22. Adjustments to
outflow will be made as needed to maintain the reservoir elevation, therefore
generally matching inflow to outflow.
Lower Bucks Lake Water Elevation Variance
PG&E is also seeking permission to keep Lower Bucks Reservoir below its
license required minimum pool elevation of 4,966 ft through December 31,
2020. The current project forecast anticipates the reservoir refill reaching
4,966 feet by December 1, 2020, but it is still too early to confirm based on the
status of the fires. Therefore, PG&E requests a variance extension to the
minimum elevation for Lower Bucks Lake to December 31, 2020.
Biological Resource Evaluation
Flow Averaging Period Variance
PG&E is proposing to continue 24-hour averaging of MIF through December
31, 2020. This change could result in short-term fluctuations below the 4 cfs
MIF, but these short-term fluctuations are not likely to adversely affect aquatic
life below in Bucks Creek and Grizzly Creek.
Lower Bucks Lake and the portion of Bucks Creek immediately downstream of
Lower Bucks Dam are located within designated critical habitat for Sierra
Nevada yellow-legged frog (SNYLF), listed as endangered under the
Endangered Species Act.
In 2019, FERC and PG&E consulted with the USFWS for this Project, and on
April 10, 2020 received a letter of concurrence. In its letter, the USFWS
provided concurrence with FERC’s determination that the Project “may affect
but is not likely to adversely affect” the frog or its critical habitat with the
implementation of various conservation measures. These conservation
measures included, but are not limited to, preconstruction surveys (including
collection of eDNA) in the Project area and localized surveys of various areas
prior to ground disturbing activities.
The Project surveys did not find any SNYLF within the Project Area. The
nearest known occurrence of SNYLF was in Bear Ravine, about 0.3 miles
north of Lower Bucks Lake Dam and was found during relicensing of the Bucks
Creek Hydroelectric Project. The flow and water level variances associated
with this project would not adversely affect habitat values in Bear Ravine.
The extension of the flow variance would not affect the minimum instream
flows relative to the current Bucks Creek Project license, only the averaging
period for compliance. This is unlikely to affect SNYLF or their habitat.
It is necessary to continue matching outflows and inflows at Grizzly Forebay
because there is not sufficient water in Grizzly Forebay to supplement inflows
and keep the water surface elevation above the minimum pool requirement of
4,303 ft through the end of November in the event of a dry fall. PG&E will not
be able to move water from Lower Bucks to Grizzly forebay for some time.
Inflows are currently about 4.5 cfs but could drop if rains begin late.
Maintaining the outflows that match inflows would not result in adverse impacts
to aquatic resources relative to the unimpaired condition and would maintain
conditions close to the license required instream flows.
Lower Bucks Lake Minimum Pool Variance
Given the delays caused by factors related to the fires, it is unlikely the
reservoir will be completely dewatered as originally planned. Thus, the
impacts to fish in the reservoir will likely be less than anticipated, and some
fish are likely to survive. Impacts to the fishery in Lower Bucks Lake are being
mitigated through a Fish Restocking Plan being implemented by PG&E in
cooperation with CDFW, which began with additional stocking of trout in Bucks
Lake in 2020, and will continue with stocking of trout into Lower Bucks Lake in
2021 and 2022.
SNYLF habitat in Lower Bucks Reservoir has historically been of low value
because the lake is occupied by fish that would likely prey on SNYLF. Lower
Bucks Lake has been drawn down to well below its normal operating level
since April 2020, creating a wide area with no cover between the reservoir and
the surrounding vegetation and riparian areas. It is unlikely SNYLF would
cross this area to get to the reservoir. As no SNYLF have been observed in
surveys, this is unlikely to impact this species.
PG&E staff are available to discuss this variance extension request in more detail, if
needed. If you have any questions, please call:
General Questions – Jamie Visinoni, 530-215-6676
Project/Engineering – Jeff Jukkola, 530-624-8640
Biological Review – Larry Wise, 925-785-8831
PG&E is requesting your response as soon as possible so we may include it in our
extension request filing to FERC, we plan to file our request on 10/19/2020.
Thank you,
Jamie Visinoni
Hydro License Coordinator | Power Generation
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
d: (530) 894-4779 | m: (530) 215-6676 | e: jnvs@pge.com