HomeMy WebLinkAbout01.13.21 BOS Correspondence - FW_ Supplemental_Additional Information submitted in FERC P-2088-000 by Individual No Affiliation,et al.
From:Schuman, Amy
To:Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Cook, Robin;Kimmelshue, Tod;Lambert, Steve;Lucero,
Debra;McCracken, Shari;Paulsen, Shaina;Pickett, Andy;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;Rodas, Amalia;Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug
Subject:BOS Correspondence - FW: Supplemental/Additional Information submitted in FERC P-2088-000 by Individual No Affiliation,et al.
Date:Wednesday, January 13, 2021 12:34:03 PM
Please see the email below 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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Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 11:25 AM
Subject: Supplemental/Additional Information submitted in FERC P-2088-000 by Individual No Affiliation,et al.
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On 1/13/2021, the following Filing was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C.:
Filer: Individual No Affiliation
South Feather Water & Power Agency (as Agent)
Docket(s): P-2088-000
Lead Applicant: South Feather Water and Power Agency
Filing Type: Supplemental/Additional Information
Description: South Feather Water & Power Agency submits the Response Regarding the Control of Debris from 2020 North
Complex Fire for the South Feather Power Project under P-2088.
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January 12, 2021 Electronically Filed
Frank L. Blackett, P.E., Regional Engineer
100 First Street, Suite 2300
San Francisco, CA 94105
RE:South Feather Power Project (FERC No. 2088)
Control of Debris from the 2020 North Complex Fire
Dear Mr. Blackett,
This letter serves as a response to your letter dated December 30, 2020 requesting an update to project
assets potentially impacted by the 2020 fire season.
You have requested the following specific information:
1.A list of your FERC project within a basin that was impacted by the 2020 fire season.
This Agency began providing FERC with immediate status reports on project assets located
within the North Complex West Zone Fire (originally titled the Bear Fire) incident that began
moving toward Little Grass Valley Dam/Reservoir on September 8, 2020. By 2315 hours on
9/8/2020, Little Grass Valley dam, South Fork Diversion dam, Sly Creek dam, Sly Creek
Powerhouse, Lost Creek dam, Woodleaf Powerhouse, Forbestown Diversion dam, Forbestown
Powerhouse, Ponderosa dam, Miners Ranch dam and Miners Ranch Treatment Plant, along
with the penstock and canal conveyance systems were all in the evacuation or active fire zones.
2.What efforts have been made or are being made to assess the impacts from woody debris
and/or mud/debris flows entering the reservoir.
Assessments of project assets began as soon as a limited crew of staff were able to gain entry
into evacuation zones. As noted in the weekly reports to FERC, crews made access thefirst week
of the fire to verify that there was no major damage to dams and appurtenant structures, or to
powerhouses. The full crew of Power Division staff returned September 28, 2020, and
conducted post-fire hazard inspections immediately in order to document status of each dam,
spillway, gauging station, penstock, powerhouse, canal system and communication sites.
Throughout the project, there are gauging stationlocations that actively monitor river flow rate,
turbidity, pH, etc. Three of these gauging station locations include telemetric alarms on these
monitored parameters, and any exceedances of programmed values automatically provide
notification to several Agency employees. Depending on the alarm type/value, Agency will
dispatch employees to specific site to investigate.
The Plumas National Forest (PNF) Feather River Ranger announced at a November 5, 2020
public meeting that the initial burned area emergency repair (BAER) damage assessment would
probably be complete within two months but that there will be a much longer timeline for a
comprehensive assessment of all the damages from the incident. Because the entirety of our
project lies within the PNF, we await the details of this BAER damage assessment report. In the
meantime, Agency crews continue to conduct visual inspections during the course of normal
operations, as well as following any precipitation events. None of the previous storm events
have been large enough to move large amounts of woody debris into the reservoirs.
3.What type of debris is considered most likely to enter the reservoir, such as large trees,
branches, etc.
It is most likely that if any debris is to enter project reservoirs, it will be sediment runoff into
the waterways within the burn scar area that feed the reservoirs. Less likely to occur would be
large trees, but it is possible to have woody material flow through the watershed.
4.What efforts will be made to control and remove the debris that enters the reservoir so that
the spillway and/or outlet works are not blocked.
There is no real threat for debris to enter spillways or outlet works within the project due to
this fire event. Crews will continue to inspect the reservoirs for debris flows, and will be
immediately assigned to removal of such should it be discovered.
5.What efforts will be made to protect conveyance features, including flowlines, canals and
penstocks, that may be damaged by mud and debris flows or falling trees and branches?
To date, the following remediation and preventative measures have been conducted:
South Fork Diversion Dam – fell trees threatening the intake control building and
propane tank; purchased new safety buoys and log booms that were destroyed
during fire (delivery of which has been delayed due to COVID)
Forbestown Powerhouse Penstock – mild charring on penstock has been deemed
not a threat to the structural integrity of the penstock or Dresser Couplings,
however, spot recoating will be conducted once the rainy seasons passes; hay bales
originally placed for rockfall protection adjacent to the penstock did burn and will
be placed and tarped to match pre-fire conditions the week of January 19, 2021.
Post-fire BMPs in the form of straw wattles to divert flows around the base of the
penstock have also been installed.
Woodleaf Powerhouse Penstock – fire line was cut along the penstock, and fire
crews left behind slash piles that required removal by the Agency. This has been
completed, as well as placement of BMPs in the form of straw wattles to divert flows
around the base of the penstock.
SF-17 Gauging Station at Forbestown Diversion has been repaired to allow for proper
access.
Station 8 Inlet to Miners Ranch Canal had additional metering equipment installed
to monitor turbidity, flow rate, pH, and temperature.
Hillside above Station 3 Miners Ranch Canal had a dozer line cut in during firefighting
efforts. Cal Fire performed mitigation work, including installing water bars, to
prevent water flows transporting sediment into the Canal.
If you have any questions related to this transmittal, please feel free to contact me at (530) 534-1221
.
x 265, or via email at kmckillop@southfeather.com
Sincerely,
South Feather Water and Power Agency
Kristen McKillop
Compliance and Regulatory Manager
cc:Rath Moseley, General Manager
Dan Leon, Power Division Manager
Sharon K. Tapia, Chief, Division of Safety of Dams