HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.28.22 Board Correspondence - FW_ General Correspondence issued in FERC P-2107-026 (2)
From:Paulsen, Shaina
To:BOS
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: General Correspondence issued in FERC P-2107-026
Date:Thursday, July 28, 2022 11:08:20 AM
Please see Board Correspondence below.
Shaina Paulsen
Associate Clerk of The Board
Butte County Administration
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200, Oroville, CA 95965
T: 530.552.3304 | F: 530.538.7120
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From: 'FERC eSubscription' <eSubscription@ferc.gov>
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2022 11:05 AM
Subject: General Correspondence issued in FERC P-2107-026
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On 7/28/2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C., issued this document:
Docket(s): P-2107-026
Lead Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Filing Type: General Correspondence
Description: Letter to Pacific Gas and Electric Company acknowledging receipt of the May 31, 2022 Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Plan for the Poe Hydroelectric Project
under P-2107.
To view the document for this Issuance, click here https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_num=20220728-
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FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20426
OFFICE OF ENERGY PROJECTS
Project No. 2107-026 – California
Poe Hydroelectric Project
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
July 28, 2022
VIA FERC Service
Matthew Joseph
Senior License Coordinator
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
245 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Subject: Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Reports
Dear Mr. Joseph:
This letter acknowledges receipt of your May 31, 2022 filing, containing the
results of your 2021 monitoring conducted under the approved Fish and Benthic
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Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Plan for the Poe Hydroelectric Project No. 2107.
Article 401(a) of the project license, in part, requires you to develop a Biological
Resources Management and Mitigation Plan (Biological Plan), as set forth in Condition 9
of the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Water Quality
Certification and Condition No. 25 of the United States Department of Agriculture-Forest
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Service (Forest Service) 4(e) conditions.The Biological Plan requirement was broken
down into the development of the Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Plan
and an Amphibian Monitoring Plan to meet the license requirement.
You report that the 2021 sampling was originally scheduled to be conducted in
2020, but due to damage to reference areas from the North Complex and Dixie fires, you
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Order Approving Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Plan Pursuant
to Article 401 (171 FERC ¶ 62,050), April 16, 2020.
2
Order Issuing New License (165 FERC ¶ 62,172). December 17, 2018.
Project No. 2107-026 - 2 -
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were unable to conduct the sampling as originally scheduled. As such, 2021 sampling
represents the first year of sampling under the new license and approved plan.
You report that you sampled fish in three locations using electrofishing and
snorkeling methods from September 22-24, 2021. In all, you collected 408 individuals
representing 8 species, with riffle sculpin and Sacramento sucker being the dominant
species. You report that rainbow trout collected during the survey were very good with a
condition factor of 1.2. Total biomass also faired well but was influenced by the number
of Sacramento sucker in the survey. Overall, you conclude that the fish community
meets California Department of Fish and Wildlife (California DFW) definition of “good
condition.” You also report environmental conditions and physical habitat
characterization for each site.
You report that you conducted the benthic macroinvertebrate sampling on
September 20 and 21, 2022 at three sampling locations but were not able to sample the
reference sites due to the continued closure of these locations related to the 2020 and
2021 fire damage. Based on your sampling at the three sites, your use of the California
Stream Condition Index indicates that the Poe Bypass Reach monitoring sites are “Very
Likely Altered.” You report that the Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) Index
at all three sites, was 10 to 49 percent lower than the EPT Index values from the same
locations calculated during the 1999–2002 relicensing studies. You caution that
comparison of the results should consider that the relicensing studies and the 2021 survey
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used different sampling protocols. Nonetheless, your 2021 sampling effort provides a
baseline condition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the bypass reach under
the new licensee implementation. You also report habitat assessment results for each
sample location.
You distributed your report to the Forest Service, SWRCB, California DFW, and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on March 7, 2022 for review and comment. By email
dated April 15, 2022, California DFW provided their support for the report. You report
that no other resource agency responses were received.
Your May 31, 2022 filing fulfills the annual reporting requirement for the Fish and
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Plan. Please be advised that, while Commission
3
The Commission’s February 25, 2022 letter acknowledged that the sampling
would be delayed due to accessibility limitations caused by the fires.
4
Condition 9 of the Water Quality Certification and Condition 25 of the Forest
Service 4(e) conditions require in part, that the licensee use the SWRCB Surface Water
Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) bioassessment Standard Operating Procedures.
Project No. 2107-026 - 3 -
staff will continue to review these filings, staff will no longer issue acknowledgement
letters for future filings under this license requirement, unless further Commission action
is needed. When your future filings for this requirement are posted on the Commission’s
e-library system, you may consider that as acknowledgment of the Commission’s receipt
of your submittal.
Thank you for your report. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please
contact me at (202) 502-6289 or robert.ballantine@ferc.gov.
Sincerely,
Robert Ballantine
Aquatic Resources Branch
Division of Hydropower Administration
and Compliance