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Home My WebLink About06.06.25 BOS Correspondence - FW_ General Correspondence issued in FERC P-803-123From:Clerk of the Board To:BOS Cc:Loeser, Kamie; Nuzum, Danielle Subject:BOS Correspondence - FW: General Correspondence issued in FERC P-803-123 Date:Friday, June 6, 2025 11:37:28 AM Please see Board Correspondence below. -----Original Message----- From: 'FERC eSubscription' <eSubscription@ferc.gov> Sent: Friday, June 6, 2025 6:55 AM Subject: General Correspondence issued in FERC P-803-123 .ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening attachments, clicking on links, or replying.. On 6/6/2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C., issued this document: Docket(s): P-803-123 Lead Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Filing Type: General Correspondence Request for Additional Information Description: Letter to Pacific Gas and Electric Company requesting additional information to be filed immediately re a request for a temporary variance of the flow requirements filed on 05/06/2025 for the DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project under P-803. To view the document for this Issuance, click here https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_num=20250606- 3009__;!!KNMwiTCp4spf!HolCNTAD0_BFTJ13J0PcCnwZh0KmJc9wDY8pcLOXAai-9D2EvMsjcSzmffs64lmH0lD9f9hUDuEoutGnTK2KW1JG- 6ewelZQhFiM$ To modify your subscriptions, click here: 9D2EvMsjcSzmffs64lmH0lD9f9hUDuEoutGnTK2KW1JG-6ewegvATVVs$ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please do not respond to this email. Online help is available here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.ferc.gov/efiling-help.asp__;!!KNMwiTCp4spf!HolCNTAD0_BFTJ13J0PcCnwZh0KmJc9wDY8pcLOXAai- 9D2EvMsjcSzmffs64lmH0lD9f9hUDuEoutGnTK2KW1JG-6ewepix_Qmz$ or for phone support, call 866-208-3676. Comments and Suggestions can be sent to this email address: mailto:FERCOnlineSupport@Ferc.gov FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Washington D.C. 20426 OFFICE OF ENERGY PROJECTS Project No. 803-123 — California DeSabla-Centerville Project Pacific Gas and Electric Company June 6, 2025 VIA Electronic Mail Ms. Stephanie Maggard Pacific Gas and Electric Company Stephanie.maggard@pge.com Subject: Additional Information Request- May 6, 2025, Application for Temporary Variance of Flow Requirements Dear Ms. Maggard: This letter concerns your May 6, 2025, filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission), which contains a request for a temporary variance of the flow requirements for the DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project No. 803. Following review of your filing, Commission staff have identified additional actions that are needed from you as soon as possible. Your May 6, 2025, filing seeks Commission approval for a temporary variance of the flow requirements specified in Article 39 1 of the project license for the West Branch Feather River below the Hendricks Head Dam and in Philbrook Creek below Philbrook Reservoir between July 1 and September 30, 2025. Specifically, you request that the instantaneous normal water year minimum flow requirements: (1) in the West Branch Feather River, of 15 cubic feet per second (cfs), be temporarily modified to a target of 7 cfs averaged over 48 hours; and (2) in Philbrook Creek, of 2 cfs, be temporarily modified to a target between 1 and 2 cfs averaged over 48 hours. You state that the temporary variance would maximize the delivery of flows released from Philbrook to Butte Creek by eliminating the need to release additional buffer flows to ensure the requisite instantaneous minimum instream flows are always met. The proposed variance would 1 Order Amending Revised Exhibit S (26 FERC ¶ 62,236), issued March 15, 1984. Document Accession #: 20250606-3009 Filed Date: 06/06/2025 Project No. 803-123 - 2 - help preserve cold water storage in Philbrook Reservoir, increase flow to Butte Creek via the Hendricks Canal, and decrease water residence time in the DeSabla Forebay. This would provide additional water to Butte Creek during the hot summer months to minimize high temperature effects to Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and to preserve water for release later in the summer months towards the end of their holding period when the situation is most critical. In its review of your filing, Commission staff noted that you did not address any potential impacts to species or critical habitats protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) beyond that of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) page, the following species have the potential to occur in the action area: gray wolf (Canis lupus); North American wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus); California condor (Gymnogyps californianus); California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis)2; northwestern pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata)3; California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii); Foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii); Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae); and monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)4. Further, IPaC identified proposed critical habitat for the Foothill yellow-legged frog within the action area. To satisfy the necessary consultation requirements under section 7 of the ESA for species under the FWS’s authority, Commission staff request that you file a letter with the Commission, requesting that the Commission designate you its non-federal representative for consulting with FWS under section 7 the ESA regarding the variance request. Subsequently, we recommend that you consult with FWS as soon as possible on potential effects to these species. If the FWS is able to provide a “not likely to adversely affect determination”, you may file that with the Commission. Alternatively, should you determine that the proposed variance will have no effect on the species listed above or proposed critical habitat, you may file supporting documentation justifying that determination. Given the relatively short turn-around time between the filing date of the variance request (May 6, 2025) and the start date of the proposed variance (July 1, 2025), please file this request immediately. Based on the information we have on the record, Commission staff will consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service on potential effects of the proposed variance to Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon. 2 Status is “Proposed Threatened”. 3 Status is “Proposed Threatened”. 4 Status is “Proposed Threatened”. Document Accession #: 20250606-3009 Filed Date: 06/06/2025 Project No. 803-123 - 3 - Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact me at (202) 502-6760. Sincerely, Joy M. Kurtz Aquatic Ecologist Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance Cc: VIA Electronic Mail Mr. Matt Joseph Pacific Gas and Electric Company MWJA@pge.com Mr. Sky Ramirez-Doble Pacific Gas and Electric Company s9rv@pge.com Ms. Megan Young Pacific Gas and Electric Company mry2@pge.com Ms. Stephanie Millsap USFWS Stephanie_Millsap@fws.gov Ms. Brittany Reaves USFWS Brittany_reaves@fws.gov Ms. Ellen McBride NMFS Ellen.mcbride@noaa.gov Document Accession #: 20250606-3009 Filed Date: 06/06/2025 JOY KURTZ Digitally signed by JOY KURTZ Date: 2025.06.06 08:54:36 -04'00' Project No. 803-123 - 4 - Ms. Allison Bosworth NMFS Allison.bosworth@noaa.gov Document Accession #: 20250606-3009 Filed Date: 06/06/2025 Document Content(s) P-803-123 AIR.pdf.........................................................1 Document Accession #: 20250606-3009 Filed Date: 06/06/2025