HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.18.25 .Board Correspondence - FW_ Emergency Action Plan submitted in FERC P-2088-000 by Individual No Affiliation,et al.From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.;
Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth
Cc:Loeser, Kamie; Nuzum, Danielle
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Emergency Action Plan submitted in FERC P-2088-000 by Individual No Affiliation,et
al.
Date:Tuesday, November 18, 2025 2:40:48 PM
Please see Board Correspondence -
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Subject: Emergency Action Plan submitted in FERC P-2088-000 by Individual No Affiliation,et al.
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On 11/18/2025, 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 & Power Agency
Filing Type: Emergency Action Plan
Description: South Feather Water and Power Agency submits request for a continuation of the exemption from
filing an Emergency Action Plan re the South Fork Diversion Dam, et al. of the South Feather Power Project under
P-2088.
To view the document for this Filing, click here
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November 18, 2025 Filed Electronically
Frank L. Blackett, P.E., Regional Engineer
100 First Street, Suite 2300
San Francisco, CA 94105
RE: South Feather Power Project (FERC No. 2088)
2025 Annual Review of Emergency Action Plan Exemptions
Dear Mr. Blackett,
Pursuant to Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Title 18 §12.21, South Feather Water and Power Agency (SFWPA)
has conducted an annual review of the below listed facilities associated with the South Feather Power Project,
No. 2088-CA. SFWPA continues to use the resource “Review of Potential for Flooding that would be Produced by
Failure of South Fork Diversion Dam, Forbestown Diversion Dam, or Slate Creek Diversion Dam” produced by
Sierra Hydrotech Engineering Consultants, along with data obtained during routine site inspections and
preventative maintenance observations this year, in order to determine the necessity for emergency action
plans.
South Fork Diversion Dam: The dam is a 60 feet high concrete arch dam that impounds a diversion pool with an
original capacity of 87 acre-feet. Located in a remote section of the South Fork Feather River canyon, there are
two downstream facilities located below the dam. Approximately 3 miles downstream is a USDA Forest Service
road bridge, maintained by the Plumas National Forest (PNF), known as Golden Trout Crossing. This bridge had
been closed due to structural concerns following damage sustained during high flows in 2018, but in 2021, a
private timber company worked with the USFS to shore up the bridge for use during salvage logging operations
following the 2020 fires. This road bridge continues to provide access for camping at the Golden Trout
Campground, which is also owned and operated by the USFS, and is the only access road available to this area.
Additionally, SFWPA’s Woodleaf Powerhouse, manned daily by Agency staff, is located 9.8 miles downstream.
The FERC Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects, Chapter 2 - Selecting and
Accommodating Inflow Design Floods for Dams, was used to assist staff in analyzing peak discharge in the case
of a dam break. SFWPA staff have worked with an independent consultant to determine that the maximum
channel capacity in the area of the Golden Trout Campground, which is the most restrictive point in the area,
would be capable of handling flows under a complete dam failure scenario. South Fork Diversion’s overall
capacity has been reduced by more than 50% due to sediment and siltation. Because there is a negligible amount
of storage behind South Fork Diversion Dam, a complete dam failure would produce no significant change in the
flow downstream. Although field reconnaissance is not possible at any other location between South Fork
Diversion Dam and Woodleaf Powerhouse because there are no other access roads, SFWPA requests to maintain
exemption status for South Fork Diversion Dam based on the fact that all potential flows from a dam failure are
capable of passing through the channel at Golden Trout Campground.
Slate Creek Diversion Dam: The dam is a 62 feet high concrete overflow arch dam that impounds a diversion
pool with negligible storage due to being filled with cobble and sediment from a breached upstream historic
debris dam. Located in a remote section of the Slate Creek canyon, the nearest facility is New Bullards Bar
KRISTEN MCKILLOP
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE MANAGER
Document Accession #: 20251118-5151 Filed Date: 11/18/2025
Reservoir situated 9.2 miles downstream. Approximately 0.5 miles downstream of the diversion is a PNF road
bridge that crosses over Slate Creek. This road bridge provides access into the canyon area owned and managed
by both the PNF and a private timber company. Field reconnaissance is not possible between the upstream
bridge and the confluence of Slate Creek with the North Yuba River because there are no other access roads,
however, SFWPA requests to maintain exemption status because there is a negligible amount of storage behind
the dam and failure would produce no significant change in the flow downstream.
Forbestown Diversion: The dam is an 80 high concrete overflow arch dam that impounds a 352 acre-feet
diversion pool. It functions as the afterbay for the Woodleaf Powerhouse and the forebay for the Forbestown
Powerhouse, which is located 5.2 miles downstream. Ownership and management of the land in the canyon is
share between the PNF and private owners. Although field reconnaissance is not possible because there is no
road access into the South Fork Feather River canyon between Forbestown Diversion Dam and the Forbestown
Powerhouse, SFWPA requests to maintain exemption status because a failure of Forbestown Diversion Dam
would produce a less than four feet rise in the Ponderosa Reservoir level and would remain within its spillway
capacity.
Ponderosa Diversion Dam: The dam is a 160 feet tall zoned, rolled earthfill dam that impounds a 4,178 acre-
feet reservoir. Water released from Ponderosa Reservoir flows directly into Lake Oroville with no intervening
river section between the two water bodies. A native surface road crosses the crest of the dam, and a
maintenance access road runs along the south shore of the South Fork arm of Lake Oroville. Staff can confirm
that there is no development downstream of Ponderosa Dam, as ongoing site visits allow for visual observations
of downstream areas. SFWPA requests to maintain exemption status for Ponderosa Dam based on the fact that
failure of Ponderosa Dam would result in a release directly into Lake Oroville, and would remain within its
spillway capacity.
Based on the aforementioned details, South Feather Water and Power Agency requests a continuation of the
exemption from filing an EAP for the South Fork Diversion, Slate Creek Diversion, Forbestown Diversion and
Ponderosa Diversion dams.
If you have any questions related to this filing, please feel free to contact me at (530) 534-1221, or via email at
kmckillop@southfeather.com. 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
cc: Rath Moseley, General Manager
Hunter Doyle, Power Division Manager
Silas Sanderson, PE, Schnabel/Contract SFWPA CDSE
Document Accession #: 20251118-5151 Filed Date: 11/18/2025
Document Content(s)
to FERC_11182025_Annual Review of EAP Exemptions.pdf......................1
Document Accession #: 20251118-5151 Filed Date: 11/18/2025