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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.26.2024 Board Correspondence - FW_ DOCKET CHANGE- Environmental and Recreational Compliance Report submitted in FERC P-619-185 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al.From:Clerk of the Board To:Bennett, Robin; Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod; Kitts, Melissa; Lee, Lewis; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth; Loeser, Kamie Cc:Nevers, Dawn Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: DOCKET CHANGE- Environmental and Recreational Compliance Report submitted in FERC P-619-185 by Pacific Gas and Electric Company,et al. Date:Thursday, June 27, 2024 11:21:55 AM Please see Board Correspondence - -----Original Message----- From: 'FERC eSubscription' <eSubscription@ferc.gov> Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 2:45 PM Subject: DOCKET CHANGE- Environmental and Recreational Compliance Report submitted in FERC P-619-185 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 6/6/2024, the following Filing was submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington D.C.: Filer: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Pacific Gas & Electric Company (as Agent) Docket(s): P-619-185 Lead Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Filing Type: Environmental and Recreational Compliance Report Description: Pacific Gas and Electric Company submits final Woody Material Management Plan re the Bucks Creek Hydroelectric 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=20240606- 5067__;!!KNMwiTCp4spf!BYZmtsClkGLl2uhXzxGAzV9tI1hJBUQQSvjSQYYlHIt0HNDuNimo0OUqFsgudHykf2DXFn_DlDzQ3UWZa9l_xQNCYXYZYyYoR_p1$ To modify your subscriptions, click here: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please do not respond to this email. Online help is available here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.ferc.gov/efiling-help.asp__;!!KNMwiTCp4spf!BYZmtsClkGLl2uhXzxGAzV9tI1hJBUQQSvjSQYYlHIt0HNDuNimo0OUqFsgudHykf2DXFn_DlDzQ3UWZa9l_xQNCYXYZY43IYXiM$ or for phone support, call 866-208-3676. Power Generation 300 Lakeside Drive Oakland, CA 94612 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 28209 Oakland, CA 94604 June 6, 2024 Via Electronic Submittal (E-File) Re: Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 619 License Article 401 (b) and Forest Service Section 4(e) Condition No. 40 Final Woody Material Management Plan This letter presents Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s (PG&E) filing of the Woody FERC’s review and approval of the Final Woody Material Management Plan (WMMP). with the Commission’s dam safety staff and provide documentation from the licensee’s Chief D FERC’s Division of Dam Safety and Inspections on December 15, 2023, with the Licensee’s Chief Dam Safety Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact PG&E’s licensing project manager Tony Licensee’s filing to Commission’s Dam Safety with Licensee’s Chief Dam Safety Engineer’s statement Commission’s Dam Safety Staff approval of the Final Woody Material Management Plan – – – Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 ENCLOSURE 1 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY AND THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 619 Woody Material Management Plan September 2023 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY AND THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 619 Woody Material Management Plan September 2023 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Table of Contents Page i Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 619 Woody Material Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Project Location and Feature Description ............................................................ 1-1 1.2 Background .......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Purpose of the Woody Material Management Plan ............................................. 1-2 1.4 Goal and Objectives of the Woody Material Management Plan ......................... 1-2 SECTION 2.0 METHODS FOR PASSING OR REMOVING WOODY MATERIAL AT PROJECT FACILITIES ............................................... 2-1 2.1 Bucks Lake Dam .................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Lower Bucks Lake Dam ...................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Grizzly Forebay Dam ........................................................................................... 2-1 2.4 Woody Material Removal/Relocation ................................................................. 2-1 2.5 Definition of Emergencies and Exceptions to Plan Activities ............................. 2-2 SECTION 3.0 REPORTING, CONSULTATION, AND PLAN REVISIONS ............... 3-1 SECTION 4.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 4-1 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Table of Contents Page ii September 2023 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project Facilities ................................................ 1-3 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Table of Contents Page iii Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara Definitions of Terms, Acronyms, and Abbreviations For the purpose of this Plan, the following definitions apply: TERM DEFINITION C CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife City City of Santa Clara F FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service L LWM Large Woody Material N NFS National Forest System P PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company Plan Woody Debris Management Plan PNF Plumas National Forest Project Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 S State Water Board State Water Resources Control Board U USDA Forest Service United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Table of Contents Page iv September 2023 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara This Page Intentionally Left Blank Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Section 1.0 Page 1-1 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara SECTION 1.0 Introduction Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the City of Santa Clara (City), collectively the Licensees, are filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this Woody Material Passage Plan (Plan) in support of the Licensees’ Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project (Project), FERC Project No. 619 to satisfy conditions under License Article No. 401b. The Licensees are the owners of the Project and will be jointly responsible for implementation of the Plan under the new License; PG&E operates the Project. Implementation of the Plan will be guided by the new License or as modified thereafter. 1.1 Project Location and Feature Description The Project is located on Bucks, Grizzly, and Milk Ranch creeks, which are tributaries to the North Fork Feather River in Plumas County, California (Figure 1). The Project has an installed capacity of 84.8 megawatts and consists of two existing developments (Bucks Creek and Grizzly), which collectively include four reservoirs with a combined usable storage capacity of 108,773 acre-feet (acre-ft) (Bucks Lake, Three Lakes, Lower Bucks Lake, and Grizzly Forebay), one conduit (Milk Ranch), two tunnels (Grizzly Forebay and Grizzly Powerhouse tunnels), two powerhouses (Bucks Creek and Grizzly powerhouses), and associated equipment and transmission facilities and structures, including recreation facilities and Project roads. Lands within the FERC Project Boundary are a combination of PG&E ownership and National Forest System (NFS) lands (managed by the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service [Forest Service] as part of the Plumas National Forest [PNF]). The Project also contains a small area of private land. Plan requirements that vary by landowner are identified in the relevant section of this Plan. 1.2 Background Prior to 2002, PG&E removed woody material from Project reservoirs and disposed of it by burning or other methods. In 2002, resource agencies recommended that large woody material (LWM) be allowed to pass over Project dams during spill events, or mechanically deposited downstream of the dams. Additionally, beginning in 2006, PG&E initiated Annual Channel Maintenance flows in Wet and Normal Water years that are of sufficient magnitude to transport LWM, with additional periodic high flow releases at Lower Bucks Lake every 5 years. Since 2002, PG&E has allowed woody material to freely pass over Project spillways during spill events. Spill events and Annual Channel Maintenance flow releases allow most woody material to pass freely over Grizzly Dam, and since woody material passage was initiated in 2002, there has been no need for mechanical relocation of woody material from the impoundment.1 Following the 2002 recommendation, woody material that does not pass over Lower Bucks Lake Dam freely during spill events has been mechanically relocated downstream of the dam. For 1 PG&E does not have means to mechanically relocate woody material into Grizzly Creek downstream of Grizzly Forebay Dam. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Section 1.0 Page 1-2 September 2023 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara example, on September 22, 2010, PG&E relocated one 3 foot-long stump and rootwad with a 2.5 foot trunk diameter, one 20–25 foot-long log with a mean diameter of about 1 foot, and about 12 to 15 smaller pieces of wood with diameters ranging from 0.33-0.5 foot to the base of Lower Bucks Lake Dam. Several similar relocation efforts were conducted between 2002 and 2010; however, no records of size, amount, or dates were kept during those efforts. Since the initiation of the Annual Channel Maintenance flows in 2006, the frequency of the mechanical relocations has declined and are now considered infrequent. Although woody material currently is allowed to pass over the dams freely during spill events or mechanically relocated downstream of Lower Bucks Lake Dam, there have been limited occasions where removal and relocation/disposal of LWM has been deemed necessary to protect Project Infrastructure. In consultation with the Forest Service (Forest Service 2019), PG&E mechanically removed and relocated approximately 10 yards of woody material from Lower Bucks Lake once between 2002 and 2023. In this one instance, woody material had sunk to the bottom of the dam and blocked the intake structure of the tunnel, necessitating its removal. 1.3 Purpose of the Woody Material Management Plan This Plan describes operational guidelines for woody material management and passage at Bucks Lake, Lower Bucks Lake, and Grizzly Forebay dams. •Licensees will coordinate, to the extent appropriate, efforts required under this Plan with other Project resource efforts, including implementation of other resource management plans and measures included in the new License (e.g., channel maintenance flows). 1.4 Goal and Objectives of the Woody Material Management Plan The goal of the Plan is to allow the transfer of woody material from forests to streams to support the link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; woody material within forested mountain streams can have a beneficial effect on channel structure, habitat formation, and food supply. The objective of the Plan is to describe operational guidelines for woody material management and passage at Bucks Lake, Lower Bucks Lake, and Grizzly Forebay dams to support the ecological linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems while complying with all applicable laws and regulations, as subject to the Federal Power Act. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Section 1.0 Page 1-3 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara Figure 1. Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project Facilities Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Section 1.0 Page 1-4 September 2023 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara This Page Intentionally Left Blank Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Section 2.0 Page 2-1 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara SECTION 2.0 Methods for Passing or Removing Woody Material at Project Facilities Gray highlights in Sections 2.1-2.4 reflect text that has been substantively modified from the Forest Service Revised 4e conditions, filed with FERC on March 15, 2022. 2.1 Bucks Lake Dam To prevent spillway capacity restrictions and avoid impacts to downstream culverts in Bucks Creek (below Bucks Lake), wood at Bucks Lake spillway may be periodically removed and transported downstream of the spillway and road crossing, or transported offsite, as described in Section 2.4, below. 2.2 Lower Bucks Lake Dam The Licensees shall allow woody material to pass over the dam’s spillway during spill events. To prevent flow or spillway capacity restrictions, Licensees may periodically mechanically remove woody material from the reservoir to prevent build-up of woody material on the spillway or in front of Project intakes. Licensees shall move woody material from the reservoir to the base of the spillway when feasible and when the material would not impede proper operation of the spillway or create additional safety hazards, such as log jams at the base of the spillway. The Licensees shall avoid cutting wood intended for downstream passage unless it is unsafe for Project operations or necessary to promote passive movement. Woody material that cannot be passively passed or mechanically relocated to the base of the spillway may periodically be removed from the reservoir, as described in Section 2.4, below. 2.3 Grizzly Forebay Dam The Licensees shall leave the downstream end of the reservoir’s log boom attached only to the right side of the spillway year-round to allow debris to freely pass over the spillway during spill events and channel maintenance flows.2 The Licensees shall avoid cutting wood intended for downstream passage unless it is unsafe for Project operations or necessary to promote passive movement. To prevent flow or spillway capacity restrictions, Licensees may periodically mechanically remove woody material from the reservoir to prevent build-up of woody material on the spillway or in front of Project intakes, as described in Section 2.4, below. 2.4 Woody Material Removal/Relocation Woody material that is not passively passed downstream of Project dams during high flows or able to be relocated downstream (i.e., mechanically passed over Lower Bucks Dam or placed in Bucks Creek downstream of the Bucks Lake Dam spillway) may be relocated to Licensees’ property, or alternative location on Forest Service system lands agreed to by the Forest Service. Because this 2 Channel Maintenance Flow: Forest Service Condition No. 34; FERC Article No. 401c. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Section 2.0 Page 2-2 September 2023 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara wood is likely water-logged and hardened (i.e., not green), its uses outside of the stream are limited. Relocated wood will be collected and routinely chipped for use as vegetation, erosion, or dust control material, and/or other beneficial uses. The general order of preference for management of woody material at Project dams is 1) allow wood to passively move downstream, 2) mechanical removal from project reservoirs and placing the wood downstream, and 3) should the Licensees determine the first two are infeasible, mechanical removal of the wood to an offsite location as described above. Physical placement of woody material on spillways or in proximity of a dam may create potential hazards that could conflict with PG&E’s Dam Safety standards. Physically placed woody material has the potential to form a blockage, which could impede proper operation of the spillway and back water up against the dam, reducing spillway capacity and creating potential erosion hazards. Licensees may therefore limit the size and/or amount of wood mechanically placed in the channel downstream of a dam or spillway at any one time. 2.5 Definition of Emergencies and Exceptions to Plan Activities An emergency action may be required for any blockage created by LWM that poses a potential dam safety concern by causing erosion, impeding proper operation, or limiting the capacity of the spillway. An emergency action may occur during or in anticipation of a spill event. Emergency actions may include access using mechanical equipment (e.g., excavator / crane / heavy equipment) or cutting wood to free or remove blockage created by woody material. In the event of emergency actions related to woody material management that require modifications to Plan activities, the Licensees will notify Resource Agencies as soon as feasible during or after the emergency. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Section 3.0 Page 3-1 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara I SECTION 3.0 Reporting, Consultation, and Plan Revisions The Licensees will summarize any woody material relocation activities that occurred during the prior year at the Ecological Consultation Group (Forest Service Condition No. 3) and/or the Annual Forest Service meeting (Forest Service Condition No. 4), as appropriate. Licensees will include information about any relocation activities in the meeting record, and file the record as required.3 The Licensees, in consultation with Resource Agencies (Forest Service, State Water Board, USFWS, and CDFW), will review, update, and revise the Plan, as needed, when significant changes in existing conditions occur. Sixty days will be allowed for written comments and recommendations on Plan revisions. After consultation with the Resource Agencies, the Licensees will work with the Forest Service and Water Board to file the updated Plan with FERC. The Licensees will include all relevant documentation of coordination and consultation with the updated Plan filed with FERC. If the Licensees do not adopt a particular recommendation by Resource Agencies, the filing will include the reasons for not doing so. The Licensees will implement the Plan as approved by FERC. 3 Refer to Ecological Consultation Group (Forest Service Condition No.3) and Annual Forest Service meeting (Forest Service Condition No. 4) for additional information. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project Section 3.0 Page 3-2 September 2023 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara This Page Intentionally Left Blank Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 September 2023 Section 4.0 Page 4-1 Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 619 ©2023, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the City of Santa Clara SECTION 4.0 References Forest Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service). 2019. Grizzly Forebay Subsurface Woody Debris and Dredging Project and Lower Bucks Dam install Geomembrane Linear Project, FERC No. 619. Letter to proceed from Plumas National Forest to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. October 24. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 ENCLOSURE 2 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 From:Edlund, Leslie - FS, CA To:Gigliotti, Tony; Alvarez, Dawn - FS, CA Cc:Brenzovich, Erika - FS, CA; Visinoni, Jamie Subject:RE: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan Date:Tuesday, October 17, 2023 12:40:01 PM Attachments:image001.png image002.png image003.png image004.png CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER! This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Do you know this person? Are you expecting this email? Are you expecting any links or attachments? If suspicious, do not click links, open attachments, or provide credentials. Don't delete it. Report it by using the "Report Phish" button. Hi Tony, Yes, the Forest approves of the final draft. It has been reviewed by our biologist and hydrologist and they have no concerns. Leslie Edlund Public Service Staff Officer Forest Service Plumas National Forest, Mt. Hough Ranger District p: 530-283-7620 f: 520-283-1821 leslie.edlund@usda.gov 39696 Hwy 70 Quincy, CA 95971 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people From: Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com> Sent: Monday, October 16, 2023 11:27 AM To: Alvarez, Dawn - FS, CA <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS, CA <leslie.edlund@usda.gov> Cc: Brenzovich, Erika - FS, CA <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan All, I wanted to follow up on this email to confirm the FS approves of the final draft. Once this is approved PG&E will send this to FERC’s dam safety team who will also need to approve it before we Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 can file the final plan with FERC. Due to this additional approval we are expecting to request an additional Extension of Time, which I will be formally sending to the FS for approval later this week. Thank you, Tony Gigliotti Sr. Licensing Project Manager Power Generation Cell: (925) 357-7120 From: Maher, Michael@Wildlife <Michael.Maher@wildlife.ca.gov> Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 11:39 AM To: Bartoo, Aondrea <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com>; Alvarez, Dawn - FS <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS <leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Fisch, Nathan@Waterboards <Nathan.Fisch@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Muro, Bryan@Waterboards <Bryan.Muro@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Brenzovich, Erika -FS <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER! This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Do you know this person? Are you expecting this email? Are you expecting any links or attachments? If suspicious, do not click links, open attachments, or provide credentials. Don't delete it. Report it by using the "Report Phish" button. Hello Tony, We have reviewed the edits to the Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan and concur that they capture the revisions discussed and agreed to during our meeting on July 24, 2023. We therefore approve the draft plan dated September 27, 2023 provided by PG&E in your last email. Thank you, Michael Maher Region 2 FERC Coordinator | ( Cell: 916-597-5505 California Department of Fish & Wildlife | North Central Region 1701 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova | michael.maher@wildlife.ca.gov From: Bartoo, Aondrea <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov> Sent: Friday, September 29, 2023 7:57 AM To: Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com>; Alvarez, Dawn -FS <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS <leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Fisch, Nathan@Waterboards <Nathan.Fisch@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Muro, Bryan@Waterboards <Bryan.Muro@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Maher, Michael@Wildlife <Michael.Maher@wildlife.ca.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <Beth.Lawson@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Brenzovich, Erika -FS <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 WARNING: This message is from an external source. Verify the sender and exercise caution when clicking links or opening attachments. Tony, thank you for bringing in these edits! I do think that how it is worded now will help those who come after us (and those of us with less than perfect memory) understand more fully the status of woody debris. USFWS approves the woody debris plan with the edits attached. 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 Pronouns: she/her/hers Please contact me by email while staff are working from home. From: Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com> Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 9:58 AM To: Bartoo, Aondrea <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Alvarez, Dawn -FS <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS <leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Fisch, Nathan@Waterboards <Nathan.Fisch@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Muro, Bryan@Waterboards <Bryan.Muro@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Maher, Michael@Wildlife <Michael.Maher@wildlife.ca.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <beth.lawson@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Brenzovich, Erika -FS <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan Please disregard the previous attachment. Tony Gigliotti Sr. Licensing Project Manager Power Generation Cell: (925) 357-7120 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 From: Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 7:16 AM To: Bartoo, Aondrea <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Alvarez, Dawn -FS <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS <leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Fisch, Nathan@Waterboards <Nathan.Fisch@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Muro, Bryan@Waterboards <Bryan.Muro@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Maher, Michael@Wildlife <Michael.Maher@wildlife.ca.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <beth.lawson@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Brenzovich, Erika -FS <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan All, Attached is the updated version with some minor modifications to Leigh’s suggestion. I removed “resource agencies requested” to address her first point. Regarding the passing of debris at LBL, it is very situational and could occur if conditions allow us to remove the wood, cut it, and then pass it at that point. With the addition Leigh suggested I believe we capture the essence and summary of the overall plan. Thank you, Tony Gigliotti Sr. Licensing Project Manager Power Generation Cell: (925) 357-7120 From: Bartoo, Aondrea <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov> Sent: Monday, September 25, 2023 11:20 AM To: Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com>; Alvarez, Dawn -FS <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS <leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Fisch, Nathan@Waterboards <Nathan.Fisch@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Muro, Bryan@Waterboards <Bryan.Muro@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Maher, Michael@Wildlife <Michael.Maher@wildlife.ca.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <beth.lawson@wildlife.ca.gov> Cc: Brenzovich, Erika -FS <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: Re: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER! This email was sent from an EXTERNAL source. Do you know this person? Are you expecting this email? Are you expecting any links or attachments? If suspicious, do not click links, open attachments, or provide credentials. Don't delete it. Report it by using the "Report Phish" button. Tony, thank you so much for these edits! I think they help capture a fuller understanding of what has happened and will happen going into the future. Although I did have a few Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 clarifications and questions, I think we're almost done. I did a bit of a double-take with the added statement in the plan of "Prior to 2002, resource agencies requested that PG&E remove woody material from Project reservoirs and dispose of it by burning or other methods." I would need to see some evidence that USFWS requested this, as my agency has a long history (many decades) of supporting LWD being kept within the stream courses across California. I've been with USFWS since 2001 and that protocol was long-since established at that point, although I wasn't involved with FERC back then. I do realize none of us here now likely were involved with Bucks back then, but I am assuming this statement is based on a documented communication of some kind. If this was direction from just one of the agencies, like FS, then I'd appreciate this sentence being edited to reflect that. I also see that it is stated that LWD has been relocated on at least one occasion from LBL to downstream of the dam. I thought we'd been informed that moving LWD from LBL to downstream was not possible. It sounds like it is possible to place at least some LWD downstream. If this is the case, can we add some language about the order of preference for handling LWD at the dams? #1--allow to pass passively, #2--remove from the dam and place downstream in Bucks Creek (it sounds like everything passes at Grizzly), #3--if #1 and #2 are not possible or safe, remove LWD to an offsite location. Section 2.4 makes it sound like there are only 2 options: passive movement or removing offsite (although there is a general reference to moving downstream with no clarification on when that would be implemented). I added a sentence, but it undoubtedly needs editing. 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 Pronouns: she/her/hers Please contact me by email while staff are working from home. From: Gigliotti, Tony <T1GF@pge.com> Sent: Monday, September 25, 2023 9:59 AM To: Bartoo, Aondrea <aondrea_bartoo@fws.gov>; Alvarez, Dawn -FS <dawn.alvarez@usda.gov>; Edlund, Leslie - FS <leslie.edlund@usda.gov>; Fisch, Nathan@Waterboards <Nathan.Fisch@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Muro, Bryan@Waterboards <Bryan.Muro@Waterboards.ca.gov>; Maher, Michael@Wildlife <Michael.Maher@wildlife.ca.gov>; Lawson, Beth@Wildlife <beth.lawson@wildlife.ca.gov> Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Cc: Brenzovich, Erika -FS <erika.brenzovich@usda.gov>; Visinoni, Jamie <JNVS@pge.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] P619: Bucks Woody Material Passage Plan This email has been received from outside of DOI - Use caution before clicking on links, opening attachments, or responding. All, Thank you for your input on the Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 619) Woody Material Passage Plan. A draft version of the plan was distributed on April 21, 2023 for review and comments. Based on comments received at the in-person meeting on July 24, 2023, we made two modifications to the plan: added background information summarizing previous passage activities and LWM removal efforts. added the intent of the plan to the “Goals and Objectives” section and moved that section earlier in the document. Attached are a redlined word document and a clean PDF of the plan. Please review and provide any comments by October 16th. Thank you, Tony Gigliotti Sr. Licensing Project Manager Power Generation Cell: (925) 357-7120 You can read about PG&E’s data privacy practices here or at PGE.com/privacy. 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. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 ENCLOSURE 3 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Power Generation 300 Lakeside Drive Oakland, CA 94612 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 28209 December 15, 2023 Via Electronic Submittal (E-File) Frank L. Blackett, P.E., Regional Engineer Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Division of Dam Safety and Inspections 100 First Street, Suite 2300 San Francisco, CA 94105-3084 RE: Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 619-CA License Article 401(b) and Forest Service Section 4(e) Condition No. 40 Woody Material Management Plan ENCLOSURE CONTAINS CUI//CEII – DO NOT RELEASE Dear Frank L. Blackett: This letter presents Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) proposed woody material management plan (WMMP) for the Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) No. 619. PG&E prepared the WMMP in accordance with Article 401(b) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Section 4(e), Condition No. 40 of the project license, which was issued on June 16, 2022. As required by Article 401(b) and Condition No. 40, PG&E is submitting the WWMP to FERC’s San Francisco Regional Office (SFRO) for review by FERC dam safety staff. Article 401(b) and Condition No. 40 require PG&E to consult with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State Water Resources Control Board, and USFS (Agencies) during preparation of the WMMP and to receive USFS acceptance prior to filing the WMMP with FERC. PG&E completed the required consultations and received USFS acceptance of the proposed WMMP on October 17, 2023. Article 401(b) also requires PG&E’s Chief Dam Safety Engineer to review the WMMP and confirm that it will not result in adverse impacts to dam safety. In accordance with this requirement, I have reviewed the proposed WMMP and determined that it will not adversely affect PG&E’s ability to mitigate dam and public safety risks from debris accumulation in and around its facilities, including reservoirs, spillways, power intakes, and low-level outlets. Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Frank L. Blackett, P.E. Regional Engineer December 15, 2023 Page 2 A copy of the proposed WMMP, titled Woody Material Passage Plan and dated September 2023, is enclosed with this letter (Enclosure 2). As described in Article 401(b), this submittal is intended to facilitate consultation with FERC dam safety staff to “ensure the plan’s methods for collection, removal, transport, and/or disposal of woody material at the project dams and spillways does not adversely affect dam safety.” After receiving and addressing any comments from your office, PG&E plans to file the final WMMP with FERC’s Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance (DHAC) for review and acceptance. Should you have technical questions concerning this matter, please contact Ben Fontana, senior dam safety engineer for PG&E, at (530) 762-9459. For general questions, please contact PG&E’s license project manager, Tony Gigliotti, at (925) 357-7120. Sincerely, Dave. L. Ritzman, P.E., G.E. Chief Dam Safety Engineer Enclosure: CUI//CEII – DO NOT RELEASE 1.Woody Material Passage Plan, prepared by PG&E and dated September 2023 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 ENCLOSURE 4 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Energy Projects Division of Dam Safety and Inspections – San Francisco Regional Office 100 First Street, Suite 2300 San Francisco, CA 94105-3084 (415)369-3300 April 3, 2024 In reply refer to: Project No. 619-CA VIA FERC Service Mr. Russell Cruzen, P.E., Director Power Generation, Asset Excellence Pacific Gas and Electric Company 300 Lakeside Dr. Oakland, CA 94612-3534 Re: Woody Material Management Plan Dear Mr. Cruzen: This is in response to a letter dated December 15, 2023, from Mr. Dave Ritzman, that submitted a Woody Material Management for the Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 619. We have reviewed the submittal, and we have no comments. We appreciate your cooperation in this aspect of our dam safety program. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Eunhye Kim at (415) 369-3321. Sincerely, Digitally signed by VINH TRAN Date: 2024.04.03 15:19:41 -07'00' (For) Frank L. Blackett, P.E. Regional Engineer cc: Ms. Sharon Tapia, Division Manager CA Dept. of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams P.O. Box 942836 Sacramento, CA 94236-0001 VINH TRAN Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024 Document Content(s) PGE20240606_619_Bucks_Woody_Material_MP.pdf...............................1 Document Accession #: 20240606-5067 Filed Date: 06/06/2024