Commission staff prepared a draft supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) that supplements the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), issued June 4, 2009, for the proposed relicensing of South Feather Water and Power Agency’s (South Feather) existing 117.3-megawatt South Feather Power Project No. 2088 (project).
On March 26, 2007, South Feather filed an application for a new license to continue to operate and maintain its water supply and power project that consists of four hydroelectric developments: Sly Creek, Woodleaf, Forbestown, and Kelly Ridge. The project is located on the South Fork Feather River, Lost Creek, and Slate Creek, in Butte, Yuba, and Plumas Counties, California. The project occupies 1,977.12 acres of federal land administered by Plumas National Forest and 10.57 acres of federal land administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
On October 23, 2012, South Feather entered into a settlement agreement with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Contractors, Incorporated that modifies the proposed operation of the project’s Kelly Ridge Powerhouse. On November 30, 2018, the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) issued a water quality certificate for the project. Additionally, on June 28, 2020, the Commission determined that the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) waived its authority to issue a water quality certification for the project; therefore, the Water Board’s certification conditions are not considered mandatory under section 401 of the Clean Water Act and the conditions are now considered recommendations under section 10(a) of the Federal Power Act (FPA). Staff prepared the draft SEIS to evaluate the proposed project and proposed action in accordance with the filings made subsequent to the issuance of the final EIS, including the settlement agreement, the water quality certification, and revised final conditions filed by the Forest Service under section 4(e) of the FPA. The draft SEIS informs ongoing consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and also addresses several newly listed species.
The primary issues associated with relicensing the project are: (1) effects on aquatic habitat, stream flows, water temperature, and federally listed anadromous fish; (2) effects on federally listed frogs and their habitat; (3) the need for additional recreational opportunities and facilities in the project area; and (4) effects on cultural resources.
In the draft EIS, Commission staff recommends relicensing the project under the staff alternative, which consists of the environmental measures included in South Feather’s license application proposal, most of the Forest Service’s mandatory revised final 4(e) conditions, most of the Water Board’s certification conditions, some of the recommended measures filed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and additional measures developed by staff.
The deadline to comment on the draft SEIS is December 18, 2023.