[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 225 (Tuesday, November 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69934-69935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29695]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and 
Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and 
Prescriptions

November 19, 2000.
    Take notice that the following hydrolectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Major New License.
    b. Project No.: 1927-008.
    c. Date filed: January 30, 1995 (most recently amended by 
PacifiCorp on February 22, 2000).
    d. Applicant: PacificCorp.
    e. Name of Project: North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the North Umpqua River, in Douglas County, Oregon. 
The project occupies about 2,725 acres of land within the Umpqua 
National Forest, and about 117 acres of land administered by the Bureau 
of Land Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Timothy C. O'Connor, Director, Hydro 
Operations, PacifiCorp 825 Multnomah, Suite 1500, Portland, OR 97232, 
(503) 813-6660, and Thomas H. Nelson, Stoel Rives Boley Jones & Grey, 
900 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204, (503) 294-9281.
    i. FERC Contact: John Smith, 202-219-2460, [email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions: March 1, 2001.
    The comment due date has been set to coincide with the conclusion 
of settlement negotiations.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    Comments and protests may be filed electronically via the internet 
in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 384.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted, and is ready for 
environmental analysis at this time.
    1. (1) The project consists of a series of mainstem reservoirs, 
diversion canals and penstocks, and powerhouses on the North Umpqua 
River and two major tributaries--the Clearwater River and Fish Creek. 
The project's 8 developments include:
    Lemolo No. 1: (1) a 120-foot-high diversion dam on the North Umpqua 
River, about 1 mile downstream of its confluence with Lake Creek, 
impounding the 11,752-acre-foot Lemolo Lake; (2) 16,310 feet of canal 
and flumes; (3) a forebay at the intake of a 7,338-foot-long steel 
penstock; (4) a 4.5-mile-long bypassed reach, (5) a powerhouse on the 
North Umpqua River at the mouth of Warm Springs Creek containing a 
29,000-kilowatt (kW) turbine-generator unit; and (6) a 12-mile-long 
transmission line connecting the powerhouse to the Clearwater switching 
station.
    Lemolo No. 2: (1) a 25-foot-high diversion dam on the North Umpqua 
River, immediately downstream of the Lemolo No. 1 powerhouse, with a 
1.4-acre impoundment having no active storage; (2) 69,503 feet of canal 
and flumes; (3) a 159-acre-foot forebay at the intake of a 3,975-foot-
long penstock; (5) an 11-mile-long bypassed reach; (6) a 71-foot-high 
surge tank; (7) a powerhouse on the North Umpqua River, approximately 
3,500 feet upstream of Tiketee Lake, containing a 33,000-kW turbine-
generator unit; and (8) a 1.4-mile-long transmission line to the 
Clearwater switching station.
    Clearwater No. 1: (1) a 17-foot-high diversion dam on the 
Clearwater River, about 9 miles upstream of Toketee Lake, impounding 
the 30-acre-foot Stump Lake; (2) 13,037 feet of canals and flumes; (3) 
a 121-acre-foot forebay at the intake of a 4,863 foot-long penstock; 
(4) a 3-mile-long bypassed reach; (5) a powerhouse discharging directly 
into the Clearwater No. 2 diversion with a 15,000-kW turbine-generator 
unit; and (6) a 5.1-mile-long transmission line to the Clearwater 
switching station.
    Clearwater No. 2: (1) and 18-foot-high diversion dam on the 
Clearwater River, immediately downstream of the Clearwater No. 1 
powerhouse, with a small impoundment about 1.2 acres in surface area; 
(2) 31,235 feet of canal and flumes; (3) a 71-acre-foot forebay at the 
intake of a 1.168-foot-long penstock; (4) a 5-mile-long bypassed reach; 
(5) a powerhouse with a 26,000-kW turbine-generator on the North Umpqua 
River at Toketee Lake; and (6) a 0.3-mile-long transmission line to the 
Clearwater switching station.
    Toketee: (1) a 58-foot-high dam at the confluence of the Clearwater 
and North Umpqua Rivers, impounding the 1,051-acre-foot Toketee Lake; 
(2) 6,994 feet of wook stave pipe and tunnel; (3) 1,067 feet of single 
penstock that splits into three 158-foot-long pentocks; (4) a 128-foot-
high surge tank; (5) a 2-mile-long bypassed reach; and (6) a powerhouse 
about 2 miles downstream of Toketee Lake containing 3 turbine-generator 
units with a combined rated capacity of 42,500 kW. Power is delivered 
to the Toketee switching station, adjacent to the Toketee powerhouse.
    Fish Creek: (1) a 6.5-foot-high diversion dam on Fish Creek, about 
6 miles upstream from its confluence with the North Umpqua River, with 
a small impoundment about 3 acres in surface area; (2) 25,662 feet of 
canal and flumes; (3) a 110-acre-foot forebay at the intake of a 2,358-
foot-long penstock; (4) a 6.6-mile-long bypassed reach; and (5) a 
powerhouse containing an 11,000-kW turbine-generator unit. Power is

[[Page 69935]]

delivered to a collector transmission line between the Soda Springs 
powerhouse substation and the Toketee switching station.
    Slide Creek: (1) a 30-foot-high diversion dam on the North Umpqua 
River, about 900 feet downstream of the Toketee powerhouse and 
impounding a 43-acre-foot reservoir with no active storage; (2) 9,653 
feet of canal and flumes; (3) a forebay with no storage capacity at the 
intake of a 374-foot-long penstock; (4) a 2-mile-long bypassed reach; 
and (5) a powerhouse containing an 18,000-kW turbine generator unit on 
the North Umpqua River at the mouth of Slide Creek, approximately 1.3 
miles above the Soda Springs dam. Power is delivered to a collector 
transmission line running between the Soda Springs powerhouse 
substation and the Toketee switching station.
    Soda Springs: (1) a 77-foot-high diversion dam on the North Umpqua 
River downstream of the Slide Creek powerhouse, impounding a 412-acre-
foot reservoir; (2) 2,112 feet of steel pipe; (4) a surge tank; (5) a 
168-foot-long penstock; (6) a 0.5-mile-long bypassed reach; and (7) a 
powerhouse with a 11,000-kW turbine generator unit located on the North 
Umpqua River about 1.5 miles downstream of Medicine Creek. Power is 
delivered to the Soda Springs substation, adjacent to the Soda Springs 
powerhouse.
    (2) The licensee proposes to make the following facility 
modifications:
    A new enlarged forebay would be added to Lemolo No. 1 to virtually 
eliminate the risk of spill events. Instream flow outlet and 
measurement facilities would be modified or added in the bypassed 
reaches of all project developments. A new instream release structure 
would be constructed at the extreme lower end of the Clearwater 
bypassed reach to provide flows to the historic river channel and 
provide aquatic connectivity between the Clearwater and North Umpqua 
Rivers. Canal flow gages would be installed on Lemolo No. 1, Lemolo No. 
2, Clearwater No. 1, Clearwater No. 2, Fish Creek, and Slide Creek 
conveyance systems. A penstock flow meter would be installed on the 
Toketee development to measure flows through the powerhouse. These 
facilities would measure conveyance system flows for both water rights 
compliance and conveyance system monitoring. In addition, the following 
enhancement measures would be implemented to improve aquatic and 
terrestrial connectivity: (a) reconnect Bear Creek, currently diverted 
into Stump Lake, by rerouting it through its historic channel to the 
mainstream Clearwater River; (b) reconnect 27 small tributaries that 
are currently intercepted by project canals by constructing artificial 
channels for water to cross the canal and providing pre-cast concrete 
canal covers; (c) reconnect 36 small tributaries that are currently 
intercepted by flumes or flow under flumes through culverts too small 
to allow passage of small wildlife by installing 10-foot-wide culverts 
in a shallow excavation under each flume; (d) reconnect 8 tributary 
streams that are currently diverted into Lemolo No. 1 and Lemolo No. 2 
waterways by removing diversion structures, except for Deer Creek, and 
allowing the streams to flow down their natural channels; (e) 
reconfigure the historic stream channels for Potter and White Mule 
Creeks that have been disturbed by activities in the vicinity of 
project waterways to provide riparian function; (f) create 4 ponds or 
similar stillwater habitat areas to provide stable, predator-free 
environments for breeding amphibians; and (g) provide 26 new 12-foot-
wide wildlife bridges, install up to 175 new 2-foot-wide wildlife 
bridges, and expand 29 existing wildlife bridges across water 
conveyance systems.
    (3) The licensee proposes to operate the project as follows:
    The functional relationship of the 8 projects would remain 
relatively unchanged from the existing operations. Generally, the 
project developments above the Soda Springs development would continue 
to operate to meet daily high energy demands during most of the year. 
The Soea Springs development would be operated continuously to provide 
uniform flows in the North Umpqua River below the project. Proposed 
increases in instream flow in the bypassed reaches to more closely 
resemble a natural hydrograph, meet water quality standards, and 
improve resident and anadromous fish habitat would result in a decrease 
in gross project generation.
    m. Copies of the application and the February 22, 2000, amendments 
are available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's 
Public Reference Room, located at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2-A 
Washington, DC 20426, or by calling (202) 208-1371. The application and 
amendments may be viewed on http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm 
(call (202) 208-2222 for assistance). Copies are also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
    n. The Commission directs that all comments, recommendations, terms 
and conditions and prescriptions concerning the application be filed 
with the Commission by March 1, 2001. All reply comments must be filed 
with the Commission by April 16, 2001.
    Anyone may obtain an extension of time for these deadlines from the 
Commission only upon a showing of good cause or extraordinary 
circumstances in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2008.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``COMMENTS'', ``REPLY COMMENTS'', ``RECOMMENDATIONS'', ``TERMS AND 
CONDITIONS'', or ``PRESCRIPTIONS''; (2) set forth in the heading the 
name of the applicant and the project number of the application to 
which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone 
number of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply 
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must 
set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the 
requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the 
application directly from the applicant. Each filing must be 
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service 
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 
18 CFR 4.34(b), and 385.2010.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-29695 Filed 11-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M