[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 150 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40695-40696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19533]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Amendment of License and Soliciting Comments, Motions 
To Intervene, and Protests

July 31, 2001.
    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Temporary Amendment to License.
    b. Project No.: 2833-082.
    c. Date Filed: July 23, 2001.
    d. Applicant: Lewis County Public Utility District.
    e. Name of Project: Cowlitz Falls.
    f. Location: The Cowlitz Falls hydroelectric project is located on 
the Cowlitz River in Lewis County, Washington, immediately upstream of 
the City of Tacoma's licensed Cowlitz River Project No. 2016. No 
federal lands would be affected.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Steven Grega, Lewis County Public Utility 
District, 321 N.W. Pacific Avenue, P.O. Box 330, Chehalis, WA 98532-
0330; (360) 740-2453.
    i. FERC Contact: Questions about this notice can be answered by 
Kenneth Hogan at (202) 208-0434 or e-mail address: 
[email protected].

[[Page 40696]]

The Commission cannot accept comments, recommendations, motions to 
intervene or protests sent by e-mail; these documents must be filed as 
described below.
    j. Deadline for filing comments, terms and conditions, motions to 
intervene, and protests: 15 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    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, recommendations, 
terms and conditions, protests and interventions may be filed 
electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site 
at: http://www.ferc.gov.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on each person whose name appears 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. The Lewis County Public Utility District (District) filed an 
application to temporarily modify the instream flow requirement of the 
Cowlitz Falls Project No. 2833, set forth in Article 46 for a period of 
two years. The District proposes to reduce instream flow to 250 cubic 
feet per second (cfs), (fish facility outflow + turbine and dam leakage 
+ Tumwater Creek), when natural inflow to the Cowlitz Falls reservoir 
is below the turbine minimum flow requirements of 1,700-cfs. The 
District states that such a reduction will improve fish collection 
efficiency at the Cowlitz Falls Project and optimize generation. 
Article 46 reads as follows:

    Article 46: The licensee shall operate the Cowlitz Falls Project 
in a run-of-river mode. Daily variations in the water surface 
elevation of the reservoir shall not exceed two feet under normal 
operating conditions. During periods when Project No. 2016's Riffe 
Reservoir, located immediately downstream, is drawndown below 
elevation 750 feet mean sea level, the flow below the Cowlitz Falls 
Dam shall be maintained at a minimum of 1,000 cfs or inflow to the 
Cowlitz Falls Project reservoir, whichever is less. Run-of-river 
operation may be temporarily modified if required by operating 
emergencies beyond the control of the licensee, and for short 
periods upon mutual agreement between the licensee and the 
Washington State Department of Fisheries and Department of Game.

    The District, with the cooperation of the Washington Department of 
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), on April 25, 2001, 
conducted a reduced instream flow test to evaluate the effects on the 
fishery and other resources in the downstream reach below the Cowlitz 
Falls Project. The District's amendment request is based on that study. 
The District request that this amendment be in effect for a two year 
period, to further evaluate the effects of the modified operations. 
Upon evaluation of those effects, the District may apply for a license 
amendment permanently modifying license Article 46. The District 
expects to receive the approval of the WDFW with the concurrence of the 
NMFS and the FWS on the amendment.
    l. A copy of the application is available for inspection and 
reproduction at the Commission's Public Reference Room at 888 First 
Street NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling (202) 208-1371. 
The application may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov. Call 
(202) 208-2222 for assistance. A copy is also available for inspection 
and reproduction at the address in item (h) above.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in 
accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 
CFR 385.210, .211, .214. In determining the appropriate action to take, 
the Commission will consider all protests or other comments filed, but 
only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the 
Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any comments, 
protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or before the 
specified comment date for the particular application.
    Any filings must bear in all capital letters the title 
``COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' 
``PROTEST,'' or ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' as applicable, and the Project 
Number of the particular application to which the filing refers. A copy 
of any motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative 
of the Applicant specified in the particular application.
    Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to file comments on 
the described application. A copy of the application may be obtained by 
agencies directly from the applicant. If an agency does not file 
comments within the time specified for filing comments, it will be 
presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's comments must 
also be sent to the Applicant's representatives.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-19533 Filed 8-2-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P