[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34690-34691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14634]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2079-069]


Placer County Water Agency; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2079-069.
    c. Date filed: February 23, 2011.
    d. Applicant: Placer County Water Agency.
    e. Name of Project: Middle Fork American River Project.
    f. Location: The Middle Fork American River Project is located in 
Placer and El Dorado counties, almost entirely within the Tahoe and El 
Dorado National Forests. The existing project occupies 3,268 acres of 
federal lands administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture--
Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)--825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Andy Fecko, Project Manager, Placer County 
Water Agency, 144 Ferguson Road, Auburn, CA 95603; Telephone: (530) 
823-4490.
    i. FERC Contact: Carolyn Templeton, (202) 502-8785 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply 
comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    Motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, 
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 
may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 
or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filing, documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, 
mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    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 for filing and is now is 
ready for environmental analysis.
    l. The Project Description: The Middle Fork American River Project 
(project) has two principal water storage reservoirs, French Meadows 
and Hell Hole. These reservoirs are located on the Middle Fork American 
River and the Rubicon River, respectively, and have a combined gross 
storage capacity of 342,583 acre-feet (ac-ft).
    Starting at the highest elevation of the project, water is diverted 
from Duncan Creek at the Duncan Creek diversion and routed through the 
1.5-mile-long Duncan Creek-Middle Fork tunnel into French Meadows 
reservoir (134,993 ac-ft of gross storage).
    Flows in the Middle Fork American River are captured and stored in 
French Meadows reservoir along with diversions from Duncan Creek. From 
French Meadows reservoir, water is transported via the 2.6-mile-long 
French Meadows-Hell Hole tunnel, passed through the French Meadows 
powerhouse [installed generating capacity of 15.3 megawatts (MW)], and 
released into Hell Hole reservoir (207,590 ac-ft of gross storage). 
Flows in the Rubicon River are captured and stored in Hell Hole 
reservoir along with water released from French Meadows reservoir 
through French Meadows powerhouse. Water released from Hell Hole 
reservoir into the Rubicon River to meet instream flow requirements 
first pass through the Hell Hole powerhouse (installed generating 
capacity of 0.73 MW), which is located at the base of Hell Hole dam.
    From Hell Hole reservoir, water is also transported via the 10.4-
mile-long Hell Hole-Middle Fork tunnel, passed through the Middle Fork 
powerhouse (installed generating capacity of 122.4 MW), and released 
into the Middle Fork Interbay (175 ac-ft of gross storage). Between 
Hell Hole reservoir and Middle Fork powerhouse, water is diverted from 
the North and South Forks of Long Canyon creeks directly into the Hell 
Hole-Middle Fork tunnel. Water diverted from these creeks into the Hell 
Hole-Middle Fork tunnel can either be stored in Hell Hole reservoir or 
be used to augment releases from Hell Hole reservoir to the Middle Fork 
powerhouse.
    Flows from the Middle Fork American River (including instream flow 
releases from French Meadows reservoir) are captured at Middle Fork 
interbay along with water released from Hell Hole reservoir through 
Middle Fork powerhouse. From Middle Fork Interbay, water is transported 
via the 6.7-mile-long Middle Fork-Ralston tunnel, passed through the 
Ralston powerhouse (installed generating capacity of 79.2 MW), and 
released into the Ralston afterbay (2,782 ac-ft of gross storage).
    Flows from the Middle Fork American River (including instream 
releases from Middle Fork interbay) and flows from the Rubicon River 
(including instream releases from Hell Hole

[[Page 34691]]

reservoir) are captured in Ralston afterbay along with water 
transported from Middle Fork interbay through Ralston powerhouse. From 
Ralston afterbay, water is transported via the 400-foot-long Ralston-
Oxbow tunnel, passed through the Oxbow powerhouse (installed generating 
capacity of 6.1 MW), and released from the project to the Middle Fork 
American River. The project has a total generation capacity of 224 MW.
    The applicant proposes to modify the Duncan Creek, North Fork Long 
Canyon, and South Fork Long Canyon creeks to provide screening and 
modified outlets; increase the storage capacity of Hell Hole reservoir 
by adding 6-feet-tall crest gates; and provide additional flow gaging 
stations throughout the project.
    m. Location of the Application: A copy of the application is 
available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or 
may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using 
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. For 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support. A copy is also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. 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.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY 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 protesting or intervening; 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. A copy of any protest or 
motion to intervene must be served upon each representative of the 
applicant specified in the particular application. A copy of all other 
filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof 
of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the 
Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 
385.2010.
    o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the 
schedule may be made as appropriate.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary  August 8, 2011.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EIS...........  February 2, 2012.
Comments on Draft EIS.................  April 2, 2012.
Modified Terms and Conditions.........  June 1, 2012.
Commission Issues Final EIS...........  August 30, 2012.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in 5.22: (1) A copy of the water 
quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, 
including proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the 
request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.

    Dated: June 7, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-14634 Filed 6-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P