[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18541-18542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07305]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2179-043]


Merced Irrigation District; 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 License.
    b. Project No.: 2179-043.
    c. Date filed: February 27, 2012.
    d. Applicant: Merced Irrigation District (Merced ID).
    e. Name of Project: Merced River Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Merced River in 
Merced and Mariposa counties, California. The project would occupy 
3,152.9 acres of federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825.
    h. Applicant Contact: Merced Irrigation District, P.O. Box 2288, 
Merced, CA 95344; Telephone (209) 722-5761.
    i. FERC Contact: Matt Buhyoff, (202) 502-6824 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.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions using the 
Commission's eFiling system at 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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-2179-043.
    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 ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The project consists of two developments:
    New Exchequer Development--(1) New Exchequer Dam--a 490 feet-high 
dam with a crest length of 1,220 feet and a crest elevation of 879 
feet; (2) an ogee-type concrete spillway located about one mile north 
of New Exchequer dam in a saddle; (3) an earth and rock dike 62-feet-
high and 1,500-feet-long located in a saddle about 0.75 mile north of 
New Exchequer dam; (4) Lake McClure--a reservoir formed by New 
Exchequer dam with normal maximum water surface elevation of 867 feet 
msl, a gross storage capacity of 1,024,600-acre-feet, a surface area of 
7,110 acres, and a shoreline length of about 82 miles; (5) an intake 
located near the north end of the dam and approximately 382 feet deep 
at full pool; (6) a 383 feet-long, 18-feet-diameter concrete-lined 
power tunnel leading from the intake to McSwain reservoir north of New 
Exchequer powerhouse; (7) a 982-feet-long, 16-feet-diameter concrete-
encased steel penstock that leads to; (8) a powerhouse with one 
vertical Francis turbine with a capacity of 94.5 MW, located at the 
base of New Exchequer dam releasing directly into McSwain reservoir; 
(9) a switchyard located adjacent to New Exchequer powerhouse and; (10) 
four developed recreation facilities (McClure Point, Barrett Cove, 
Horseshoe Bend, and Bagby) with 515 camping units, 4 boat launch 
facilities, boat rentals, showers, 28 comfort stations, 3 swimming 
lagoons, 2 marinas, gas and oil service stations, 186 water-electrical 
campsite hookups, washers and dryers, 117 picnic units and fish 
cleaning stations.
    McSwain Development--(1) McSwain dam--located 6.3 miles downstream 
from New Exchequer dam, an 80 feet-high embankment structure, with a 
crest length of 1,620 feet and a crest elevation of 425 feet; (2) an 
ungated concrete overflow spillway located in a flat ridge on the 
southeast side of the dam, including two sections: A 150-feet-long 
section with a crest elevation at 402 feet, and a 475-feet-long section 
with a crest elevation at 400 feet; (3) McSwain reservoir--a 4.8 miles-
long reservoir with a normal maximum water surface elevation at 400 
feet msl, a maximum depth of 66 feet, a gross storage capacity of 9,730 
acre-feet, a surface area of 310 acres, and a shoreline length of about 
12.5 miles; (4) an intake located on the north end of the dam and 
approximately 39 feet below the reservoir's normal minimum water 
surface elevation; (5) a 160 feet-long, 9-feet-diameter, low-level 
powerhouse-bypass pipe leading from the power tunnel intake, through 
the dam, directly to Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Merced 
Falls reservoir (FERC No. 2467); (6) a 15-feet-diameter and 160-feet-
long penstock leading a powerhouse with a single vertical Kaplan 
turbine with a capacity of 9.0 MW, located at the base of McSwain dam, 
and releasing into Merced Falls reservoir; (7) a switchyard located 
adjacent to McSwain powerhouse, and; (8) one developed recreation 
facility with 99 camping units, 1 boat launch facility, boat rentals, 
showers, 5 comfort stations, a swimming lagoon, marina, gas and oil, 65 
water-electrical campsite hookups, washers and dryers, 48 picnic units, 
a concession store, and fish cleaning stations.
    The Merced River Project has a dependable capacity of 103.5 MW and 
an annual average generation of approximately 385 GWh. Merced ID is not 
proposing any structural changes to the project. However, Merced ID is 
proposing to remove from the project, but retain in operation outside 
the license, seven water delivery facilities, which function, in part, 
to deliver water to a wildlife refuge. Merced ID is also proposing 
capital improvements to recreation areas at 5 existing recreation 
sites, as well as the development of a new non-motorized recreation 
area along the west shore of Lake McClure.
    m. 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

[[Page 18542]]

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, and .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 in conjunction with the Merced 
Falls Hydroelectric Project application (P-2467-020) and 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   May, 2014.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EA or EIS......  November, 2014.
Comments on Draft EA or EIS............  January, 2015.
Modified Terms and Conditions..........  March, 2015.
Commission Issues Final EA or EIS......  June, 2015.
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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: March 24, 2014.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary .
[FR Doc. 2014-07305 Filed 4-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P