[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 166 (Monday, August 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52762-52764]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18564]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 6240-064]


Watson Associates; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, 
Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental 
Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and 
Conditions, and Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.

[[Page 52763]]

    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 6240-064.
    c. Date Filed: August 27, 2021.
    d. Applicant: Watson Associates.
    e. Name of Project: Watson Dam Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the Cocheco River in Strafford County, New 
Hampshire. The project does not occupy any federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John Webster, Watson Associates, P.O. Box 
178, South Berwick, ME 03908; Phone at (207) 384-5334, or email at 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Michael Watts at (202) 502-6123, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, and 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 and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling system at 
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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, you may submit a 
paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be 
addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. 
Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly 
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins 
Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should 
include docket number P-6240-064.
    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 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.
    The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final rule on 
April 20, 2022, revising the regulations under 40 CFR parts 1502, 1507, 
and 1508 that federal agencies use to implement the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (see National Environmental Policy Act 
Implementing Regulations Revisions, 87 FR 23,453-70). The final rule 
became effective on May 20, 2022. Commission staff intends to conduct 
its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.
    l. Project Description: The existing Watson Dam Project consists 
of: (1) a 285.25-foot-long, 12-foot-high concrete gravity dam that 
includes the following sections: (a) a 43-foot-long west abutment; (b) 
a 122-foot-long west spillway section with 24-inch-high flashboards, a 
crest elevation of 110.1 North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 
88) at the top of the flashboards, and a 3-foot-wide notch at an 
elevation of 109.6 NAVD 88; (c) an 11.25-foot-long, 11.5-foot-wide 
concrete spillway center pier; (d) an 80-foot-long east spillway 
section with 24-inch-high flashboards and a crest elevation of 110.2 
feet NAVD 88 at the top of the flashboards; and (e) a 29-foot-long east 
abutment; (2) an impoundment with a surface area of 54 acres and a 
storage capacity of 300 acre-feet at an elevation of 110.1 feet NAVD 
88; (3) a 23.5-foot-long intake structure in the east abutment that is 
equipped with an 8.5-foot-diameter headgate and trashrack with 2-inch 
clear bar spacing and a 1-inch mesh overlay; (4) a 26.5-foot-long, 34-
foot-wide wood and steel powerhouse containing one 265-kilowatt 
vertical Flygt submersible turbine-generator unit; (5) a 250-foot-long, 
20-foot-wide tailrace that discharges into the Cocheco River; (6) a 
0.48/12.47-kilovolt (kV) step-up transformer and an 80-foot-long, 12.47 
kV transmission line that connect the project to the local utility 
distribution system; and (7) appurtenant facilities. The project 
creates an approximately 400-foot-long bypassed reach of the Cocheco 
River.
    Watson Associates operates the project in a run-of-river mode using 
an automatic pond level control system to regulate turbine operation, 
such that outflow from the project approximates inflow. Downstream fish 
passage is provided by a bypass facility located next to the project's 
intake on the east side of the dam that includes an approximately 30-
foot-long, 24-inch-diameter pipe that discharges to a plunge pool 
downstream of the dam.
    Article 26 of the current license requires a minimum flow of 83 
cubic feet per second or inflow to the impoundment, whichever is less, 
from the project, to protect and enhance aquatic resources in the 
Cocheco River. Watson Associates is required to operate the downstream 
fish passage facility from October 1 through November 15 of each year. 
The average annual energy production of the project is approximately 
1,100 megawatt hours.
    Watson Associates proposes to: (1) continue to operate the project 
in a run-of-river mode; (2) continue to provide downstream fish passage 
through the bypass facility; and (3) consult with the New Hampshire 
State Historic Preservation Officer before beginning any land-
disturbing activities or alterations to known historic structures 
within the project boundary.
    m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website at https://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.
    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,'' ``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 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

[[Page 52764]]

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 on the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related 
to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support.
    o. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date 
of issuance of this notice: (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. Please note 
that the certification request must comply with 40 CFR 121.5(b), 
including documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted 
to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting the 
certification request. Please also note that the certification request 
must be sent to the certifying authority and to the Commission 
concurrently.
    p. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will 
be made as appropriate.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Deadline for filing interventions,       October 2022.
 protests, comments, recommendations,
 preliminary terms and conditions, and
 preliminary fishway prescriptions.
Deadline for filing reply comments.....  December 2022.
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    q. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: August 23, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-18564 Filed 8-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P