Upper American River Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2101
19 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2008052009
Lead Agency
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Document Title
Upper American River Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 2101
Document Type
NOD - Notice of Determination
Received
Posted
10/4/2013
Present Land Use
Nearly all of the existing UARP is located within the Eldorado National Forest. The proposed Iowa Hill Pumped-storage Development would be constructed on lands that are currently undeveloped.
General Plan: Upper reservoir - National Resource and Rural Residential; electrical switchyard and tunnel portal - Natural Resource; transmission line - Natural Resource and Rural Residential.
Zoning: Upper reservoir - Timberland Preserve Zone (TPZ), Estate Residential (RE-10), and Residential Agricultural 40-acre minimum (RA-40); electrical switchyard and tunnel portal - RA-40; transmission line - TPZ, RE-10, and RA-40.
Document Description
The project is issuance of water quality certification for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), relicensing of the UARP, which is owned and operated by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). SMUD, is a lead agency, prepared a Final California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Supplemental Analysis to the FERC/United States Forest Service Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final CEQA Supplement) for the UARP and filed a Notice of Determination on July 24, 2012. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) considered the Final CEQA Supplement during the development of its water quality certification for the UARP.
The UARP has been operating pursuant to its current FERC license since operations began in 1961 and consists of seven hydroelectric developments with a total of 11 reservoirs and eight powerhouses that together can generate up to 688 megawatts (MW) of electrical power. The UARP also includes 11 transmission lines with combined length of 180 miles, about 28 miles of power tunnels/penstocks, one-1.9 mile long canal and about 700 developed public-use campsites. The UARP FERC boundary encompasses 6,375.2 acres of United States-owned land administered by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service as part of the Eldorado National Forest, and 53.9 acres of United States-owned land administered by the United States Bureau of Land Management. SMUD's FERC license application also includes the proposed Iowa Hill Development, a pumped-storage development that will entail the construction of an off-channel upper reservoir and underground powerhouse above the UARP's existing Slab Creek Reservoir, located on the SF American River near Camino.
SMUD, as part of the Settlement Agreement signed by resource agencies, conservation groups and other stakeholders, proposes to implement a set of environmental measures to minimize impacts and improve existing conditions in the vicinity of the UARP. These measures include, but are not limited to increased instream flows; ramping rates; resource monitoring; adaptive management; streamflow and reservoir gaging; public information services; recreational streamflow requirements; improvements to recreation facilities; and measures that address the design and operation of the Iowa Hill development. While the water quality certification includes conditions that cover the operation of the Iowa Hill development, should the project be approved by SMUD, Iowa Hill construction activities may require additional environmental review and permitting.
Contact Information
Name
Michael Maher
Agency Name
State Water Resources Control Board
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Placerville
Counties
El Dorado
Cross Streets
Rubicon R., Silver Ck, South Fork American River, lines running E to W from Loon Lake Powerhouse
Zip
95667, 709
Total Acres
9,150 & 283
Parcel #
Many
Waterways
Rubicon River, Silver Creek, and South Fork American River
Township
11N
Range
12E
Section
19,20,
Base
MDB&M
Other Location Info
City/Nearest Community: Camino
Other Information
Sections: 28-30
Notice of Determination
Approving Agency
State Water Resources Control Board
Approving Agency Role
Responsible Agency
Approved On
Determinations
(1) The project will have a significant impact on the environment
Yes
(2a) An Environmental Impact Report was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes
(2b) A Mitigated or a Negative Declaration was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
No
(2c) An other document type was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
No
(3) Mitigated measures were made a condition of the approval of the project
Yes
(4) A mitigation reporting or monitoring plan was adopted for this project
N/A
(5) A Statement of Overriding Considerations was adopted for this project
No
(6) Findings were made pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes
Disclaimer: The document was originally posted before CEQAnet had the capability to host attachments for the public. To obtain the original attachments for this document, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above.