Draft EIS_072312.pdf - Middle Fork American River Project ...

20120723-4002 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 07/23/2012
incubation, and rearing because it is not subject to daily flow fluctuations. We expect
this would enhance recruitment to trout populations in the peaking reach. Developing a
plan, in consultation with the agencies, to guide gravel placement in this reach would
ensure a documented logical approach to this effort is carried out. Following initial
gravel augmentation in this reach, monitoring for trout redds would document the
effectiveness of plan implementation.
Monitoring Instream Flows and Reservoir Water Surface Elevations
PCWA proposes, Alternative 1 specifies, and a new license for the project would
likely include provisions for releasing specified instream flows to the bypassed and
peaking reaches. In particular, provisions for releasing the following types of instream
flows would likely be included in a new license: minimum instream flows in the
bypassed and peaking reaches; pulse flows in the bypassed reaches; recreation flows in
the peaking reach; ramping rates with maximum flow releases from Oxbow powerhouse;
and downramping for spills from French Meadow and Hell Hole dams. In addition, a
new license would likely contain provisions for maintaining minimum water surface
elevations at French Meadows and Hell Hole reservoir to enhance recreational
opportunities. The Commission would need to ensure that compliance with any
streamflows or reservoir levels specified in a new license could be documented.
To address the need to document compliance with instream flows and water
surface elevations, PCWA proposes a Flow and Reservoir Monitoring Plan. The plan
includes much of the details about instream flows detailed in the previous sections and
recreation-related flows and reservoir water surface elevations discussed in section
3.3.5.2, Recreation and Land Use. Flows and reservoir water surface elevations would
be recorded at 15-minute intervals, and 24-hour-average flow and reservoir elevation data
annual hydrology summary reports would be provided to the Forest Service, Water
Board, California Fish and Game, FWS, and the Commission. The 15-minute gage data
for USGS gage no. 11433300 in the peaking reach near Foresthill would be available on
request. Figure 3.3.2-7 shows the proposed stream and reservoir gage locations.
In response to Forest Service condition no. 31, PCWA developed a Streamflow
and Reservoir Gaging Plan that would replace its proposed plan (PCWA, 2011f).
According to PCWA, this plan is still undergoing review by the Forest Service and other
agencies (letter from A. Fecko, Resource Planning Administrator, PCWA, to the
Commission, filed on January 11, 2012). The Forest Service and other agencies have not
indicated if and what issues remained to be resolved to finalize the Streamflow and
Reservoir Gaging Plan. Therefore, for the purposes of our analysis, we assume the
Alternative 1 plan would essentially be the same as PCWA’s Streamflow and Reservoir
Gaging Plan with the potential for additional minor modifications to occur.
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