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

20120723-4002 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 07/23/2012
recommend PCWA consult with various entities to prepare electronic files to the
agencies for their own use. The estimated levelized annual cost of our recommendation
to develop the marketing material and provide it to appropriate agencies would be
$4,780. Because the information in the materials needs to have a regional perspective,
it obviously serves a broader purpose than just the project. Accordingly, we consider it
appropriate for PCWA to share the cost of this measure with others that would also
benefit from using these materials. By providing the electronic information so others
may use it, PCWA would bear its share of the cost of providing this information to the
public.
We do not recommend that PCWA be entirely responsible for the French
Meadows North water system at an estimated levelized annual cost of $6,300. Because
this system also provides water to a Forest Service barracks, house, and trailer park that
are used by non-project agency field staff, it is not appropriate for PCWA to bear all
costs related to this water system. Instead we recommend that PCWA replace the water
system infrastructure and access roads and fund operation and maintenance costs only
as necessary to provide water to the following project-related recreation facilities:
Lewis campground; Gates group campground; Coyote group campground; McGuire
picnic area; McGuire boat ramp; and French Meadows RV dump station at an estimated
levelized cost of $2,770.
We do not recommend establishing reservoir level objectives at Hell Hole and
French Meadows reservoir to support recreation use as the Forest Service specifies in
condition no. 37. The potential actions specified in condition no. 37 are not based on
any identified project effect, and the benefit of this measure is speculative. Further,
requiring PCWA-funded actions listed in the condition such as patrols and shoreline
protection from motorized uses would not meet the intended purpose of the condition
explained in the Forest Service rationale for the condition, which is to support midsummer
reservoir-based recreation.
5.3 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE EFFECTS
Minor amounts of sediment would enter the peaking reach, bypassed reaches,
and project impoundments as a result of sediment removal from project impoundments,
sediment augmentation, and construction associated with modified or new project
facilities, even with implementation of erosion control measures, resulting in short-term
effects on water quality and aquatic biota. Some fish mortality would likely occur from
entrainment at the deep powerhouse intakes in French Meadows and Hell Hole
reservoirs; although such effects would be long term, they would be minor because few
fish occur at the depth of the intakes. Entrainment and fish mortality would also
continue to occur at the Ralston and Oxbow powerhouses. This would represent a longterm
effect that likely would be minor. With the proposed action, about 1.08 acres of
riparian and upland vegetation would be permanently lost, most of which is associated
with the sediment augmentation sites downstream of Ralston afterbay, and the
remainder with construction of new project infrastructure and recreation facilities. The
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