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Evaluation and Findings Report on the Application for Certification Pursuant to Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act

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Evaluation and Findings Report on the Application for Certification Pursuant to Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act Evaluation and Findings Report on the Application for Certification Pursuant to Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act Submitted by Portland General Electric Company for the Clackamas Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 2195) Pursuant to Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 340, Division 48 Prepared by: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Water Quality Division 2020 SW 4th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97201 May 2009 This page intentionally left blank Findings and Evaluation Report 2 FERC Project 2195 June 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 6 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION ............................................................................................... 6 2.1 Applicable Federal and State Law ...................................................................................................... 6 2.2 General Application of State Water Quality Standards ...................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Beneficial Uses ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 Narrative and Numeric Criteria .................................................................................................... 8 2.2.3 Antidegradation Policy ................................................................................................................. 8 2.2.4 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ......................................................................................... 8 3. PROJECT INFORMATION AND SUMMARY OF PROJECT .................................................................. 8 3.1 Applicant Information .......................................................................................................................... 8 3.1.1 Name and Address of Project Owner (Applicant) ....................................................................... 8 3.1.2 Name and Address of Owner’s Official Representative .............................................................. 9 3.1.3 Documents Filed in Support of § 401 Application ....................................................................... 9 3.1.4 Notification of Complete Application ........................................................................................... 9 3.2 Project Description and Proposed Operations ................................................................................... 9 3.2.1 Clackamas Project Facilities ..................................................................................................... 10 3.2.2 Waters of the State Potentially Impacted by Project ................................................................. 11 3.2.3 Adjacent Land Use and Ownership ........................................................................................... 13 3.2.4 Operations Proposed in the Settlement Agreement ................................................................. 13 4. BENEFICIAL USES AND WATER QUALITY STATUS OF THE CLACKAMAS RIVER ..................... 14 4.1 Beneficial Uses in the Clackamas Basin .......................................................................................... 14 4.2 Threatened and Endangered Aquatic Species in the Clackamas River Basin ................................ 15 4.3 Water Quality Impairment in the Clackamas River Basin ................................................................. 15 5. EVALUATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH STATE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ........................... 16 5.1 Water Quality Standards Evaluated in this § 401 Review ................................................................ 16 5.1.1 Water Quality Standards not of Concern .................................................................................. 16 5.1.2 Water Quality Standards of Potential Concern ......................................................................... 17 5.2 Evaluation for Standards of Potential Concern................................................................................. 18 5.2.1 Dissolved Oxygen ..................................................................................................................... 19 5.2.2 Hydrogen Ion Concentration (pH) ............................................................................................. 25 5.2.3 Total Dissolved Gas .................................................................................................................. 29 5.2.4 Nuisance Algae, Taste and Odor, and Aesthetic Conditions .................................................... 32 5.2.5 Temperature .............................................................................................................................. 35 5.2.6 Biocriteria ................................................................................................................................... 50 5.2.7 Statewide Narrative Criteria ...................................................................................................... 56 5.2.8 Toxic Substances ...................................................................................................................... 58 5.2.9 Turbidity ..................................................................................................................................... 61 5.2.10 Antidegradation ....................................................................................................................... 64 5.2.11 Three Basin Rule ..................................................................................................................... 66 6. EVALUATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH SECTIONS 301, 302, 303, 306 AND 307 OF THE FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT ................................................................................................................................. 67 7. EVALUATION OF OTHER APPROPRIATE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE LAW ............................... 67 7.1 Department of State Lands ............................................................................................................... 67 7.2 Department of Fish and Wildlife ....................................................................................................... 68 7.4 Department of Environmental Quality ............................................................................................... 69 7.5 Department of Water Resources ...................................................................................................... 70 7.6 Department of Land Conservation and Development ...................................................................... 70 Findings and Evaluation Report 3 FERC Project 2195 June 2009 8. PUBLIC COMMENT ............................................................................................................................... 70 8.1 Issuance of Public Notice, Opportunity to Comment ........................................................................ 70 8.2 Public Comment Received ............................................................................................................... 70 9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION FOR CERTIFICATION ................................................... 78 10. REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................... 79 Appendix 1. Comment Received During Public Comment Period ....................................................... 81 Transcript of testimony presented Ryan Johnson, Friends of Clackamas River: ................................... 81 Submitted by Carol Witbeck, Damascus, Or: ......................................................................................... 81 Submitted by Friends of the Clackamas River: ...................................................................................... 85 Submitted by Scott Forrester: ................................................................................................................. 90 Submitted by Northwest Forest Conservancy: ....................................................................................... 90 Exhibit A. PGE’s Clackamas Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan ................................ 92 Findings and Evaluation Report 4 FERC Project 2195 June 2009 TABLES Table 1. Land ownership and management within the Project boundary (Source: METRO 1997). .......... 13 Table 2. Fish and Aquatic Life Use Designations in the Clackamas Basin. .............................................. 14 Table 3. Aquatic species with populations Identified as at risk in the Clackamas Basin, accompanied by related listing information .................................................................................................................... 15 Table 4. Water Quality Limited Status of the Clackamas River ................................................................. 16 Table 5. Water quality criteria that are not expected to be affected by the Clackamas Hydroelectric Facility. ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Table 6. Water Quality Standards that are potentially affected by the Clackamas Hydroelectric Project. 17 Table 7. Applicable Dissolved Oxygen Criteria for PGE‘s Clackamas Project. ......................................... 20 Table 8. Ranges of spatial median intergravel
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