SD-B Final Technical Study Plan Package
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FINAL TECHNICAL STUDY PLAN PACKAGE for the BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS August 2001 Prepared by SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON An Edison International SM Company FINAL TECHNICAL STUDY PLAN PACKAGE for the BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS August 2001 Prepared by SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON An Edison International SM Company With Assistance From BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM FINAL TECHNICAL STUDY PLAN PACKAGE ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS Copyright, 2001, Southern California Edison Company. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Southern California Edison Company. Watershed above Florence Lake TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 COMBINED AQUATICS STUDY PLANS ..................................................................... 2-1 3.0 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY PLANS .................................................................. 3-1 4.0 LAND MANAGEMENT STUDY PLANS ....................................................................... 4-1 5.0 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES STUDY PLANS ........................................................... 5-1 6.0 TERRESTRIAL RESOURCES STUDY PLANS ............................................................. 6-1 GLOSSARY APPENDIX A – DISTRIBUTION LIST APPENDIX B – COPIES OF COMMENT LETTERS APPENDIX C – SUMMARY TABLE OF WRITTEN COMMENTS AND APPROVED RESPONSES ON DRAFT TECHNICAL STUDY PLAN PACKAGE APPENDIX D – SUMMARY TABLE OF VERBAL COMMENTS AND APPROVED RESPONSES ON DRAFT TECHNICAL STUDY PLAN PACKAGE Copyright 2001 by Southern California Edison Company i LIST OF FIGURES PAGE FIGURE 1-1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM ....... 1-2 FIGURE 1-2 SCHEMATIC PROFILE OF THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM...................................... 1-4 FIGURE 1-3 RELICENSING APPROACH FOR THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM ............................. 1-8 FIGURE 1-4 ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS SCHEDULE ......................................... 1-9 Copyright 2001 by Southern California Edison Company ii LIST OF TABLES PAGE TABLE 1-1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON’S BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS IN THE UPPER SAN JOAQUIN RIVER BASIN ..................... 1-2 TABLE 1-2 LIST OF DRAFT TECHNICAL STUDY PLANS .................................... 1-11 TABLE CAWG 1-1 DESCRIPTION OF SPAWNING GRAVEL QUALITY .............................. 2-7 TABLE CAWG 1-2 STREAMS TO BE HABITAT MAPPED............................................... 2-10 TABLE CAWG 1-3 PROJECT IMPOUNDMENTS AND RESERVOIRS TO BE CHARACTERIZED ........................................................................ 2-11 TABLE CAWG 1-A1 HABITAT TYPES AND CODES ADAPTED FROM MCCAIN ET AL. (1990) ...................................................................................... 2-14 TABLE CAWG 1-A2 HAWKINS ET AL. (1993) LEVEL I AND LEVEL II HABITAT CLASSIFICATIONS ....................................................................... 2-15 TABLE CAWG 3-1 PROJECT STREAMS BY SIZE ........................................................ 2-44 TABLE CAWG 3-2 PROPOSED INSTREAM FLOW APPROACH FOR PROJECT STREAMS.. 2-45 TABLE CAWG 4-1 LABORATORY WATER QUALITY MEASUREMENTS .......................... 2-56 TABLE CAWG 4-2 NUMBER OF SAMPLES................................................................. 2-57 TABLE CAWG 4-3 STATIONS INCLUDED IN 5-SAMPLE 30-DAY FECAL COLIFORM SAMPLINGS................................................................................ 2-59 TABLE CAWG 5-1 BIG CREEK BYPASS REACHES TO BE MONITORED DURING 2001- NUMBER OF UNITS TO BE INSTALLED BY LOCATION........................ 2-71 TABLE CAWG 5-2 RESERVOIRS AND IMPOUNDMENTS WITH NUMBER OF LOCATIONS TO BE MONITORED DURING 2001 ................................................ 2-72 TABLE CAWG 5-3 POWERHOUSE TAILRACES TO BE MONITORED FOR WATER TEMPERATURE DURING 2001...................................................... 2-73 TABLE CAWG 5-4 METEOROLOGICAL DATA SITES TO BE MONITORED DURING 2001 .. 2-73 TABLE CAWG 7-1 PROPOSED FISH SAMPLING TECHNIQUES FOR PROJECT STREAMS.2-90 TABLE CAWG 7-2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUES FOR PROJECT IMPOUNDMENTS ................ 2-91 TABLE CAWG 14-1 BIG CREEK PROJECT RESERVOIRS AND FOREBAYS ASSOCIATED WITH PROJECT DIVERSIONS ...................................................... 2-143 TABLE LAND 6-1 SCE PROJECT-RELATED ROADS ................................................. 4-22 Copyright 2001 by Southern California Edison Company iii LIST OF TABLES Page TABLE LAND 7-1 LIST OF SCE SPECIAL USE AUTHORIZATIONS IN THE BIG CREEK BASIN........................................................................................ 4-29 TABLE LAND 10-1 SCE PROJECT-RELATED ROADS ................................................. 4-43 Copyright 2001 by Southern California Edison Company iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ADA American with Disabilities Act af acre-feet AGR agricultural supply AIR Additional Information Request ALP Alternative Licensing Process APE Area of Potential Effects APEA Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessment ARPA Archaeological Resources Protection Act BCC Big Creek Collaborative BCS Big Creek System BiCEP Big Creek Expansion Project BMI Benthic Macroinvertebrate CalEPPC California Exotic Pest Plant Council CAWG Combined Aquatics Working Group CDEC California Data Exchange Center CDFG California Department of Fish and Game CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations cfs cubic feet per second cm centimeter CNDDB California Natural Diversity Data Base CNPS California Native Plant Society CO carbon monoxide COLD cold freshwater habitat COMM commercial and sport fishing CSBP California Stream Bioassessment Procedure CVRWQCB Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board CWA Clean Water Act DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement DHM disadvantaged, handicapped, and minority DTSPP Draft Technical Study Plan Package DWR California Department of Water Resources EA Environmental Assessment ECPA Electrical Consumer Protection Act EIS Environmental Impact Statement ESA Endangered Species Act ESAP Endangered Species Alert Program FAR floor-area ratio FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FL fork length FPA Federal Power Act FSCD First Stage Consultation Document FWCA Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act FWUA Friant Water Users Association v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS GIS geographic information system GLO General Land Office GPS global positioning system HAP Habitat Area Planning Hp horsepower HPP Historic Preservation Plan HSC Habitat Suitability Curves IFIM Instream Flow Incremental Methodology IIG Initial Information Gathering IIP Initial Information Package IND industrial supply ISD Initial Scoping Document km kilometer KOP Key Observation Point kW kilowatt LRMP Land and Resource Management Plan Ma million years ago mg/l milligrams per liter MOU Memorandum of Understanding m/s meters per second msl above mean sea level MTBE Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether MUN municipal and domestic supply MW megawatt MWh megawatt-hour NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOI Notice of Intent NOx oxides of nitrogen NRHP National Register of Historic Places O3 ground-level atmospheric ozone O&M operations and maintenance OHV off-highway vehicle PFC Proper Functioning Condition PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company PHABSIM Physical Habitat Simulation Models PM particulate matter PM&E Protection, Mitigation, and Enhancement Measure POA Plan of Action POW hydropower generation PPH Portal Power House PSW USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS PV present value QA/QC quality assurance/quality control RCD Resource Conservation District RPP Raptor Protection Program RV recreational vehicle SCE Southern California Edison Company SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer SJ&E San Joaquin and Eastern railroad SJR San Joaquin River SJVAB San Joaquin Valley Air Basin SL standard length SMS Scenic Management System SNF Sierra National Forest SNTEMP Stream Network Temperature Model SO2 sulfur dioxide SPCC Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board TL total length UDP Universal Design Principles USAN upper San Joaquin River water supply model USBR United States Bureau of Reclamation USC use/stage curve USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFS United States Forest Service USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States Geological Survey VELB valley elderberry longhorn beetle VQO Visual Quality Objective VRM Visual Resource Management WARM warm freshwater habitat WILD wildlife habitat WQ water quality WSE water surface elevation WSRA Wild and Scenic Rivers Act WUA Weighted Usable Area YBP years before present vii INTRODUCTION FINALTECHNICAL STUDY PLAN PACKAGE Southern California Edison (SCE) is pleased to present the following Final Technical Study Plan Package (FTSPP) for the Big Creek Hydroelectric Projects (FERC Project Nos. 67, 120, 2085, and 2175). The FTSPP represents the technical approach deemed necessary to gather information that will be used to assess the environmental effects of relicensing SCE’s Big Creek Hydroelectric Projects and to identify potential protection, mitigation and enhancement