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Public Scoping Meetings Set for May 11 Volume 1 | Issue 1 Don Pedro A newsletter about the relicensing of the Don Pedro Project Public Scoping Meetings set for May 11 Important dates The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Also at the scoping meeting, it is expected that FERC will host a pair of public scoping meetings on May staff will describe the environmental review process, May 10 11 in relation to the Modesto and Turlock irrigation as well as provide relevant information and answer FERC site inspection of districts’ relicensing efforts for the Don Pedro Project. procedural questions. Don Pedro Project The morning meeting is planned to begin at 9 a.m. As co-relicensing applicants, MID and TID will and will take place at the California State University, have staff members present. It is expected that May 11 Stanislaus University Student Union Event Center in District representatives will briefly describe the Don Public Scoping Meetings Turlock, located at 801 W. Monte Vista Ave. Pedro Project and will be available before and after in Modesto and Turlock the formal part of the The evening meeting is set May 18 meeting for questions and to start at 7 p.m. and will Cultural Relicensing May 11 FERC Meetings answers. take place at Modesto’s Working Group (RWG) and DoubleTree Hotel, TURLOCK SCOPING MEETING Comments on the Recreation RWG Meetings Ballroom 3, located at proposed project may Where: CSU Stanislaus University Student May 19 1150 Ninth St. be submitted in written Union Event Center, located at Aquatic/Water RWG and form or communicated The purpose of these 801 W. Monte Vista Ave., Turlock Terrestrial RWG Group verbally during the course meetings, which are When: 9 a.m. Meetings of the scoping meeting. sponsored and facilitated MODESTO SCOPING MEETING The scoping meetings by FERC, is to identify June 10 are recorded by a relevant issues of public Where: DoubleTree Hotel, Ballroom 3, Deadline for Relicensing stenographer and become interest involving the located at 1150 Ninth St., Modesto Participants to request part of the formal record Don Pedro Project in When: 7 p.m. studies and to comment of the FERC proceeding relation to the National on the Pre-Application on the project. Environmental Policy Act. Document (PAD) Information gathered at these scoping meetings The scoping meetings, just as any other formal FERC June 21 may also help the Districts develop environmental scoping meetings, are designed for members of the Aquatic/Water RWG and protection measures to present in its environmental public to make statements about the project to FERC Terrestrial RWG Meetings resource reports filed with FERC in its Final License staff in an open forum. One of the primary purposes Application. This information will also provide FERC July 25 of a formal scoping meeting MORE INS I DE : Don staff with the resources needed to publish a more Districts to file Proposed Pedro’s significance and is so the members of the complete environmental impact document for public Study Plan (PSP) with background, plus more public have an opportunity about the relicensing review. FERC process to speak their concerns. www.donpedro-relicensing.com From the original dam and powerhouse built in 1923 to the significant facility that exists today, Don Pedro continues to show ... a history of benefits eople in the region are passionate about the Don Pedro Project. Formed in 1887, the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts are the PAnd why wouldn’t they be? oldest irrigation districts in California, and are among the oldest in the nation. They were created by a vote of the people in accordance The project’s reservoir and dam provide flood protection for many with the laws of the State of California to provide water for agricultural area residents. Some water from Don Pedro eventually makes purposes in their respective irrigation service areas which today total its way to Modesto Reservoir, where it is eventually treated and approximately 200,000 acres of trees, vines, row and forage crops. purified to become drinking water for many Modesto residents. Much of the water from Don Pedro is used by growers to irrigate Soon after formation, the Districts acquired a water diversion site crops that help feed and employ many in the region, state and on the Tuolumne River located downstream of the Don Pedro site nation. There are recreation opportunities aplenty. And let’s not along with “pre-1914” water rights; the Districts have added other forget the power plant that provides clean, efficient and affordable water rights to these over time. An original Don Pedro Reservoir energy powering thousands of homes and businesses within the with approximately 290,400 acre-feet of storage and its associated MID and TID service areas. Powerhouse were brought online in 1923 to improve water availability for the long growing season of the Central Valley and Simply put, the Don Pedro dam, reservoir and powerhouse offer a to bring electrification to a portion of this rural area. The Districts collection of benefits that will continue to be of great value to the have been providing retail electric service to the communities’ people of the Central Valley and beyond. farms, homes, municipalities, business and industry since that That value was always part of the vision of the project’s forefathers. time. Today, the Districts serve approximately 200,000 electric But to know the story of the project, it’s best to know the story of the customers in a 1,000-square mile area. districts and the people that were antecedents to the project. The Tuolumne River has a long history of water planning. Concern 1961: Voters overwhelmingly approve bonds to : Modesto and Turlock irrigation 1970: 1887 fund the New Don Pedro project. – Don Pedro Recreation Agency formed districts are organized. 1966: MID and TID received a federal license – Old Don Pedro opened and water 1923: The Original Don Pedro Dam and Powerhouse is for an enlarged Don Pedro from the Federal Power storage transferred to New Don Pedro constructed, capable of generating up to 15 megawatts and Commission, the predecessor to FERC. storing 289,000 acre-feet of water. 1967: Ground is broken on New Don Pedro; diversion tunnel work begins Don Pedro Volume 1 | Issue 1 • a history of benefits over the need to withstand the effects of multiple dry years and the growing demand for electricity resulted in the Districts partnering with the City and County of San Francisco to develop the current Don Pedro Project. The new Don Pedro Project inundated the original dam and impoundment, and the resulting new Don Pedro Reservoir has a storage capacity of 2,030,000 acre-feet, more than Transmission lines near the Don Pedro Powerhouse help transport up to 203 megawatts of generation that helps power MID and TID customers homes and businesses. seven times that of its predecessor; the new Don Pedro Powerhouse constructed with the dam has a maximum generating capacity of 203 megawatts. The relicensing process Planning for the enlarged Don Pedro began in the Notice of Intent to relicense filed, public scoping meeting next 1940s and culminated when the Districts received the federal license in 1966 from the Federal Power Relicensing of the Don Pedro Project Commission, the predecessor to FERC. follows the Integrated Licensing Process The Process as designated by the Federal Energy 1. Districts filed PAD and NOI The City and County of San Francisco contributed Regulatory Commission (FERC). to the construction of the project but has no in Feb. 2011. ownership interest in the dam, reservoir, or The Modesto and Turlock irrigation 2. FERC conducts scoping. powerhouse, nor does it have any ownership of districts took the first step in this 3. Interested parties discuss water in the reservoir. San Francisco participated several-year process by filing of a Notice issues and develop study in construction of the project in order to obtain a of Intent (NOI) and a Pre-Application requests. water banking arrangement in the new reservoir Document (PAD) in February 2011. 4. Applicant files its which provides it with greater flexibility in storing proposed study plan water for use at its upstream power facilities and The next formal step is FERC’s scoping of the issues to be considered in the and conducts approved for water supply. Construction of the project studies. also relieved San Francisco of flood control relicensing of the project. On May 11, 5. Studies are conducted and responsibilities in the watershed thereby providing FERC will hold two scoping meetings Study Report issued for another important benefit for the City. to obtain public input. review and comment. As the sixth largest reservoir in California, Lake Filings throughout the process will be 6. Applicant files draft and Don Pedro provides extensive habitat for fish and made available to the public on the final license applications. project relicensing website located wildlife, and has a wide recreation following. It is 7. FERC issues new license at www.donpedro-relicensing.com. known for its bass tournaments and houseboating. with new terms and Certain information may be restricted Approximately 400,000 visitor-days of recreation conditions in 2016. occur at the reservoir each year. Activities include from publication on the relicensing camping, boating, fishing, and enjoying water website in accordance with FERC’s regulations protecting Critical Energy information related to Project sports such as skiing, wake boarding, and the use operations, engineering, water of personal watercraft. Infrastructure Information (CEII) or in cases where the document contains resources, environmental resources, sensitive information. recreation, cultural resources, and socioeconomics. The information in The PAD contains a synopsis of the the Pre-Application Document allows known information relevant to the FERC and interested parties to identify 1971: relicensing of the Don Pedro Project.
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