Overview of Project Description
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M I dd L E F O R K A M E R I C A N R IVER PROJECT FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVOIR S u p p B o r t D i n S d g ile a D et o D ng c ti u xis m E t e jec n o on t r ti P p Project B cri Des Description HELL HOLE RESERVOIR HE MFP SERVES AS A MULTI-PURPOSE WATER SUPPLY and hydro-generation project designed to conserve and control waters of the Middle Fork American River, the Rubicon River,T and several associated tributary streams. The MFP is located The backbone of the within the Middle Fork American River Watershed (Watershed) MFP is the capture at elevations ranging from approximately 1,100 feet to 5,300 feet. Water for hydroelectric generation and consumptive use is diverted and storage of water in and stored under permits and licenses issued by the SWRCB. French Meadows and The MFP seasonally stores and releases water to meet consumptive demands within western Placer County and to generate power for the Hell Hole reservoirs. California electrical grid. Water for consumptive purposes is released from the MFP and re-diverted at two locations: (1) the American River Pump Station, located on the North Fork American River near the City of Auburn; and (2) Folsom Reservoir. Both points of re-diversion are downstream of the MFP facilities and neither is part of the MFP as defined in the FERC Project M I dd L E F O R K A M E R I C A N R IVER PROJECT MIDDLE FORK d Robinson oa R ll Flat hi AMERICAN RIVER st Duncan Creek Duncan Creek - Middle Fork re Fo Diversion Tunnel PLACER COUNTY FARMER’s MaRKET WATERSHED % French Meadows The MFP benefits the people of Placer County by r e providing water and electricity. iv Reservoir R k French Meadows - Hell Hole n e a e Tunnel c r ri C e r % n e m a French A WELL-LIT PLACER COUNTY COMMUNITY c iv A n Meadows k R r u Dam n D n o o a F y ic n French Meadows e n l r a o e C y Powerhouse d n *# d d m g a i a 22 C o A n M R o g e k n Hell Hole f g r FR L o o id k L R o r 2 F k FR Reservoir k ito o r r u o q e F F o os l d h th *# Hell Hole Dam F M t u id o h or t M S Hell Hole r N o Powerhouse N North Fork/ FORESTHILL Middle Fork South Fork Interbay Long Canyon PCWA Power Diversions Headquarters Blacksmith Flat *# Middle Fork >" Road Powerhouse % % Oxbow *# FR Powerhouse 23 Middle Fork - Ralston Hell Hole - Middle Fork % *# Tunnel Tunnel upstream of Folsom Reservoir. Instream flow releases Ralston Ralston - Oxbow Ralston Powerhouse Tunnel Afterbay Long C License. PCWA’s below each diversion are made in accordance with anyon water rights and water FERC license requirements. All electricity generated F R Sou by the MFP is delivered to Pacific Gas and Electric’s th Fo supply agreements 2 rk Ru bicon currently allow for the (PG&E’s) transmission system at Project switchyards Ellicott River Bridge Ru and substations, typically located near powerhouses. bicon consumptive use of Ri ver up to 120,000 ac-ft PG&E’s transmission system is not part of the MFP. of MFP water per WATER FOUNTAIN The backbone of the MFP is its two principal water AT LOCAL PARK year. Consumptive storage reservoirs, French Meadows and Hell Hole. These water supplied by reservoirs are located on the Middle Fork American PCWA is used to River and the Rubicon River, respectively, and have a meet municipal, industrial, and agricultural demands. combined gross storage capacity of 342,583 ac-ft. Hydroelectric power from the MFP is produced at Starting at the highest elevation of the MFP, water five Project powerhouses with a combined nameplate is diverted from Duncan Creek at the Duncan Creek generating capacity of approximately 224 MW. The Diversion and routed through the 1.5 mile-long total annual flow through the MFP and the resulting Duncan Creek-Middle Fork Tunnel into French total annual generation are highly variable. The MFP Meadows Reservoir (134,993 ac-ft of gross storage). produces an average of 1,030,000 MWh annually on mean generation flows of 452,000 ac-ft. The highest Flows in the Middle Fork American River are annual generation was in 1983, a wet water year, when captured and stored in French Meadows Reservoir along the MFP produced approximately 1,815,000 MWh on with diversions from Duncan Creek. From French flows of 714,400 ac-ft. The lowest annual generation Meadows Reservoir, water is transported via the 2.6 was in 1977, a critically dry water year, when the MFP mile-long French Meadows-Hell Hole Tunnel, passed only produced 211,000 MWh on flows of 75,000 ac-ft. through the French Meadows Powerhouse (installed generating capacity of 15.3 MW) and released into Project Facilities Hell Hole Reservoir (207,590 ac-ft of gross storage). Flows in the Rubicon River are captured and stored The MFP diverts, stores, and transports water in Hell Hole Reservoir along with water released through a series of stream diversions, reservoirs, water from French Meadows Reservoir through French conveyance systems, and powerhouses before it is Meadows Powerhouse. Water released from Hell Hole released back into the Middle Fork American River Reservoir into the Rubicon River to meet instream below Oxbow Powerhouse, approximately 29 miles flow requirements first pass through the Hell Hole 10 M I dd L E F O R K A M E R I C A N R IVER PROJECT Middle Fork American River Watershed MIDDLE FORK d Robinson oa R ll Flat hi AMERICAN RIVER Area st Duncan Creek Duncan Creek - Middle Fork Enlarged re Fo Diversion Tunnel Below WATERSHED % French Meadows r e iv Reservoir R k French Meadows - Hell Hole n e a e Tunnel c r ri C e r % n e m a French c iv A n Meadows k R r u Dam n D n o o a F y ic n French Meadows e n l r a o e C y Powerhouse d n *# d d m g a i a 22 C o A n M R o g e k n Hell Hole f g r FR L o o id k L R o r 2 F k FR Reservoir k ito o r r u o q e F F o os l d h th *# Hell Hole Dam F M t u id o h or t M S Hell Hole r N o Powerhouse N North Fork/ FORESTHILL Middle Fork South Fork Interbay Long Canyon PCWA Power Diversions Headquarters Blacksmith Flat *# Middle Fork >" Road Powerhouse % % Oxbow *# FR Powerhouse 23 Middle Fork - Ralston Hell Hole - Middle Fork % *# Tunnel Tunnel Ralston Ralston - Oxbow Ralston Powerhouse Tunnel Afterbay Long C anyon F R Sou th Fo 2 rk Ru bicon Ellicott River Bridge Ru bicon Ri ver Powerhouse (installed generating capacity of 0.73 MW), Middle Fork Powerhouse. From Middle Fork Interbay, which is located at the base of Hell Hole Dam. water is transported via the 6.7 mile-long Middle Fork- Ralston Tunnel, passed through the Ralston Powerhouse From Hell Hole Reservoir, water is also transported (installed generating capacity of 79.2 MW) and released via the 10.4 mile-long Hell Hole-Middle Fork into the Ralston Afterbay (2,782 ac-ft of gross storage). Tunnel, passed through the Middle Fork Powerhouse (installed generating capacity of 122.4 MW) and Flows from the Middle Fork American River (including released into the Middle Fork Interbay (175 ac-ft instream releases from Middle Fork Interbay) and flows of gross storage). Between Hell Hole Reservoir and from the Rubicon River (including instream releases from Middle Fork Powerhouse, water is diverted from Hell Hole Reservoir) are captured in Ralston Afterbay the North and South Forks of Long Canyon creeks along with water transported from Middle Fork Interbay directly into the Hell Hole-Middle Fork Tunnel. through Ralston Powerhouse. From Ralston Afterbay, Water diverted from these creeks into the Hell Hole water is transported via the 400 foot-long Ralston- - Middle Fork Tunnel can either be stored in Hell Hole Oxbow Tunnel, passed through the Oxbow Powerhouse Reservoir or be used to augment releases from Hell (installed generating capacity of 6.1 MW) and released Hole Reservoir to the Middle Fork Powerhouse. from the MFP to the Middle Fork American River. Flows from the Middle Fork American River In addition to these major water and power facilities, (including instream flow releases from French Meadows the MFP includes 35 Project roads (totaling almost 18 Reservoir) are captured at Middle Fork Interbay along miles) and 10 Project trails (totaling approximately 0.5 with water released from Hell Hole Reservoir through miles). These roads and trails are used almost exclusively 11 M I dd L E F O R K A M E R I C A N R IVER PROJECT HELL HOLE BOAT RAMP Project recreation facilities and reservoirs support a variety of recreational activities. FRENCH MEADOWS CAMPGROUND OXBOW PUT-IN by PCWA to access Project Project Operation facilities. The Project roads and The MFP has been operated for over 40 years trails represent less than 1% of the by PCWA as a multi-purpose project to benefit total miles of roads and trails in the people of Placer County.