Granby Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No
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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HYDROPOWER LICENSE Granby Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 2837-033 New York Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects Division of Hydropower Licensing 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 November 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. ii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... iv Acronyms and Abbreviations .............................................................................................. v 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Application .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of Action and Need for Power ............................................................... 1 1.2.1 Purpose of Action ........................................................................................ 1 1.2.2 Need for Power ............................................................................................ 3 1.3 Statutory and Regulatory Requirements .............................................................. 4 1.3.1 Federal Power Act ....................................................................................... 4 1.3.2 Clean Water Act .......................................................................................... 4 1.3.3 Endangered Species Act .............................................................................. 5 1.3.4 Coastal Zone Management Act ................................................................... 6 1.3.5 National Historic Preservation Act .............................................................. 6 1.4 Public Review and Comment .............................................................................. 7 1.4.1 Scoping ........................................................................................................ 8 1.4.2 Interventions ................................................................................................ 8 1.4.3 Comments on the Application ..................................................................... 8 1.5 Settlement Agreement ......................................................................................... 8 2.0 Proposed Action and Alternatives .......................................................................... 10 2.1 No-Action Alternative ....................................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Existing Project Facilities .......................................................................... 10 2.1.2 Project Safety ............................................................................................. 10 2.1.3 Existing Project Operation ........................................................................ 11 2.1.4 Existing Environmental Measures ............................................................. 12 2.2 Erie’s Proposal ................................................................................................... 13 2.2.1 Proposed Project Facilities ........................................................................ 13 2.2.2 Proposed Project Operation and Environmental Measures ....................... 13 2.2.3 Modifications to Applicant’s Proposal – Mandatory Conditions .............. 14 2.3 Staff Alternative ................................................................................................ 14 2.4 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ..................... 15 2.4.1 Issuing a Non-power License .................................................................... 15 2.4.2 Federal Government Takeover .................................................................. 15 2.4.3 Retiring the Project .................................................................................... 16 3.0 Environmental Analysis ......................................................................................... 18 3.1 General Description of the River Basin............................................................. 18 3.2 Scope of Cumulative Effects Analysis .............................................................. 21 3.2.1 Geographic Scope ...................................................................................... 22 3.2.2 Temporal Scope ......................................................................................... 22 3.3 Proposed Action and Action Alternatives ......................................................... 23 ii 3.3.1 Geology and Soil Resources ...................................................................... 23 3.3.2 Aquatic Resources ..................................................................................... 25 3.3.3 Terrestrial Resources ................................................................................. 43 3.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Species ......................................................... 47 3.3.5 Recreation Resources ................................................................................ 51 3.3.6 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................... 53 3.4 No-action Alternative ........................................................................................ 56 4.0 Developmental Analysis ......................................................................................... 57 4.1 Power and Developmental Benefits of the Project ............................................ 57 4.2 Comparison of Alternatives ............................................................................... 58 4.2.1 No-Action Alternative ............................................................................... 59 4.2.2 Applicant’s Proposal ................................................................................. 59 4.2.3 Staff Alternative ........................................................................................ 59 4.3 Cost of Environmental Measures ...................................................................... 60 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations ....................................................................... 63 5.1 Comprehensive Development and Recommended Alternative......................... 63 5.1.1 Measures Proposed by Erie ....................................................................... 63 5.1.2 Additional Staff-Recommended Measures ............................................... 64 5.2 Unavoidable Adverse Effects ............................................................................ 68 5.3 Summary of Section 10(j) Recommendations .................................................. 68 5.4 Consistency with Comprehensive Plans ............................................................ 71 6.0 Finding of No Significant Impact ........................................................................... 73 7.0 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................... 74 8.0 List of Preparers ..................................................................................................... 77 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location and facilities of the Granby Project (Source: Google Earth and staff). ............................................................................................................................ 2 Figure 2. Map of Oswego River Basin (Source: license application). ............................ 19 Figure 3. Location of Hydropower Projects on the Oswego River (Source: Oswego River Project [Fulton, Minetto, and Varick Developments] No. 2474 final environmental assessment, 2001). ................................................................... 21 Figure 4. Number of days between May 1 and October 31 where daily average flow was less than 1,500 cfs and dissolved oxygen measurements were above (shaded bar) or below (open bar) prescribed dissolved oxygen thresholds (Source: Staff). ............................................................................................................... 28 Figure 5. Continuous water quality monitoring stations at the Granby Project (Source: license application). ......................................................................................... 29 Figure 6. Depth contours in the Granby forebay and tailrace during normal impoundment (334.5 feet NGVD 29) and tailrace (311.0 feet NGVD 29) water surface elevations (Source: license application). ........................................................ 31 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Historical monthly flow statistics at the Granby Project for years 1934-2018 (Source: USGS Gage No. 04249000, as modified by staff). .......................... 25 Table 2. Current dissolved oxygen thresholds for inflow ranges at the Granby Project when flows are less than 1,500 cfs (Source: license application, as modified by staff). ........................................................................................................... 27 Table 3. Fish species documented in the Oswego River from historical studies conducted by the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation and New York DEC (Source: license