VOLUME I PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT HACKETT MILLS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC PROJECT NO. 6398 Prepared for: Hackett Mills Hydro Associates, LLC Minot, Maine A subsidiary of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy Prepared by: Pittsfield, Maine www.KleinschmidtGroup.com August 2019 PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT HACKETT MILLS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC PROJECT NO. 6398 Prepared for: Hackett Mills Hydro Associates, LLC Minot, Maine A subsidiary of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy Prepared by: Pittsfield, Maine www.KleinschmidtGroup.com August 2019 PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT HACKETT MILLS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC PROJECT NO. 6398 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 AGENTS FOR HACKETT MILLS HYDRO ASSOCIATES, LLC .................................... 1-4 1.2 PAD CONTENT ..................................................................................................... 1-4 1.3 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 1-5 2.0 PLANS, SCHEDULE, AND PROTOCOLS ................................................................... 2-1 2.1 PROCESS PLAN AND SCHEDULE THROUGH FILLING OF LICENSE APPLICATION ........................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 JOINT AGENCY MEETING AND SITE VISIT ............................................................. 2-1 2.3 PROPOSED COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOLS .......................................................... 2-2 2.4 PARTIES TO THE RELICENSING .............................................................................. 2-2 2.4.1 GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................... 2-2 2.4.2 TELEPHONE ............................................................................................... 2-3 2.4.3 ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ............................................................... 2-3 2.4.4 MEETINGS ................................................................................................. 2-3 2.4.5 DOCUMENTS AND DISTRIBUTION ............................................................. 2-4 2.4.6 STUDY REQUESTS ..................................................................................... 2-5 3.0 PROJECT LOCATION, FACILITIES, AND OPERATIONS ....................................... 3-1 3.1 EXISTING PROJECT FACILITIES .............................................................................. 3-1 3.1.1 PROJECT STRUCTURES .............................................................................. 3-1 3.1.2 PROJECT RESERVOIR ................................................................................. 3-3 3.1.3 DAM.......................................................................................................... 3-4 3.1.4 POWERHOUSE ........................................................................................... 3-6 3.1.5 CANAL ...................................................................................................... 3-6 3.1.6 FISH PASSAGE ........................................................................................... 3-6 3.1.7 TRANSMISSION FACILITIES ....................................................................... 3-7 3.1.8 PROPOSED PROJECT FACILITIES ................................................................ 3-7 3.1.9 PROJECT BOUNDARY ................................................................................ 3-7 3.1.10 EXISTING OPERATIONS ............................................................................. 3-9 3.1.11 NORMAL OPERATIONS .............................................................................. 3-9 3.1.12 LOW WATER OPERATIONS ...................................................................... 3-10 3.1.13 HIGH WATER OPERATIONS ..................................................................... 3-10 3.1.14 PROPOSED PROJECT OPERATIONS ........................................................... 3-10 3.1.15 OTHER PROJECT INFORMATION............................................................... 3-11 3.1.16 COMPLIANCE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT ................................................. 3-12 3.1.17 SAFETY PROCEDURES ............................................................................. 3-12 3.1.18 SUMMARY OF PROJECT GENERATION ..................................................... 3-15 3.1.19 CURRENT NET INVESTMENT ................................................................... 3-15 3.1.20 DEPENDABLE CAPACITY. ......................................................................... 3-15 AUGUST 2019 - i - TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE IMPACTS ...... 4-1 4.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE RIVER BASIN ....................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 4-1 4.1.2 MAJOR LAND USES ................................................................................... 4-2 4.1.3 MAJOR WATER USES ................................................................................ 4-3 4.1.4 PROJECT RESERVOIR AND STORAGE ......................................................... 4-4 4.1.5 PROJECT DRAINAGE BASINS’ TRIBUTARY STREAMS................................. 4-4 4.1.6 CLIMATE ................................................................................................... 4-4 4.1.7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 4-5 4.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ............................................................................................ 4-7 4.2.1 EXISTING GEOLOGICAL FEATURES ........................................................... 4-7 4.2.2 BEDROCK GEOLOGY ................................................................................. 4-9 4.2.3 SOILS ...................................................................................................... 4-11 4.2.4 (USDAD) ................................................................................................ 4-14 4.2.5 RESERVOIR SHORELINE AND STREAMBANK CONDITIONS ....................... 4-14 4.2.6 EROSION ................................................................................................. 4-15 4.2.7 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-15 4.3 WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 4-17 4.3.1 DRAINAGE AREA .................................................................................... 4-17 4.3.2 STREAMFLOW, GAGE DATA, AND FLOW STATISTICS .............................. 4-17 4.3.3 EXISTING AND PROPOSED USES OF WATER............................................. 4-18 4.3.4 EXISTING INSTREAM FLOW USES ............................................................ 4-18 4.3.5 EXISTING WATER RIGHTS ....................................................................... 4-19 4.3.6 RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................... 4-19 4.3.7 GRADIENT OF DOWNSTREAM REACHES .................................................. 4-19 4.3.8 FEDERALLY-APPROVED WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ......................... 4-19 4.3.9 BASELINE WATER QUALITY MONITORING ............................................. 4-20 4.3.10 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-22 4.4 FISH AND AQUATIC RESOURCES ......................................................................... 4-24 4.4.1 FISH SPECIES AND HABITATS .................................................................. 4-24 4.4.2 EXISTING FISH PASSAGE MEASURES....................................................... 4-26 4.4.3 RESIDENT FISH........................................................................................ 4-26 4.4.4 AQUATIC HABITAT ................................................................................. 4-27 4.4.5 CRITICAL HABITAT ................................................................................. 4-29 4.4.6 ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT ....................................................................... 4-29 4.4.7 BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES .......................................................... 4-29 4.4.8 AMPHIBIAN AND AQUATIC REPTILE SPECIES .......................................... 4-30 4.4.9 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-31 4.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 4-33 4.5.1 HISTORY OF THE PROJECT VICINITY ....................................................... 4-33 4.5.2 IDENTIFICATION OF HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE PROJECT VICINITY .................................................................................. 4-34 4.5.3 PRIOR CULTURAL RESOURCE INVESTIGATIONS ...................................... 4-34 4.5.4 TRIBAL RESOURCES ................................................................................ 4-35 4.5.5 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-35 4.6 UPLAND WILDLIFE AND BOTANICAL RESOURCES ............................................... 4-36 4.6.1 WILDLIFE HABITATS IN THE PROJECT AREA AND VICINITY .................... 4-36 4.6.2 WILDLIFE RESOURCES IN THE PROJECT AREA