From: Osborn, Jeff To: Alex Martinez; Art Viola; Bitterman, Deborah; Bob Goedde; Bob Rose; Brad Caldwell; Bruce Heiner; Carl Merkle; Catherine Willard; Chamberlain, Vern; Gary Denniston; Hays, Steve; Hill, Courtney; Jerry Marco; Joe Kastenholz; Jon Merz; Osborn, Jeff; Pat Irle; Reed Glesne; Rich Domingue; Smith, Michelle; Steve Lewis; Tidd, Scott; Truscott, Keith; Yow, Gene; Bob Huber; Brad James; Bryan Nordlund; Carrington, Gregg E.; Chad Jackson; Dave Burgess; Hampton, Waikele M.; Hemstrom, Steven; Jim Blanchard; Jim Harris; Katrina Simmons; Keith Vradenburg; Keller, Lance; Ken Finicle; Miller, Joseph; Molly Hallock; Murauskas, Joshua; Patrick Verhey; R. D. Nelle; Susan Rosebrough; Tony Eldred; Tracy Hillman; cc: Pomianek, Kris; Pope, Von; Subject: Relocation of the Turtle Rock rearing facility Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 1:38:49 PM Attachments: Final for Forums hatchery amendment 2010 (reduced file size).pdf Dear Chelan River Fishery Forum and Rocky Reach Fish Forum Members and Participants: I am attaching a letter and appendices for your review, that describes Chelan PUD's request to FERC to relocate the Turtle Rock Island Acclimation Facility on the Columbia River for summer Chinook rearing and acclimation program to a new facility to be constructed at Chelan Falls near the Lake Chelan Project's Powerhouse. I request your comments on whether you believe that this relocation and new facility will conflict with Chelan PUD's ability to implement the Lake Chelan or Rocky Reach Fishery Management Plans. Please respond back to me by September 30 with any comments, or if you concur with this request, then no response is necessary. Thank you in advance for taking the time to review this letter. Jeff Osborn License Program Coordinator Natural Resources Programs Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County 327 North Wenatchee Avenue PO Box 1231 Wenatchee, WA 98807-1231 Phone: 509-661-4176 FAX: 509-661-8203 P U B L I C U T I L I T Y D I S T R I C T N O . 1 o f C H E L A N C O U N T Y P.O. Box 1231, Wenatchee, WA 98807-1231 • 327 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801 (509) 663-8121 • Toll free 1-888-663-8121 • www.chelanpud.org September 14, 2010 Honorable Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, and Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., Deputy Secretary FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION 888 First Street NE Washington, DC 20426 Re: Rock Reach Hydroelectric Project No. 2145 Request to Relocate Operation of Turtle Rock Island Fish Hatchery Facility and Construct Replacement Rearing and Acclimation Facility at Chelan Falls. Dear Secretary Bose and Deputy Secretary Davis, Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, Washington (Chelan PUD), licensee for the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project No. 2145 (Rocky Reach Project) and the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project No. 637 (Lake Chelan Project), hereby requests the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (Commission) approval to relocate the Turtle Rock Island Acclimation Facility for the summer Chinook rearing and acclimation program to a new facility to be constructed at Chelan Falls, near the Lake Chelan Project’s powerhouse. The existing Turtle Rock Island Acclimation Facility is a project facility of the Rocky Reach Project. The new facility will be located on land that is within both the Rocky Reach and Lake Chelan project boundaries. The proposed facility change is based on consultation and agreement of the Rocky Reach and Rock Island Habitat Conservation Plans1 (HCPs) Hatchery Committees2. Chelan PUD supports the proposed use, based on the terms contained herein, which will not result in any adverse environmental impact. The proposed use is consistent with the recreation plan and operations for both the Rocky Reach and Lake Chelan projects. 1 Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, et. al., 107 FERC ¶ 61,280 (2004); Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, 107 FERC ¶ 61,281 (2004) (Rocky Reach); Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, 107 FERC ¶ 61,282 (2004) (Rock Island) (HCP Orders). 2 Application for Approval of Rocky Reach and Rock Island Anadromous Fish Agreement and Habitat Conservation Plans (filed November 24, 2003) (HCPs) at Section 8.2.2.: The Hatchery committee shall oversee development of recommendations for implementation of the hatchery elements of the Agreement that the District responsible for funding. This includes overseeing the implementation of improvements, monitoring and evaluation relevant to the District’s hatchery programs, as identified in the Hatchery Compensation Plan, the Permit and this Agreement. The Hatchery Committee members include: Chelan County PUD, Douglas County PUD, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. COMMISSIONERS: Carnan Bergren, Dennis S. Bolz, Ann Congdon, Norm Gutzwiler, Randy Smith GENERAL MANAGER: John Janney Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Background The Turtle Rock Island Acclimation Facility is operated as a mitigation facility for fishery impacts caused by construction and operation of the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project. The facility is located adjacent to the Columbia River two miles upstream from Rocky Reach Dam at river mile 475 on the Columbia River. The facility is used for Wenatchee steelhead and summer Chinook salmon rearing. (See Appendix A, Vicinity Map.) On February 19, 2009, the Commission issued an Order on Offer of Settlement and Issuing New License for the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project (License).3 Appendices (C) and (E) of Ordering Paragraphs (F) and (H), respectively, of the new License includes the National Marine Fisheries Service prescriptions and incidental intake statement. Appendix B of Ordering Paragraph (E) of the new License includes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prescriptions pursuant to Section 18 of the Federal Power Act of which Article 10 requires the following: Article 10. Habitat Conservation Plan (a) The Licensee shall carry out its obligations as set forth in the 50-year HCP Agreement for the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project No. 2145, filed with the Commission on November 24, 2003, as approved by the Commission at 107 FERC ¶ 61,280 (2004) and 107 FERC ¶ 61,281 (2004), and prescribed by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursuant to Section 18 of the Federal Power Act. Further, the licensee shall file with the Commission: (1) the final annual and comprehensive progress reports developed pursuant to the HCP; and (2) the final results of all studies and testing pursuant to the HCP. (b) Prior to taking any action pursuant to the HCP that requires a change in the authorized project facilities or operations not specifically identified in the HCP, the licensee shall file a license amendment application. (c) The licensee shall file design drawings prior to the implementation of any modification or addition to project works that is necessary to implement the HCP. The licensee shall file such design drawings for Commission approval at least 90 days prior to the start of construction or modification. The licensee will file as-built drawings with the Commission within six months after completion of construction or modification. These ordering paragraphs provide for the relocation and replacement of fish facilities to improve the functionality and productivity of fish measures to meet the objectives identified by the HCP Committees. Project description and schedule Chelan PUD, in conjunction with the HCP Hatchery Committees and other project stakeholders have agreed4 that the final rearing and acclimation for the Turtle Rock Island summer Chinook program be moved to a new facility to be built and operational in 2011. The new facility is to be located in Chelan Falls, near the Lake Chelan Project’s powerhouse. The new yearling program will be made up of 400,000 fish from the conversion of subyearlings and an additional 200,000 fish from the current production requirements (subject to revision in 2013 per the HCP). The HCP Hatchery Committees agree that relocating the rearing and acclimation of summer Chinook from the Turtle Rock Island Acclimation Facility to an area near Chelan Falls will result in fish returning to that location and will compliment the new fish habitat improvements made in the Reach 4 section of the Chelan River under the Lake Chelan Project’s new license.5 3 Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, 126 FERC ¶61,138 (License). 4 See consultation record attached. 5 Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, 117 FERC ¶62,129. Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project No. 2145 HCP Fish Hatcheries FN/35459 Page 2 September 2010 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The rearing and acclimation facility at Chelan Falls will include a pump station on the left bank of the new Chelan Falls Powerhouse tailrace, rearing ponds, a volitional fish outlet, a waste cleaning system, and various support buildings associated with the facility. To meet the schedule for this project, the District proposes implementing the work in three phases. The first phase is site grading and relocation of an existing waterline. The second phase will be advance bidding of long lead equipment such as pumps, pump barrels, pump controls, and intake fish screens. The third phase of the project will be construction of in-water structures, all facility structures, and installation of the pump equipment. The supporting design report is attached as Appendix B. As required by Article 302 of the Rocky Reach Project License, on June 3, 2010, Chelan PUD submitted contract plans and specifications, a quality control and inspection program, a temporary construction emergency action plan, and a soil erosion and sediment control plan for the first phase of work to the Division of Dam Safety and Inspections Portland Regional Engineer (with two copies to the Commission). Chelan PUD will file as-built drawings with the Commission upon completion of the project.