Big Creek Hydroelectric System Alternative Licensing Process

Big Creek Hydroelectric System Alternative Licensing Process

INITIAL INFORMATION PACKAGE for the BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS May 2000 Prepared By SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON An EDISON INTERNATIONALSM Company INITIAL INFORMATION PACKAGE for the BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS May 2000 Prepared By SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON An EDISON INTERNATIONALSM Company With Assistance From BIG CREEK HYDROELECTRIC SYSTEM INITIAL INFORMATION PACKAGE ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS Copyright, 2000, Southern California Edison Company. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, elec- tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Southern California Edison Company. LAKE THOMAS A. EDISON’S WATERSHED TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................. V LIST OF TABLES..............................................................................................................VII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................1-1 1.1 ORGANIZATION OF THE IIP .......................................................................1-5 2.0 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ................................................................................2-1 2.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ...............................................................................2-1 2.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE FERC RELICENSING PROCESS OPTIONS ..................2-2 2.2.1 ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS................................................2-3 2.3 ASSOCIATED REGULATORY PROCESSES ...................................................2-5 2.4 SCE’S RELICENSING APPROACH FOR THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM...................2-5 2.4.1 TRADITIONAL RELICENSING PROCESS IN THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM.......................................................................................2-9 2.4.2 ALTERNATIVE LICENSING PROCESS IN THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM.....................................................................................2-10 2.5 BIG CREEK ALP: STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNICATION .......2-17 2.5.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ..................................................................2-17 2.5.2 GENERAL PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES .................................................................................2-19 2.5.3 ALP COLLABORATIVE TEAM ........................................................2-20 2.5.4 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .................................................................2-21 2.5.5 PUBLIC OUTREACH 2-21 2.5.6 STAGES OF THE ALP ..................................................................2-21 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM ...........................................................3-1 3.1 PROJECT HISTORY ..................................................................................3-1 3.1.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ....................................................................3-1 3.1.2 INITIAL DEVELOPMENT...................................................................3-1 3.1.3 SECOND PHASE ...........................................................................3-2 3.1.4 DEPRESSION/WAR YEARS ............................................................3-6 3.1.5 THIRD PHASE ...............................................................................3-7 3.2 DESCRIPTION OF SCE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS IN THE BASIN ...............3-9 3.2.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ....................................................................3-9 3.3 PROJECT OPERATIONS ..........................................................................3-15 3.3.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ..................................................................3-15 3.3.2 OPERATING CONSTRAINTS ..........................................................3-15 i 3.3.3 WATER MANAGEMENT ................................................................3-22 3.4 EXISTING PROGRAMS, MEASURES, AND FACILITIES MAINTAINED BY SCE ..3-23 3.4.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW ..................................................................3-23 3.4.2 ENDANGERED SPECIES ALERT PROGRAM.....................................3-24 3.4.3 RAPTOR PROTECTION PROGRAM .................................................3-24 3.4.4 SPILL PREVENTION CONTROL AND COUNTERMEASURE PLANS .......3-24 3.4.5 MINIMUM INSTREAM FLOW MEASURES .........................................3-25 3.4.6 WILDLIFE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT...............................................3-25 3.4.7 ANNUAL PLANNING MEETINGS WITH THE SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST .....................................................................................3-25 3.4.8 FACILITIES .................................................................................3-26 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF BIG CREEK SYSTEM BASIN RESOURCES..................................4.1-1 4.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM BASIN .....................4.1-1 4.1.1 BASIN GEOGRAPHY ...................................................................4.1-1 4.1.2 TOPOGRAPHY OF THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM BASIN.........................4.1-2 4.1.3 CLIMATE ...................................................................................4.1-3 4.1.4 AIR.........................................................................................4.1-10 4.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS OF THE BIG CREEK SYSTEM BASIN.........................4.2-1 4.2.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................................4.2-1 4.2.2 REGIONAL SETTING ...................................................................4.2-1 4.2.3 BASIN SETTING .........................................................................4.2-4 4.3 WATER QUALITY AND WATER USE ........................................................4.3-1 4.3.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................................4.3-1 4.3.2 GROUNDWATER ........................................................................4.3-1 4.3.3 BENEFICIAL WATER USES ..........................................................4.3-2 4.3.4 WATER QUALITY CRITERIA .........................................................4.3-4 4.3.5 WATER RIGHTS .........................................................................4.3-8 4.3.6 HYDROLOGY ...........................................................................4.3-10 4.4 FISHERIES ...........................................................................................4.4-1 4.4.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................................4.4-1 4.4.2 HISTORICAL CONTEXT................................................................4.4-1 4.4.3 FISH COMMUNITIES....................................................................4.4-3 4.4.4 FISH SPECIES ...........................................................................4.4-9 4.4.5 FISH DISTRIBUTION..................................................................4.4-20 4.4.6 MACROINVERTEBRATES ...........................................................4.4-22 4.4.7 ZOOPLANKTON ........................................................................4.4-23 4.4.8 FISH HABITAT..........................................................................4.4-24 4.5 BOTANICAL AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES..................................................4.5-1 4.5.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................................4.5-1 4.5.2 BOTANICAL RESOURCES ............................................................4.5-1 4.5.3 WILDLIFE RESOURCES.............................................................4.5-11 4.6 HISTORIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES .......................................4.6-1 ii 4.6.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................................4.6-1 4.6.2 ARCHAEOLOGY..........................................................................4.6-1 4.6.3 ETHNOGRAPHIC RESOURCES......................................................4.6-2 4.6.4 HISTORIC RESOURCES...............................................................4.6-2 4.6.5 PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES.................................................4.6-6 4.7 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES .................................................................4.7-1 4.7.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW .................................................................4.7-1 4.7.2 REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE............................................................4.7-1 4.7.3 WILDERNESS AREAS .................................................................4.7-5 4.7.4 SCENIC DRIVES AND BICYCLE RIDES...........................................4.7-7 4.7.5 TRAILS......................................................................................4.7-8 4.7.6 CAMPING AND DAY-USE FACILITIES.............................................4.7-9 4.7.7 WINTER SPORTS .....................................................................4.7-12 4.7.8 FLATWATER SPORTS ...............................................................4.7-14 4.7.9 WHITEWATER..........................................................................4.7-17 4.7.10 ANGLING AND HUNTING...........................................................4.7-19 4.7.11 OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE ROUTES .............................................4.7-21

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