FERC Correspondence on Upper Baker Dam Spillway Stability Improvements and Tailrace Channel Rock Debris Removal Project

Strategic Insights -

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a correspondence with government agencies regarding the proposed Upper Baker Dam Spillway Stability Improvements and Tailrace Channel Rock Debris Removal Project at the Baker River Hydroelectric Project No. 2150. The project, proposed by Puget Sound Energy, Inc., aims to improve the stability of the Upper Baker Dam spillway slope and remove accumulated rockfall debris material in the tailrace channel downstream of the dam. The project will take place over a 12-week period from April 1 through August 31, 2023.

Key Takeaways:

  • The proposed project is needed to address the potential failure mode of the Upper Baker Dam spillway slope and to reduce power generation due to rockfall debris in the channel.
  • The project will have a 12-week duration from April 1 to August 31, 2023.
  • The draft Biological Assessment (BA) evaluates the effects of the project on threatened and endangered species, including the marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl, yellow-billed cuckoo, Puget Sound Chinook salmon, coastal-Puget Sound bull trout, Puget Sound steelhead trout, Oregon spotted frog, grizzly bear, and the endangered gray wolf.
  • The FERC has reviewed the licensee's BA and adopted it without modification as the final BA, concluding that the proposed spillway project is likely to adversely affect the marbled murrelet and coastal-Puget Sound bull trout.
  • The project will have no effect on the yellow-billed cuckoo, Puget Sound Chinook salmon, Puget Sound steelhead trout, and Oregon spotted frog.
  • The FERC has requested a biological opinion on its findings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service within 135 days and will assume formal consultation if no response is received within 30 days.
  • The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing and provides instructions on how to submit the biological opinion.

Statistics:

  • The project will take 12 weeks to complete, from April 1 to August 31, 2023.
  • The draft Biological Assessment (BA) evaluates the effects of the project on 10 threatened and endangered species.
  • The FERC has adopted the licensee's BA without modification as the final BA.
  • The project will affect 2 threatened species: the marbled murrelet and the coastal-Puget Sound bull trout.
  • The project will have no effect on 4 threatened species: the yellow-billed cuckoo, the Puget Sound Chinook salmon, the Puget Sound steelhead trout, and the Oregon spotted frog.

Sources:

  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) correspondence with government agencies, dated August 17, 2022.
  • Puget Sound Energy, Inc., 125 FERC P 62,064 (2008).