Boaters Tell FERC About The McCloud River (CA)

On September 9^th in Redding California the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) held a meeting to receive public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the McCloud/ Pit Hydroelectric project in Northern California.   At this meeting more than a dozen paddlers showed up to tell FERC staff how important the McCloud is to the boating community. 

Currently PG&E is required to release a flat line flow of 200 CFS year round.   These flows do not mimick natural flow patterns and that can cause harm to the aquatic resources.  Additionally, these flows only provide boating opportunity when the dams spill water, typically in the winter months.  American Whitewater, and the boaters that attended this meeting, all recommended more natural flows for the McCloud River.   Specifically we have proposed flows that are higher in the spring and gradually taper off, mimicking the natural snowmelt hydrograph. 

 We would like to thank all those who participated and spoke at this public comment meeting. We believe that we made a positive impression on the FERC staff that was present.

 You still have time to make written comments and file them with FERC.  We still have time to change FERC’s view that this river should be managed solely for recreational angling.  Here are some things you can do.

Write to FERC and tell them that:

·      There are few class III/IV wilderness runs and that paddler deserve the opportunity to boat the McCloud.

·      FERC needs to restore a more natural hydrograph that provides for boating opportunity in the spring.

·      Managing this river solely for angling is wrong and returning 1% of the boatable days is not too much to ask.

Please send letters ASAP and preferably before Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

You have three options for filing comments with FERC:

1. You can register directly on the FERC website <http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp> and electronically file a formal comment under project docket which is P-2106-047. This option allows you to subscribe to the docket and follow the process. (Please contact me if you would like additional assistance).
2. You can file an eComment with FERC <http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp> this is an option for short comments (less than 6000 characters). File under docket P-2106-047. This option is simpler than filing a formal comment.
3. You can file by mail using the address below.

     Please put in the subject line reference "FERC P-2106-047".

Send letters to:

Ms. Kimberly D. Bose
Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE 
Washington, DC 20426

You can also email your comments to AW and our Stewardship Assistant Carla Miner can file on your behalf. <carla@americanwhitewater.org> and a cc to me <dave@americanwhitewater.org>.