February 1, 2011. The Foothills Water Network, a coalition of NGO’s in which CSPA plays a leading role, filed 80 pages of comments on the Draft License Applications for the Yuba-Bear and Drum-Spaulding hydroelectric projects. The projects, licensed to  Nevada Irrigation District and PG&E respectively, coordinate their operations, and their licensees are engaged in a…

January 31, 2011. CSPA and a five other conservation and fishing groups have commented on the Initial Study Report in the relicensing of the Merced River Project, and submitted seven requests for new studies. In 2009 and 2010, Merced Irrigation District, the operator of New Exchequer and McSwain dams on the Merced River, used process…

The State Water Resources Control Board, on December 15, 2010, approved a 401 water quality certification for the relicensing of the Oroville Facilities. The certification by the State Board is required before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can issue a new license to operate the hydroelectric facilities at Oroville. The license is supposed to protect…

CSPA is engaged on as many hydroelectric projects in California as any other non-governmental organization. On the Merced and the McCloud, the Tuolumne and Butte Creek, the Mokelumne and the American, the Yuba and the Feather, CSPA is active in relicensings, license implementation, and special proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

By Chris Shutes, FERC Projects Director In a comment letter filed in the dockets of the coordinated relicensing of the Yuba-Bear and Drum-Spaulding hydroelectric projects, the Foothills Water Network has taken the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to task for failure to consider and order study of water supply in the hydropower relicensing process. The Network’s…