The Narrows Hydroelectric Project and Englebright Dam: SYRCL joins Agencies and YWA on a site visit
Recently, our dedicated team from the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) had the opportunity to join the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), state agencies, and the Yuba Water Agency (YWA) on a site visit to the Narrows 1 powerhouse.
As many of you may know, SYRCL has been deeply involved in the relicensing process of the Narrows Hydroelectric Project. Our current aim is to advocate for comprehensive studies and environmental analyses that will shed light on the project’s impacts on the Yuba River watershed, especially impacts to habitat and native fisheries on the Lower Yuba River.
Since licenses to operate hydroelectric dams occur only once every 50 years, we view relicensing as a unique opportunity to reassess dam operations and negotiate conditions that can mitigate the effects of hydroelectric operations and aid in restoring flows and habitats for salmon and native fisheries. We see it as being about finding a balance between hydroelectric generation and the long-term health and resilience of our rivers and ecosystems.
The water for the Narrows 1 Powerhouse is impounded by Englebright Dam. Like all dam and powerhouses, those in the lower Yuba disrupt the natural flow of water. This leads to significant downstream impacts. These impacts include preventing the downstream movement of sediment, nutrients, and large wood, all of which are crucial components of rearing habitat. Additionally, a lack of water flow in the spring, combined with increased flows during the summer months to meet irrigation and power demands, conflicts with the natural hydrologic pattern with which our native fish have evolved. This includes endangered salmon.
The Project, and its sister powerhouse Narrows 2 (not part of this relicensing) combined do not have the capacity to release enough water needed to maintain aquatic floodplain habitat in the Lower Yuba, a habitat critical for juvenile salmon growth and survival.
To address these issues, we’ve requested formal studies and filed comments with FERC. These studies could provide invaluable data to inform the relicensing process and help develop conditions that can mitigate the impacts of hydroelectric operations.
By mitigating these impacts, we can restore habitat for fisheries and improve conditions critical for salmon.
SYRCL is now preparing comments on FERC’s environmental scoping document. These comments are due in early August.
This post originally appeared on SYRCL.
