The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is holding a series of scoping
meetings this week in order to hear the public’s concerns and ideas regarding
for small dams in Western North Carolina. These dams are Bryson Dam on the Oconoluftee
River, Dillsboro Dam on the Tuckasegee, Franklin Dam on the Little Tennessee
River, and Mission Dam on the Hiwassee River. If you, as an individual or as
a representative of an organization or business have an interest in any of these
dams or rivers we encourage you to attend oneof these meetings to voice your
concerns or ideas.
American Whitewater would like all paddlers and river enthusiasts that
support the removal of Dillsboro Dam to attend these meetings and indicate your
support to the FERC.
The removal of any dam is controversial, and Dillsboro is no exception. American
Whitewater signed a settlement agreement with Duke Power and other stakeholders
in October of 2004 that calls for the removal of Dillsboro Dam, and we strongly
stand behind that decision. The removal of the dam will reconnect a long stretch
of the Tuckasegee River allowing multiple species that currently live only below
the dam to recolonize the upstream reaches. It will also allow paddlers to paddle
through the town of Dillsboro, and may even lead to the creation of a series
of whitewater play features. This removal will have negligible impacts to power
availability, and will restore a biologically diverse river. The long term environmental
benefits of the removal far outweigh any short term environmental impacts of
the removal are far outweighed by . In addition, after the dam is removed the
lands around the dam and under the small reservoir will likely become available
for public recreation.
So Please, either attend a meeting or send a written comment to the
FERC indicating that you support the removal of Dillsboro Dam, and include any
additional interests you may have.
Below is a list of the meeting details, directions for filing comments, and
a description of Duke Power’s proposed alternatives. Note that while the removal
of Dillsboro Dam is not included in the alternative, it is proposed in another
document, and the FERC will consider public comment relating to the proposed
removal.
2.2 Comments and Scoping Meetings
During the preparation of a Commission NEPA document, there are two opportunities
for the public and resource agencies to comment on the scope and content of
the document:
– during public scoping, prior to the preparation of a draft NEPA document,
so that the staff can receive both written and oral comments regarding scope
and content; and
– after issuance of the draft NEPA document so that the staff can receive comments
on the contents of the draft.
In addition to written comments solicited by this SD1, we will hold four public
scoping meetings in the project area to solicit comments and view points the
public may wish to offer concerning project effects associated with the, Bryson,
Dillsboro, Franklin and Mission Projects. Afternoon meetings will focus on resource
agency concerns, and evening meetings will focus on input from the public. We
invite all interested agencies, NGO’s, and individuals to attend any or
all meetings to help us identify the scope of issues that should be analyzed
in the EA. The times and locations of the scoping meetings are as follows:
Agency Scoping Meetings
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Place: Macon County Courthouse
Address: 5 West Main Street
Franklin, NC 28734
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Place: Moss Memorial Library
Address: 26 Anderson Street
Hayesville, NC 28904
Public Scoping Meetings Date:
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Place: Jackson County Administration Building
Address: 401 Grindstaff Cove Road
Sylva, NC 28779
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Place: United Community Bank
Address: 95 Highway 64 West
Hayesville, NC 28904
The scoping meetings will be recorded by a court reporter, and all statements
(verbal and written) will become part of the Commission’s public record
for the project. Individuals presenting statements at the meetings will be asked
to clearly identify themselves for the record. Interested parties who choose
not to speak or who are unable to attend any of the scoping meetings may provide
written comments and information to the Commission as described in section 3.0.
These meetings are posted on the Commission’s calendar located on the
internet at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/ EventsList.aspx along with other
related information.
We are also planning site visits to the Bryson, Dillsboro, Franklin and Mission
projects on February 10 and 11, 2004. Participants will be responsible for providing
their own method of transportation. The times and locations of the site visits
are as follows:
Site Visits Re: Bryson, Dillsboro, and Franklin Projects
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Place: Bryson Project
Address: 310 Dam Road
Whittier, NC 28789
Re: Mission Project
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Place: Mission Project Plant
Address: 1765 Mission Dam Road
Murphy, NC 28906
We request federal, state, and local resource agencies, Indian tribes, and
other nongovernmental organizations, and individuals to forward information
to the Commission that they believe will assist the Commission staff in conducting
an accurate and thorough analysis of the project-specific and cumulative effects
of the Bryson, Dillsboro, Franklin, and Mission projects. Types of information
requested include, but are not limited to:
• information, quantitative data, or professional opinions that may help
define the geographical and temporal scope of the analysis and identify significant
environmental issues;
• information on, and information from, any other environmental document
or similar study (previous, on-going, or planned), relevant to the proposed
licensing activities for the four projects;
• existing information and any quantitative data that would help to describe
the past and present actions and effects of the projects and other developmental
activities on environmental and socioeconomic resources;
• information and quantified data that would help characterize past and
existing (baseline) environmental conditions and habitats;
• identification of any federal, state, or local resource plans, and
future project proposals in the affected Nantahala area, such as proposals to
construct or operate water treatment facilities, recreation areas, water diversions,
timber harvest activities, or fish management programs;
• documentation of cumulative effects of basin-wide activities on resources,
including the proposed projects; and
• documentation that would support a conclusion that the proposed projects
do or do not contribute to adverse or beneficial effects on resources and therefore,
should be excluded from further study or consideration or included for further
consideration of cumulative effects. Documentation should include, but need
not be limited to:
– how the project would interact with other hydropower projects in the
area and other developmental and non developmental activities;
– results from studies;
– resource management policies; and
– reports from federal, state, and local agencies.
The requested information should be submitted in writing to the Commission.
Written material must be submitted no later than 30 days from the date of this
SD1. All written filings must clearly identify the following on the first page:
Nantahala Area EA, FERC Project Nos. 2601, 2602, 2603, and 2619. Address all
communications regarding the EA to:
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E., Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426
All filings sent to the Secretary of the Commission should contain an original
and eight copies. Failure to file an original and eight copies may result in
appropriate staff not receiving the benefit of your comments in a timely manner.
Furthermore, interveners, those on the Commission’s service list for these
proceedings, are reminded that if they file comments with the Commission, they
must also serve a copy of their filing on each person whose name appears on
the official service list. The current service list is presented in section
9.0. However, the list is periodically updated. In addition, if a party files
comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue
that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must
also serve a copy of the document on the resource agency. The official service
list can be obtained on the Commission’s web site (http://www.ferc.gov),
scroll down to Documents and Filing, right click on service list, or by calling
the Office of the Secretary, Dockets Branch at (202) 502-8715.
Any questions concerning the scoping or preparation of the EA for the proposed
actions should be sent to Lee Emery, at (202) 219-8379 or Carolyn Holsopple,
at (202) 219-6407, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Energy Projects.
The following list represents Duke’s combined proposed environmental
protection and enhancement measures for the Bryson, Dillsboro, Franklin and
Mission Projects. For additional environmental resource issues to be addressed,
please refer to Section 5.2.
For all four projects, Duke proposes to:
· install a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to control the Taintor
gates, establishing pond levels within a variance of 0.5 feet below full pond.
· remove non-biodegradable trash from the intake racks and properly dispose
of in accordance with the project’s proposed Trash Removal Plan.
· implement a Project Reservoir and Land Management Plan along with a
Shoreline Management Plan that will incorporate permitting guidelines pertaining
to the use of the project property in accordance with the standard land use
articles and guidelines that address, among other things:
– activities pertaining to the use of islands;
– water pumps and water removal;
– commercial operations;
– vegetation and protective buffers;
– protection of shallow water habitat and riparian areas for a variety of fish
and wildlife; and
– prohibited acts or activities.
· develop a long-term Sediment Management Plan which will incorporate
trash rack maintenance guidelines, debris/sediment management and removal, and
guidelines for emergency drawdown including procedures, timing, rates of drawdown
and refilling, and agency notification.
· construct, place, and maintain wood duck nesting boxes in the project
area.
· refrain from harvesting the trees around the reservoir to increase
the size and age of potential roost sites for the Indiana Bat.
· address fish passage issues at the projects through the development
of a Settlement Agreement .
Site-specific environmental protection and enhancement measures can be found
below. Duke proposes to:
4.1.2.1 Bryson Project
· maintain agency-recommended September median flows of 204 cfs to preserve
adequate downstream flows from the project;
· develop a canoe portage around the dam with a walking path for when
the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians allow public boating on the Oconaluftee
River within the reservation; and
· maintain 82 cfs minimum flow or inflow for the protection of water
quality and aquatic life.
4.1.2.2 Dillsboro Project
· maintain agency-recommended September median flows of 358 cfs to preserve
adequate downstream flows from the project;
· maintain 160 cfs minimum flow or inflow for the protection of water
quality and aquatic life;
· develop a canoe portage around the dam if the Dillsboro Dam is not
removed; and
· develop a public boat launch and gravel parking area in the vicinity
of the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority’s property just upstream of
the Dillsboro Reservoir .
4.1.2.3 Franklin Project
· maintain agency-recommended September median flows of 309 cfs to preserve
adequate downstream flows from the project;
· maintain 70 cfs minimum flow or inflow for the protection of water
quality and aquatic life;
· partner with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Council (NCWRC) by providing
a one-time lump sum payment of $7,700 (2004$) in association with a Franklin
Community Fishing Program;
· if the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) concurs
that the powerhouse is eligible for the Nation Register (NRHP), a Historic Properties
Management Plan (NPHP) will be developed;
· develop a canoe portage on the northeast side of the dam including
a downstream river access put-in with parking; and
· develop a boat ramp with parking for trailered boat access to the reservoir.
4.1.2.4 Mission Project
· extend the life of the existing facilities through an ongoing maintenance
program to repair, modify, or replace the civil, mechanical, and electrical
components of the project on an as-needed basis;
· maintain agency-recommended September median flows of 341 cfs to preserve
adequate downstream flows from the project;
· maintain 280 cfs minimum flow or inflow for the protection of water
quality and aquatic life; and
· develop a canoe portage on the northeast side of the dam including
a downstream river access put-in with parking.