All hydroelectric facilities on federal lands must go through a license renewal process every 40 to 50 years. PG&E has launched that process for the Phoenix Project, which includes Lyons Reservoir (on the South Fork Stanislaus River northeast of Twain Harte) and the Phoenix Powerhouse (that receives water from Lyons through a long flume-canal-ditch system). The years-long planning process will end up determining whether the federal government agency (the FERC) will require PG&E to make changes in how much water is diverted out of the South Fork Stanislaus River and how much water is required to be left to flow downstream in the river. It will also shape recreation policies and determine whether PG&E will need to provide new recreational improvements at Lyons Reservoir or elsewhere.
CSERC has worked for many years in similar FERC planning processes – consistently aiming to ensure that water quality and wildlife values get full consideration. Water districts, agricultural interests, and other water users often engage intensely in such processes to pressure the FERC and State Water Board staff to favor water use, rather than prioritize better management for stressed water resources such as the South Fork Stanislaus (shown below).
For those who love rivers, aquatic wildlife, and quiet recreation, the Phoenix FERC Relicensing Project offers a chance to engage in a planning process where input from the public can actually make a difference for river flows and at-risk aquatic species.
Those who are interested in this process can access and download a highly informative “Preliminary Application Document” (PAD) for the Phoenix Project from PG&E’s public website by searching for:
Phoenix Relicensing Project (FERC #1061)