Yadkin Project (FERC No. 2197)

Reservoir Fish and Aquatic Habitat Assessment

 

Final Study Plan

June, 2003

Background  

Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI) is the licensee for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project.  The Yadkin Project is currently licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as Project No. 2197.  This license expires in 2008 and APGI must file a new license application with FERC on or before April 30, 2006 to continue operation of the Project.   

The Yadkin Project consists of four reservoirs, dams, and powerhouses (High Rock, Tuckertown, Narrows , and Falls) located on a 38-mile stretch of the Yadkin River in central North Carolina .  The Project generates electricity to support the power needs of Alcoa’s Badin Works, to support its other aluminum operations, or is sold on the open market.  

As part of the relicensing process, APGI prepared and distributed, in September 2002, an Initial Consultation Document (ICD), which provides a general overview of the Project.  Agencies, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and members of the public were given an opportunity to review the ICD and identify information and studies that are needed to address relicensing issues.   To further assist in the identification of issues and data/study needs, APGI has formed several Issue Advisory Groups (IAGs) to advise APGI on resource issues throughout the relicensing process.  IAGs will also have the opportunity to review and comment on Draft Study Plans.  This Draft Study Plan has been developed in response to comments on the ICD and through discussions with the Fish and Aquatics IAG, to provide additional necessary information for consideration in the relicensing process.

Issues  

The following issue was raised during initial consultation regarding reservoir fisheries and aquatic habitat at the Yadkin Project:  

Study Objectives  

On March 12, 2003 the Fish and Aquatics IAG met and discussed objectives for the reservoir fishery and aquatic habitat study.  Over the course of those discussions the following objectives were identified for the study.

A draft study plan for the Yadkin Reservoir Fish and Aquatic Habitat Assessment was prepared by Normandeau Associates and distributed electronically to the Fish and Aquatics IAG on April 4, 2003 for review prior to the April 9, 2003 IAG meeting held in Badin , NC .  Comments from the April 9 meeting have been incorporated into this final study plan.  Comments at the meeting included discussions on the difficulties of doing the proposed habitat assessment by boat on High Rock during low water because of the shallow water encountered, especially in the tributary arms.  Another comment was that the draft habitat study plan lacked sufficient detail on the habitat types that would be mapped and what the final report and Arc View file would contain.  Comments on the proposed mapping of significant erosion along the reservoir were also discussed at the April 9th IAG meeting, including what constituted significant erosion and the impacts of potential erosion on affected resources.  It was agreed that those Participants that were not familiar with Normandeau Associates Santeetlah Reservoir Aquatic Habitat Study would be given a copy as an example of the type of habitat survey and the work product (Arc View) that Normandeau Associates will provide for the proposed Yadkin Reservoirs Habitat surveys.  

A revised draft study plan was distributed to the IAG in May, 2003 and IAG members and no additional comments were received.  

Methods-Habitat surveys  

The habitat mapping portion of the study will be conducted by Normandeau Associates Inc. (NAI) and will entail the following:  

 Methods – Reservoir level fluctuation evaluation

 The reservoir fluctuation evaluation portion of the study will also be conducted by Normandeau and will entail the following:  

 Data Collection and Reporting Schedule

 Data collection for the habitat surveys on High Rock and Narrows Reservoirs are planned for the  fall and early winter in 2003 and the habitat data collection for the Tuckertown and Falls Reservoirs is planned for the fall/early winter in 2004.  Results of the habitat surveys and reservoir fluctuation evaluations for the four impoundments will be reported in draft and final study reports.  A draft study report of the habitat surveys on High Rock and Narrows Reservoirs will be prepared and distributed to the Fish and Aquatics IAG for review and comment by the 1st quarter of 2004, approximately two to three months after the completion of data collection.  A draft study report for the Tuckertown and Falls Habitat survey will be prepared and distributed to the Fish and Aquatics IAG by the 1st quarter of 2005, approximately 2 months after data collection.  IAG comments will be addressed in a final habitat study report for all four reservoirs that will be distributed to the IAG in March 2005.  Interim results, such as draft habitat maps of the reservoirs, may be shared with the IAG as such information becomes available, prior to completion of the draft study report.  The draft Reservoir Level Fluctuation report for High Rock and Narrows will be prepared and distributed to the IAG for review and comment by the 2nd quarter of 2004, about three months after the draft Habitat survey report for these two reservoirs is turned in.  The draft Reservoir Level Fluctuation report for Tuckertown and Falls Reservoirs will be distributed to the IAG for review and comment by the 2nd quarter of 2005, about two months after the draft habitat survey for these reservoirs is turned in (draft habitat survey reports are needed in order to complete the draft reservoir fluctuation reports).  Final Reservoir Level Fluctuation reports for the four reservoirs will be distributed to the IAG for review and comment by the 2nd quarter of 2005.