20070812 Ver 2_Final EIS Statement_20080401

Office of
Energy
oA y?o
Projects
Go April 2008
FERC/FEIS - 0215F
Final Environmental Impact Statement for Hydropower Licenses
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric Project - FERC Project No. 2206-030
North Carolina
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Office of Energy Projects
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426
Yadkin Hydroelectric Project - FERC Project No. 2197-073
environmental analysis notice issued on March 13, 2007." Table 57 in section 5.2, Fish
and Wildlife Agency Recommendations, lists each of the recommendations subject to
section 100), and summarizes our recommendation for adoption under the Staff
Alternative.
Yadkin-Pee Dee River Project - In response to the Commission's ready for
environmental analysis notice issued on March 13, 2007, NMFS and Interior (on behalf
of FWS) filed comment letters that included section 100) recommendations.18 Table 57
in section 5.2, Fish and Wildlife Agency Recommendations, lists each of the
recommendations subject to section 100), and summarizes our recommendation for
adoption under the Staff Alternative.
2.3.3 Staffs Modification to the Proposed Actions
After evaluating the Proposed Actions, including the terms, conditions, and
recommendations filed by agencies and interested entities under sections I O(a),100), 18
of the FPA, we considered what, if any, additional measures would be necessary or
appropriate for the continued operation of the Projects. In addition to Alcoa Generating
and Progress Energy's proposed project-related environmental measures, we evaluate the
following staff-identified measures for the Yadkin and Yadkin-Pee Dee River Projects:
2.3.3.1 Yadkin Project
• Develop a sedimentation and flood protection plan that includes (a) specific
measures to ensure dredging of sufficient volume and frequency such that the
city of Salisbury's water intake remains clear of sediments, (b) physical
modifications to the facilities such as a protective dike for the pump station,
improved access to the pump station with the road consistent with the city of
Salisbury's design or other feasible options for achieving a mutually agreeable
and cost effective resolution to flood protection (e.g., relocating the pump
station or providing an alternative emergency water supply), (c) planning level
capital and operation and maintenance cost estimates for all alternatives, and
(d) a recommendation as to which alternative to implement.
• Develop a flood protection plan for the Grant Creek wastewater treatment plant
that includes (a) protection from floods that may include maintenance
dredging, physical modifications to the existing facility such as installation of a
flood protection berm and roadway modifications using a berm, or other
feasible options for achieving a mutually agreeable and cost effective
resolution to flood protection; and (b) planning level capital and operation and
maintenance cost estimates for all alternatives.
"NMFS letter dated May 11, 2007; Interior (FWS) letter dated May 11, 2007.
'$NMFS letter dated May 12, 2007; Interior (FWS) letter dated May 11, 2007.
33
activities such as water use, in combination with the project operations, may influence
water quality (e.g., nutrient loads, DO concentrations, and salinity), and water quantity.
For aquatic resources, we include the Pee Dee River Basin, the Yadkin River, and
other tributaries that are affected by project operations, from the W. Kerr Scott reservoir
downstream to the Atlantic Ocean. We chose this geographic scope because the Projects,
in combination with other activities in the basin, may influence upstream and
downstream diadromous fish migration and spawning, and the spawning and rearing of
resident fish species in affected reaches of the Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers.
3.2.2 Temporal Scope
The temporal scope of our cumulative analysis in the EIS includes a discussion of
past, present, and future actions and their effects on each resource that could be
cumulatively affected. Based on the terms of the new licenses, the temporal scope looks
30 to 50 years into the future, concentrating on the effects on the resources from
reasonably foreseeable future actions. The historical discussion, by necessity, is limited
by the amount of available information for each resource.
3.3 PROPOSED ACTION AND ACTION ALTERNATIVES
3.3.1 Geology and Soils
3.3.1.1 Affected Environment
The Projects are located within the Piedmont physiographic region, to the east and
southeast of the Appalachian Mountains. The Piedmont region has a rolling and hilly
topography with elevations that range from about 1,200 to 1,500 feet above sea level.
The elevations of the Projects at full pond range between 623.9 feet for High Rock
reservoir to 178.1 feet for Blewett Falls reservoir.
Soils in the Piedmont are generally fine-grained and readily eroded when exposed
to wind and water (Normandeau and PB Power, 2005). Erosion rates depend on land use,
specific soil type, and topography. Because the Yadkin River has some of the highest
erosion rates in North Carolina, it carries high concentrations of sediment, particularly
during high flow events. The source of the sediment is primarily soil erosion, but also
streambank erosion and urban runoff.
The Yadkin River, upstream of the influence of the dams, appears to be in
approximate geomorphic equilibrium with little evidence of systematic aggradation20 or
20Aggradation is the process of shifting the equilibrium of stream deposition, with
upbuilding due to sediment deposition approximately at grade of the stream.
Aggradation results when the sediment load supplied to a reach of river from upstream
exceeds its capacity to transport sediment.
39
degradation 21 (Doyle, 2007). Signs of aggradation would include mid-channel bars,
stream braiding, substantial natural levees, and/or deposits on the floodplain after floods.
Signs of degradation would include undermined bridge piers, mass-wasting of river
banks, and incised stream or tributary channels.
Most of the sediment-laden inflow to High Rock reservoir is retained in the
reservoir, resulting in lower storage capacity losses in the five downstream reservoirs.
Table 3 shows estimated annual sediment accumulation in the Yadkin Project reservoirs.
Table 3. Estimated annual sediment accumulation and annual storage capacity loss
for Yadkin Project (P-2197) reservoirs. (Source: Normandeau and PB
Power, 2005)
Annual Sediment Accumulation Annual Storage
Reservoir acre-feet cubic yards Capacity Loss (%)
High Rock 903 1,460,000 0.36
Tuckertown 86 139,000 0.20
Narrows 131 211,000 0.05
Falls 14 23,000 0.23
On the shoreline of the upper reaches of High Rock reservoir, where sediment
deposition has occurred since the dam was constructed, there are two important
infrastructure facilities. The city of Salisbury's water intake and pump station are located
at RM 19.422 upstream of High Rock dam, and the Grant Creek wastewater treatment
plant is located at RM 16.7.
Salisbury Water Intake and Pump Station
The Salisbury-Rowan Utilities Department Salisbury operates the water intake and
pump station, located at the confluence of the South Yadkin and Yadkin rivers (figure 3).
These facilities supply businesses and residents in Rowan County and the city of
Salisbury with potable water; this is the only water supply for the city and county. The
pump station and original intake were constructed in 1917, 10 years before High Rock
dam was constructed. Construction occurred shortly after the large flood of July 1916,
which reached an estimated discharge rate of 121,000 cfs in the vicinity of the station.
2'Degradation, the opposite of aggradation, is the process of shifting the
equilibrium of stream deposition, with lowering of the thalweg due to sediment erosion.
Degradation results when the sediment load supplied to a reach of river from upstream is
lower than its capacity to transport sediment.
22 In this discussion of the sediment and flooding issues at High Rock reservoir,
river miles are measured with the location of High Rock dam at RM 0.
40
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The pump station is located on the western shore of the South Yadkin River at its
confluence with the Yadkin River. The station is designed so that flood water can
surround the lower part of the structure, and the ground at the pump station is at elevation
630 feet. The top of the station's concrete platform (the base for pumps and electronic
components) is at elevation 643 feet. Water elevations exceeding 643 feet would damage
the pumping and electronic equipment resulting in the loss of water supply to the city and
county. The original 1917 intake structure was built on the western shore of the Yadkin
River adjacent to the shore of the peninsula between the Yadkin and South Yadkin rivers.
The lowest elevation of the river channel adjacent to the intake as shown on a plan from
1927 was about 604 feet (Salisbury, 2007a). The gate within the intake structure was
positioned between elevations 604.5 and 608.5 feet.
The original intake apparently was modified according to the 1927 plan
(Salisbury, 2007a). The upper elevation of the intake gate was raised to an elevation just
below the full pond elevation of High Rock reservoir of 623.9 feet. The exact upper and
lower elevations for the modified intake gate are not shown on the plan.
In 1968, a new intake structure was built just upstream of the previous intake
structure and further toward the center of the Yadkin River, since the original intake
structure had silted in. The 1968 concrete structure draws water from two rectangular
gates that are 6 feet high and 4 feet wide that are positioned between elevations 617.9 and
623.9 feet. At the time of the intake design, the river bottom was about 617.4 feet
(Salisbury, 2007a). This elevation was about 13 feet higher than the elevation shown on
the 1927 plan, indicating that aggradation had occurred in the river.
The original and new intake structures are connected with the pump station via
intake pipes that extend underneath the South Yadkin River. The access road to the
pump station is at elevation 628.3 feet, and thus is flooded intermittently (see section
3.3.2, Water Resources). When the road is flooded, the pump station operators access the
pump station by boat.
Dredging for the extraction of sand from the river channel has been performed
near the confluence of the Yadkin and South Yadkin rivers for many years. Specifically,
between 1965 and 1984, sand was extracted from the Yadkin River just downstream of
its confluence with the South Yadkin River (MBH, 2007) using a drag bucket. Dredging
stopped between 1984 and 1988. For the period after 1988, sediment accumulation
around the intake structure separated the intake gates from the river. This event required
emergency dredging around the intake, and, since 1988, dredging has continued. Since
1988, sand has been extracted from the Yadkin River about 1,000 feet to the north
(upstream) of the intake structure and about 2,000 feet downstream. The operation is
conducted with a hydraulic dredge and a pipeline to a site on the western shore of the
Yadkin River, just to the south of its confluence with the South Yadkin River near the
pump station.
The dredge operator, Carolina Sand, Inc., indicates that the rate of extraction
varies monthly and annually and is determined by the availability of the material and
42
market conditions for sand. Between 2002 and 2006, Carolina Sand, Inc. extracted an
estimated 50,000 tons per year of sand (MBH, 2007, and references therein) and sold it
for a profit. Alcoa Generating received $0.40 per ton for the first 50,000 tons of sand
dredged, and $0.30 thereafter, according to the 2003 lease between Carolina Sand, Inc.
and Alcoa Generating (SRU, 2006a).
Grant Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
The Grant Creek wastewater treatment plant is located 16.7 miles above High
Rock dam near the confluence of Grant Creek and the Yadkin River. The facility
provides sewage treatment of wastewater to a large portion of the city of Salisbury and
Rowan County. The facility was constructed in 1963, 36 years after High Rock dam was
constructed, and consists of the following primary structures: preliminary treatment unit,
main lift station, four primary clarifiers, two trickling filters, aeration basin, three final
clarifiers, secondary lift station, chlorine contact tank, and ultraviolet disinfection (Pease,
2007). The facility would be flooded at an elevation of 634 feet at which flood water
would enter the grit chamber and allow uncontrolled flow into the plant. This action
would result in washout of biological mass and the release of untreated wastewater into
the Yadkin River (Pease, 2007). In addition to the immediate effects, flooding of the
wastewater treatment plant apparently would require several weeks to reestablish the
necessary biological processes to allow for full wastewater treatment (SRU, 2007).
Sediment Deposition in High Rock Reservoir
High Rock reservoir extends about 19 miles upstream from High Rock dam,
depending on water level, inflow, and reservoir operation. At present, from upstream to
downstream, the reservoir is narrow to about 17 river miles above High Rock dam after
which it widens considerably (Doyle, 2007).
Grain sizes of channel bed sediments, collected upstream of the water intake (RM
19.4) by Mobile Boundary Hydraulics, PLLC (MBH) (2007), consisted largely of
medium to coarse sand. The finer sediment fractions (silt and clay) constituted less than
3 percent of the sediment grain sizes in the channel bed samples. The predominance of
sand in the sediment dredged by Carolina Sand, Inc. from the river channel around the
intake was also observed during our site visit on January 23, 2007.
The low concentrations of silt and clay in the channel bed sediment at RM 19.4
indicate that these grain sizes settle further downstream in High Rock reservoir where the
reservoir is wider and flow velocities are lower. Particle settling in High Rock reservoir
was shown by the total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations in the water column
measured by Alcoa Generating. Specifically, Alcoa Generating found that between 1999
and 2003, the mean TSS concentrations within High Rock reservoir decreased from 46.9
percent at the upstream sampling station at RM 15 to 153 percent near the dam, a
reduction of 68 percent. The TSS concentrations in reservoirs downstream of High Rock
dam are even lower, indicating that High Rock reservoir is the primary sediment trap for
the sediment supplied by the Yadkin River. The TSS concentrations measured by Alcoa
43
Generating between 1999 and 2003 at RM 15 also demonstrate that the highest TSS
concentrations typically occur during high flow events, as expected.
Silt and clay particles are transported by the Yadkin River predominantly as wash
load,23 while the sand observed in the channel bed is transported primarily as bed
material load during higher velocity flow events. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(1979) estimated that 20 percent of the total volume of sediment entering the river
(1,660,000 tons per year) consisted of bedload (330,000 tons per year).' MBH (2007)
estimates a bed material load of 200,000 tons per year. The bed material load sustains
Carolina Sand, Inc.'s sand extraction operation at RM 19.4.
Deposition of Yadkin River sediment has resulted in the formation of a sediment
delta in the upper reaches of High Rock reservoir. Aerial photographs provided by Doyle
(2007) demonstrate the growth of the delta over time (see figure 3). For example, on the
1936 photo, sediment islands in the reservoir are visible at RMs 16 to 17, upstream of the
railroad bridge at RM 15. By 2006, the leading edge of the delta had extended
downstream of the large bend in the river at about RM 9. Furthermore, the delta had
filled some of the wider areas of the upper reservoir, and some of the sediment islands
have become fully vegetated. Sediments, sampled from a delta island at RM 15,
consisted of medium to fine sand with up to 5 percent silt and clay (MBH, 2007).
As part of the sediment delta, an island has formed at the confluence of Grant
Creek with the Yadkin River. Rather than flowing straight into the Yadkin River, Grant
Creek now flows a few hundred yards alongside the western side of the island before it
joins the Yadkin River.
Shoreline Erosion at Blewett Falls
Some erosion was observed on the eastern and western shores of Blewett Falls
reservoir during the site visit, with the most severe erosion noted in the vicinity of the
mouth of Buffalo Creek on the western shore. Significant bank undercutting was
observed in that area, which has caused trees to fall into the reservoir. Some erosion was
observed along the shoreline of the Blewett Falls reservoir during the site visit.
23 The relationship between wash load and bed material load is illustrated in Morris
and Fan (1998, figure 8.7). The sum of these two loads represents the total sediment load
transported by a river.
24 We assume that bedload as used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1979)
represents bed material load.
44
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255
Re: eify of Salisbury letter re Alcoa project
Subject: Re: City of Salisbury letter re Alcoa project
From: [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:53:03 -0400
To: John Dorney <j ohn. dorney@ncmail. net>
CC: Jon Risgaard <[e-mail]>, Roger Edwards <[e-mail]>
Mr. Dorney,
Please find attached a 10-page excerpt from the FERC FEIS discussing the
environmental measure that Salisbury requests as a WQC condition.
The highlighted text at p. 33 of the FEIS (part of the attachment) provides
a concise statement/summary of the environmental measure.
Please let me know if DWQ would like any additional information on this. I
will be glad to send it.
Thank you
V. Randall Tinsley
Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP
P.O. Box 26000
Greensboro, North Carolina 27420
Direct dial: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
John Dorney
<john.dorney@ncma
il.net>
To
[e-mail]
03/12/2009 11:38 cc
AM Roger Edwards
<[e-mail]>, Jon
Risgaard <[e-mail]>
Subject
City of Salisbury letter re Alcoa
project
I am compiling the comments for the hearing officers and have (again)
read the letter dated Feb 16, 2009 regarding the Alcoa project. The
letter states that the city wants us to include "Environmental Measure
17 in Table 54 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Final
Environmental Impact Statement for the Yadkin PRoject and the Yadkin-Pee
Dee River Project". However the letter from the city did not have that
provision attached (or a web citation to the provision). Can you
provide me a copy or tell me where in the internet-world I can find such
a condition so the hearing officers can see what the City is
suggesting? thankx
1 of 2 3/12/2009 4:55 PM
Re: City of Salisbury letter re Alcoa project
John Dorney
Wetland Program Development Unit
Parkview Building
2321 Crabtree Blvd.
Raleigh, NC 27604
(o) 919-733-9646
/E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties./
(See attached file: FEIS excerpt.pdf)
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