Notice2022-02372
Watson Associates; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments
Primary source
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Published
February 4, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 24 (Friday, February 4, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6530-6531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02372]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 6240-064]
Watson Associates; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
b. Project No.: 6240-064.
c. Date Filed: August 27, 2021.
d. Applicant: Watson Associates.
e. Name of Project: Watson Dam Project.
f. Location: On the Cocheco River in Strafford County, New
Hampshire. The project does not occupy any federal land.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John Webster, Watson Associates, P.O. Box
178, South Berwick, ME 03908; Phone at (207) 384-5334, or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#733b0a17011c1e12141d073314041a5d1d1607"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="41093825332e2c20262f35012636286f2f2435">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Michael Watts at (202) 502-6123, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d3bebab0bbb2b6bffda4b2a7a793b5b6a1b0fdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="caa7a3a9a2abafa6e4bdabbebe8aacafb8a9e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: March 2, 2022.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments using the Commission's eFiling system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a>. Commenters can submit brief
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. You
must include your name and contact information at the end of your
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f2b4b7a0b1bd9c9e9b9c97a18782829d8086b294978091dc959d84"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="99dfdccbdad6f7f5f0f7fccaece9e9f6ebedd9fffcebfab7fef6ef">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of
[[Page 6531]]
electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via
the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on
the first page: Watson Dam Project (P-6240-064).
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person on the official service list for the
project. Further, if an intervenor 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 that resource agency.
k. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
l. The existing Watson Dam Project (Figure 2) consists of: (1) A
292.5-foot-long, 12-foot-high concrete gravity dam that includes the
following sections: (a) A 54-foot-long right abutment; (b) a 111-foot-
long right spillway section with 24-inch-high flashboards and a crest
elevation of 110.1 North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) at
the top of the flashboards; (c) a 12-foot-long, 11. 5-foot-wide
concrete spillway center pier; (d) an 80-foot-long left spillway
section with 24-inch-high flashboards and a crest elevation of 110.2
feet NAVD 88 at the top of the flashboards; and (e) a 24-foot-long left
abutment; (2) an impoundment with a surface area of 54 acres and a
storage capacity of 300 acre-feet at an elevation of 110.1 feet NAVD
88; (3) a 26-foot-long, 24-foot-wide intake structure in the left
abutment that is equipped with an 8.5-foot-diameter headgate and
trashrack with 2-inch clear bar spacing; (4) a 26.5-foot-long, 34-foot-
wide wood and steel powerhouse containing one 265-kilowatt vertical
Flygt submersible turbine-generator unit; (5) a 250-foot-long, 20-foot-
wide tailrace that discharges into the Cocheco River; (6) a 0.48/12.47-
kilovolt (kV) step-up transformer and an 80-foot-long, 12.47 kV
transmission line that connect the project to the local utility
distribution system; and (7) appurtenant facilities. The project
creates an approximately 250-foot-long and a 400-foot-long bifurcated
bypassed reaches of the Cocheco River.
Watson Associates voluntarily operates the project in a run-of-
river mode using an automatic pond level control system to regulate
turbine operation, such that outflow from the project approximates
inflow. Downstream fish passage is provided by a bypass facility
located next to the project's intake on the left side of the dam. There
is no upstream fish passage facility at the project.
Article 26 of the current license requires a minimum flow of 83 cfs
or inflow to the impoundment, whichever is less, from the project, to
protect and enhance aquatic resources in the Cocheco River. Watson
Associates is required to operate the downstream fish passage facility
from October 1 through November 15 of each year.
The average annual energy production of the project is
approximately 1,100. MWh.
Watson Associates proposes to: (1) Continue to operate the project
in a run-of-river mode; (2) continue to provide downstream fish passage
through the bypass facility; and (3) consult with the New Hampshire
State Historic Preservation Officer before beginning any land-
disturbing activities or alterations to known historic structures
within the project boundary.
m. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents via the internet through
the Commission's Home Page (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>) using the ``eLibrary''
link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact
FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d5939087969abbb9bcbbb086a0a5a5baa7a195b3b0a7b6fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a7e1e2f5e4e8c9cbcec9c2f4d2d7d7c8d5d3e7c1c2d5c489c0c8d1">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or
TYY, (202) 502-8659.
n. You may also register online at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
o. Scoping Process.
Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment
(EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that describes and
evaluates the probable effects, if any, of the licensee's proposed
action and alternatives. The EA or EIS will consider environmental
impacts and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The
Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of
analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of
whether the Commission prepares an EA or an EIS. At this time, we do
not anticipate holding on-site scoping meetings. Instead, we are
soliciting written comments and suggestions on the preliminary list of
issues and alternatives to be addressed in the NEPA document, as
described in scoping document 1 (SD1), issued January 31, 2022.
Copies of the SD1 outlining the subject areas to be addressed in
the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on the Commission's
mailing list and the applicant's distribution list. Copies of SD1 may
be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> using the ``eLibrary''
link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call 1-866-
208-3676 or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.
Dated: January 31, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-02372 Filed 2-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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