Notice2025-13443
Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice of Material Amendment of License Application, Soliciting Comments
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Published
July 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 135 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 135 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33374-33376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13443]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2790-074]
Boott Hydropower, LLC; Notice of Material Amendment of License
Application, Soliciting Comments
On April 30, 2021, Boott Hydropower, LLC (Boott) filed, pursuant to
sections 4(e) and 15 of the Federal Power Act, an application for a new
major license to continue operating the Lowell Hydroelectric Project
No. 2790 (Lowell Project) located on Merrimack River in Middlesex
County, Massachusetts, and Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The
project does not occupy any federal land but is located within the
administrative boundary of the Lowell National Historical Park. On May
13, 2021, Commission staff issued a Notice of Application Tendered for
Filing with the Commission and Establishing Procedural Schedule for
Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments. On May 20,
2025, Commission staff issued a Notice of Application Ready for
Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms
and Conditions, and Prescriptions. On June 20, 2025, Boott filed an
amendment to the license application.
The Lowell Project consists of: (1) the 1,093-foot-long, 15-foot-
high Pawtucket Dam and spillway, equipped with a 5-foot-high pneumatic
crest gate with a crest elevation of 92.2 feet National Geodetic
Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) at the top of the gate; (2) a 1,236-
acre impoundment with a normal maximum water surface elevation of 92.2
feet NGVD 29; (3) a 5.5-mile-long, two-tiered canal system that
includes the 4,300 foot-long Northern Canal and the 9,000-foot-long
Pawtucket Canal (canal system), along with a series of connected water
ways, small dams, gatehouses, and generating facilities; (4) a 125-
foot-long, 55-foot-high gatehouse that controls flow from the
impoundment to the Northern Canal (Pawtucket Gatehouse); (5) a 70-foot-
long, 20-foot-high, five-bay gatehouse that control flows from the
impoundment to the Pawtucket Canal as part of the Guard Lock and Gates
Facility, which also includes a boat navigation lock and a Francis Gate
facility with a 25-foot-wide, 25-foot-high flood gate; (6) generating
facilities, including: (a) the Eldred L. (E.L.) Field Power Station,
which is located on the mainstem of the Merrimack River and consists
of: (i) a 109-foot-long, 96-foot-wide concrete powerhouse with two
turbine-generator units with a total installed capacity of 15,012
kilowatts (kW); (ii) a 200-foot-long. 80-foot-wide forebay; (iii) a
100-foot-long, 26-foot-wide, 22.25-foot-high canal control structure
that maintains water levels in the forebay as part of a Hydro Locks
Facility, which also includes a boat navigation lock; (iv) a 440-foot-
long tailrace with a 10- to-16-foot high concrete training wall; (v)
two 4.16-kilovolt (kV) generator leads; (vi) a 4.16/13.8-kV step-up
transformer; and (vi) appurtenant facilities; (b) the Hamilton Power
Station, which is located on the canal system and consists of: (i) five
turbine-generator units with a total installed capacity of 1,180 kW;
(ii) five 0.6-kV generator leads; and (iii)
[[Page 33375]]
appurtenant facilities; (c) the Assets Power Station, which is located
on the canal system and consists of: (i) three turbine-generator units
with a total installed capacity of 792 kW; (ii) three 0.6-kV generator
leads; and (iii) appurtenant facilities; (d) the Bridge Street Power
Station, which is located on the canal system and consists of: (i)
three turbine-generator units with a total installed capacity of 1,080
kW; (ii) three 0.6-kV generator leads; and (iii) appurtenant
facilities; and (e) the John Street Power Station, which is located on
the canal system and consists of: (i) four turbine-generator units with
a total installed capacity of 2,100 kW; (ii) four 0.6-kV generator
leads; and (iii) appurtenant facilities; (7) a 4.5-mile-long, 13.8-kV
submarine cable that connects the project generating facilities to the
regional electric grid; (8) upstream and downstream fish passage
facilities; and (9) a visitor center.
The project bypasses approximately 2 miles of the Merrimack River,
including a 0.7-mile-long bypassed reach from the Pawtucket Dam to the
E.L. Field Powerhouse tailrace and an approximately 1.3-mile-long
bypassed reach from the E.L. Field Powerhouse tailrace to the
confluence of the Merrimack and Concord Rivers.
Fish passage facilities include a fish elevator and downstream fish
bypass at the E.L. Field Powerhouse, and a fish ladder at the Pawtucket
Dam.
The fish elevator at the E.L. Field Powerhouse has a design
discharge capacity of 200 cubic feet per second (cfs). Fish migrating
upstream through the tailrace channel enter a collection gallery, where
they are attracted to a crowding pool and then into the elevator. Once
in the elevator, fish are lifted in a hopper to the exit channel. Fish
then pass from the exit channel to the Northern Canal, where they swim
upstream until they rejoin the Merrimack River upstream of Pawtucket
Dam. The fish elevator system includes areas where fish can be counted
or trapped before swimming from the exit channel to the Northern Canal.
The downstream fishway at the E.L. Field Powerhouse consists of an
adjustable-flow sluiceway and bypass adjacent to the powerhouse intake.
Downstream migrating fish entering the bypass are sluiced into a plunge
pool located in the bypassed reach, next to the powerhouse.
The fish ladder at the Pawtucket Dam is designed for river flows up
to 25,000 cfs and has an operating flow of 500 cfs (including fish
attraction flow). The fish ladder is a vertical-slot design with 13-
foot-wide by 10-foot-long pools. A counting station and fish trap area
are also provided at the fish ladder.
Recreation facilities at the project consist of a visitor center at
the E.L. Field Powerhouse. The visitor center offers a view of the
turbines and an interpretive display providing information about the
project and the area.
The current license requires Boott to operate in run-of-river mode.
The minimum and maximum hydraulic capacities of the project are 500 cfs
and 8,600 cfs, respectively. The average annual generation of the
project was approximately 84,501 megawatt-hours from 2008 through 2017.
In its final license application, Boott proposed to decommission
the four power stations in the canal system and remove most of the
canal system from the project boundary. In its amended license
application, Boott proposes to decommission the Assets Power Station
but continue to operate the other three canal power stations and retain
the canal system in the project boundary. In addition, Boott proposes
to: \1\ (1) continue to operate the project in a run-of-river mode; (2)
release 500 cfs into the bypassed reach from the existing Pawtucket Dam
fish ladder during the upstream migratory fish passage season, defined
annually in consultation with the Merrimack River Technical Committee,
and release 100 cfs, or inflow, whichever is less, to the bypassed
reach from Pawtucket Dam during the rest of the year; (3) suspend
generation and operation of the canal system power stations during the
downstream migration period for alosines (May through July) and
American eel (August through November); (4) continue to implement the
Crest Gate Operation Plan; \2\ (5) develop an operation and compliance
monitoring plan; (6) replace the existing fish elevator with a short
fish ladder to pass migratory fish from the E.L. Field Powerhouse
tailrace upstream to the bypassed reach within three years of license
issuance; (7) cease operation of the fish elevator after the
installation of the proposed tailrace fish ladder; (8) conduct a 1-year
``shakedown'' period of the proposed fish ladder after installation;
(9) evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed tailrace fish ladder
after installation; (10) modify the existing Pawtucket Dam fish ladder
to enhance upstream fish passage; (11) modify the bypassed reach to
enhance upstream fish passage; (12) install a new ``fish exclusion
facility'' at the E.L. Field Powerhouse that would consist of a 0.75-
inch clear-spaced trashrack overlay, modifications to the existing
downstream fish bypass, and an American eel sampling device; (13)
implement nightly shutdowns of the E.L. Field Powerhouse from August 15
through November 15 until the proposed ``fish exclusion facility'' is
installed; (14) develop an upstream American eel passage assessment
study plan; (15) develop a fishway operation and management plan; (16)
develop an historic properties management plan; (17) maintain an
operating agreement with the National Park Service to allow tour boat
operations to navigate the canal system; (18) develop a recreation
access and facilities management plan; (19) within 1 year of license
issuance, file with the Commission a decommissioning plan for the
Assets Power Station; (20) implement a canal operation and management
plan to describe the management of canal water elevations, flows, trash
management, and vegetation management; and (21) modify the current
project boundary to remove a 7.4-mile section from the upstream extent
of the impoundment.
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\1\ Items in Italics are new measures proposed in the amended
final license application.
\2\ The Commission approved the Crest Gate Operation Plan on
March 30, 2015.
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In the amended final license application, Boott is no longer
proposing the following measures: (1) continue to maintain and monitor
a water surface elevation of 86.7 feet NGVD29 in the upper canal system
and 71.8 feet NGVD29 in the lower canal system; \3\ (2) decommission
the Hamilton, John Street, and Bridge Street power stations; (3)
develop a decommissioning plan for the canals and the Hamilton, John
Street, and Bridge Street power stations; and (4) modify the current
project boundary to: (i) remove all except the first 2,200-foot-long
section from the Northern Canal between the Pawtucket Dam and the
Pawtucket Gatehouse; and (ii) remove all except the first 1,600-foot-
long section of the Pawtucket Canal between the impoundment and the
Guard Lock and Gates Facility.
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\3\ Boott is now proposing to collaborate with stakeholders to
finalize a canal operation and maintenance plan, which would address
water surface elevations in the canals.
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Pursuant to 18 CFR 4.35(f)(1), the license application as amended
constitutes a material amendment. Due to the material amendment, the
application is no longer ready for environmental analysis at this time.
With this notice, we are soliciting comments on Boott's amended
application. The deadline for filing comments is on or before 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on September 12, 2025.
[[Page 33376]]
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
comments and study requests using the Commission's eFiling system at
<a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp</a>. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration,
using the Comment system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/Quick.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/Quick.aspx</a>. For
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fcbab9aebfb39290959299af898c8c938e88bc9a998e9fd29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c0868592838faeaca9aea593b5b0b0afb2b480a6a5b2a3eea7afb6">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy.
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to:
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent
via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne Reese,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include
docket number P-2790-074.
Copies of the application may be viewed on the Commission's website
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, contact FERC at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#571112051418393b3e393204222727382523173132253479303821"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87c1c2d5c4c8e9ebeee9e2d4f2f7f7e8f5f3c7e1e2f5e4a9e0e8f1">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or (202)
502-8659 (TTY). You may also register online at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp</a> to be notified via email of new filings
and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For
assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
community organizations, Tribal members and others, access publicly
available information and navigate Commission processes. For public
inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions,
comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to
contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8dc2ddddcdebe8ffeea3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0c435c5c4c6a697e6f226b637a">[email protected]</span></a>.
Applicant Contact: Jillian Lawrence, Boott Hydropower, LLC, 4747
Bethesda Avenue, Suite 1220, Bethesda, MD 20814; (856) 906-0180 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#016b6d607673646f62644169746d6d727573646475646f647366782f626e6c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9bf1f7faece9fef5f8fedbf3eef7f7e8efe9fefeeffef5fee9fce2b5f8f4f6">[email protected]</span></a>.
FERC Contact: Bill Connelly, the Commission's project coordinator
for relicensing the Lowell Project, at (202) 502-8587 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#24534d48484d45490a474b4a4a4148485d64424156470a434b52"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="54233d38383d35397a373b3a3a3138382d14323126377a333b22">[email protected]</span></a>.
The amended application will be processed according to the
following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made
as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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FERC Issues Acceptance or Deficiency Letter (if October 2025.
necessary)..........................................
FERC Requests Additional Information (if necessary).. October 2025.
FERC Issues Notice that Application is Ready for March 2026.
Environmental Analysis..............................
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Dated: July 14, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-13443 Filed 7-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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