4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology 4.4 FISHERIES AND AQUATIC BIOLOGY 4.4.1 INTRODUCTION TO FISHERIES AND AQUATIC BIOLOGY This section of the EIR identifies the fisheries and other aquatic resources that could potentially be affected by the operation of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s hydroelectric generation facilities. This section also evaluates the impacts to these resources that may occur as the result of the proposed auction of assets. Potential project affects on invertebrates and amphibians is dicussed in the Terrestrial Biology section (Section 4.5). Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s hydroelectric generating system extends over a broad geographical area that encompasses portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River basin and the coastal drainage of the Eel River. This vast system includes 99 reservoirs and related facilities that influence environmental conditions in hundreds of miles of natural stream channels. Of the 97 freshwater fish species recorded for California’s inland waters, 60 species (62 percent) occur in streams and reservoirs influenced by hydroelectric system operations. Table 4.4-1 summarizes the distribution of these fish species by regional bundle. Of particular interest and importance is the distribution of chinook salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat in relation to Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s hydroelectric projects. All chinook salmon runs (i.e., fall, late fall, winter, spring) and steelhead runs (Central Valley ESU) are State and/or Federally listed as threatened, endangered or of special concern due to declining numbers. Figure 4.4-1 illustrates the occurrence of chinook salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat in the Central Valley and the Eel River. Prior to the construction of the major dams in the Central Valley, an estimated 6,000 miles of spawning and rearing habitat was accessible to chinook salmon and steelhead. Currently, an estimated 95 percent of this habitat has been blocked by dams or other obstructions (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1998). Five Pacific Gas and Electric Company Projects have the potential to directly affect spawning and rearing habitat for these species. These projects are: Kilarc-Cow Creek, Battle Creek, DeSabla-Centerville, Narrows, and Potter Valley. The environmental effects of hydroelectric projects on aquatic resources have been studied for decades and it is not the objective of this section to review the vast literature on this topic. For evaluation purposes it is convenient to separate the environmental effects of hydro projects on aquatic resources into two categories: (1) those effects associated with reservoirs; and (2) those effects associated with streams. Reservoirs are created to store and/or divert water for use by the hydroelectric system. As artificial impoundments they differ from natural lakes in that the stored water can be readily manipulated on demand. For reservoirs, the most obvious result of water manipulation is a change in water surface elevation resulting in drawdown or filling. The timing, magnitude, frequency and duration of water level fluctuations in reservoirs are the most important factors affecting aquatic resources. Water November 2000 4.4-1 Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology level changes, in turn, influence the physical environment of the reservoir, including water quality and the availability of habitat. The quality of the physical environment, in turn, influences the dynamics of all biological resources in the reservoir. As described later in this section, the EIR focuses on evaluating how reservoir fluctuations impact the living space (i.e., volume of water) during the growing season for fish in Pacific Gas and Electric Company reservoirs, and for those reservoirs supporting warmwater sportfish, how fluctuations influence reproduction and the viability of fish populations. The link between reservoirs and streams is direct and important. Reservoirs in many Pacific Gas and Electric Company hydroelectric projects have sufficient storage capacity to influence or control discharge downstream. As with reservoir water level fluctuations, the timing, magnitude, frequency and duration of releases from reservoirs to streams affects the aquatic resources of the streams by influencing physical habitat and water quality. The physical and chemical environment of a stream influences, in turn, the dynamics of biological resources. As described later in this section, the EIR focuses on evaluating how reservoir releases impact the living space (i.e., physical habitat) of aquatic resources and the water quality to which those resources are exposed in streams influenced by Pacific Gas and Electric Company project operations. During the scoping process of this EIR various issue areas were identified related to fishery and aquatic resources. Table 4.4-2 lists these issue areas and indicates if the issues are relevant to each of the 29 hydroelectric projects operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. These issues are discussed in the Environmental Setting and/or Impact Analysis, as is appropriate for each project. 4.4.2 SYSTEM-WIDE REGULATORY CONTEXT Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s hydroelectric system stretches from the Pit River basin in Shasta County in the north to the Kern River basin in Kern County to the south, and from the crest of the Sierra Nevada in the Mokelumne River basin in Alpine County on the east to the Eel River basin in Mendocino County to the west. The aquatic resources of this vast region are managed by a variety of private (e.g., conservation organizations), local (e.g., county fish and game commissions), regional (e.g., CALFED), State (e.g., California Department of Fish and Game) and Federal (e.g., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) entities and agencies. Only a few of the government agencies, however, have regulatory authority over topics related to aquatic resources such as water quality. These agencies derive their respective mandates from an often diverse collection of statutes, legislative policies, executive branch directives, and implementation of regulations. Twenty-six of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s hydroelectric projects are regulated through Federal licenses issued by the FERC. The FERC has broad authority over almost all aspects of hydroelectric projects. There are two exceptions related to aquatic resources where the State of California has regulatory authority. The first is compliance with the water quality certification Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4-2 November 2000 4.4 FisheriesandAquaticBiology Hydrodivestiture EIR Figure 4.4-1 ClearCreek McCloudRiver PitRiver CSphainwonoikngSaalnmdoRneaanrdinSgtHeealhbeitaadt 1 Aspen 2 3 EnvironmentalGroup Redding CowCreek Cottonwood4Creek BattleCreek Year AntelopeCreek MigrationBarrier Construction Owner RedElBderlCurefefk MillCreekDeerCreek 12 SKheasswtiackDaDmam 11994540 CCVVPP(a) TO T5hoSmtoensyCCrreeeekkRiver ButtBiegCreCekhicoCreek N.6ForM7k.FFeoratkheFreaRFitSev.heaetrFrhoreRirkvReirver 11345678910WMBCOECFNnlearcohaiongmmClicsvstlokepbeoiklrbrumleBFmversyauiiilgDdtrDctloethaakWeawtmm-DmSnDeDasaaaDmtemmatDzmaemrDam 111111111999999999606064655333071358 CCCOSOOCCWVVVVVttthhhPPPPPPeee(b(rrrd)()c) PACIFICEOelCRivEerAN Sacramento YubaRiver8 11112345 CNGLaaeoGmwordaHawnnociggnheaeDnDaDaDmamamm 1111999866193423 OCOOVttthhhPeeerrr N.Fork 16 Crocker-HuffmanDam 1988 Other 18 FeatherRiver BearRiver 9 M.Fork RubiconRiver 1178 FSrcioantttDDaamm 11994222 CPGVP&ECo. (a) CentralValleyProject (b) DamremovalexpectedbyDec.2000 River S.Fork (c) OwnerotherthanCVPorSWP American 11 (d) StateWaterProject Sacramento 10 Source: USFWS(U.S.FishandWildlifeService). 1998. River CentralValleyProjectimprovementacttributary Cosumnes Mokelumne River pCorfooinmdguprceletsimosneonentnitnhhgaenmfceeeaamssiebunirletitsrye,ppcuoorrsstt.u,aaDnnrtdatfodtersesupibroasrbetictliottiyon TO 3406(e)(3)and(e)(6)oftheCentralValleyProject SANFRANCISCOBAY 12 ImprovementAct. AND PACIFICOCEAN CalaverasRiver 13 Stockton 14 StanislausRiver 15 TuolumneRiver DELTA San EXPORTS Joaquin River MercedRiver 16 BlockagetoUpstreamSpawning N andRearingHabitat 17 HistoricalSpawningandRearing AreasNowUnavailable NoScale RemainingSpawningAreas November2000 HydrodivestitureDraftEIR 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4-4 November 2000 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Table 4.4-1 Distributional Checklist of the Fishes Potentially Affected By Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Hydroelectric System Native or Regional Bundle Family Name Introduced Common Name (Scientific Name) Kings Crane - Speciesa Shasta DeSabla Drum Motherlode Helms Petromyzontidae (Lamprey Family) Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) Native X X River lamprey (Lampetra ayresi) Native X Pacific brook lamprey (Lampetra pacifica) Native X Pit-Klamath brook lamprey (Lampetra Native X lethophaga) Kern Brook lamprey (Lampetra hubbsi) Native X X Acipenseridae (Sturgeon Family) White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) Green sturgeon (A. medirostris) Clupeidae (Herring Family) Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) Introduced X American shad (Alosa sapidissima) Introduced X X Osmeridae (Smelt Family) Wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis) Introduced X X Salmonidae (Salmon and Trout Family) Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Native X SR, WR, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)b Native FR, SR FR FR FR, LFR Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi) Introduced X X X X Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) Native X X X X X Steelhead - Central Valley ESUc (Oncorhynchus Native X X X mykiss irideus) Eagle Lake trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Introduced X aquilarum) McCloud River redband trout (Oncorhynchus Native X mykiss ssp. 2) Columbia River redband trout [Kamloops trout] Introduced X (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki Introduced X X henshawi) Brown trout (Salmo trutta) Introduced X X X X X Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) Introduced X X X X X Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Introduced X X Cyrinidae (Minnow Family) California roach (Hesperoleucus symmetricus Native X X X X X symmetricus) San Joaquin roach (Hesperoleucus symmetricus Native X ssp. 1) Pit roach (Hesperoleucas symmetricus mitrulus) Native X Hitch (Lavinia exilicauda) Native X X X X Speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) Native X X X X Tui chub (Gila bicolor) Native X X X X November 2000 4.4-5 Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Table 4.4-1 Distributional Checklist of the Fishes Potentially Affected By Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Hydroelectric System Native or Regional Bundle Family Name Introduced Common Name (Scientific Name) Kings Crane - Speciesa Shasta DeSabla Drum Motherlode Helms Hardhead (Mylopharodon conocephalus) Native X X X X X Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) Native X X X X X Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Introduced X X X X Goldfish (Carassius auratus) Introduced X X Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) Introduced X X X X Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) Introduced X X Lahontan redside (Richardsonius egregius) Introduced X X Catostomidae (Sucker Family) Sacramento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis) Native X X X X Tahoe sucker (Catostomus tahoensis) Introduced X X X Ictaluridae (Catfish Family) Brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) Introduced X X X X X Black bullhead (Ictalurus melas) Introduced X X Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Introduced X X X X X White catfish (Ictalurus catus) Introduced X X X X Poeciliidae (Livebearer Family) Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Introduced X X X Gasterosteidae (Stickleback Family) Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) Native X X Percichthyidae (Temperate Basses Family) Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) Introduced X X Centrarchidae (Sunfish Family) Sacramento perch (Archoplites interruptus) Introduced X Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) Introduced X X X X X Green sunfish (Lepomus cyanellus) Introduced X X X X X Warmouth (Lepomus Lepomis gulosus) Introduced X X Redear sunfish (Lepomus microlephus) Introduced X Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) Introduced X Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) Introduced X X X X White crappie (Pomoxis annularis) Introduced X Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) Introduced X X X X X Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) Introduced X X X X Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) Introduced X X Redeye bass (Micropterus coosae) Introduced X Percidae (Perch Family) Bigscale logperch (Percina macrolepida) Introduced X Embiotocidae (Surfperch Family) Tule perch (Hysterocarpus traski) Native X X Cottidae (Sculpin Family) Prickly sculpin (Cottus asper) Native X X Pit sculpin (Cottus pitensis) Native X Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4-6 November 2000 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Table 4.4-1 Distributional Checklist of the Fishes Potentially Affected By Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Hydroelectric System Native or Regional Bundle Family Name Introduced Common Name (Scientific Name) Kings Crane - Speciesa Shasta DeSabla Drum Motherlode Helms Bigeye marbled sculpin (Cottus klamathensis Native X macrops) Rough sculpin (Cottus asperrimus) Native X Riffle sculpin (Cottus gulosus) Native X X X X Total Fish Taxa 66 34 31 46 27 29 a California species occurring out of their native range are listed as “Introduced.” b SR=Spring-run FR=Fall-run LFR=Late fall-run WR=Winter-run c ESU=Evolutionarily Significant Unit requirements of section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act. The State Water Resources Control Board implements this regulatory program on behalf of the Federal government. Second, the California Fish and Game Commission sets State angling regulations. There are no regional or local agencies that have the authority to regulate any aspect of Federally licensed hydroelectric projects related to aquatic resources. The foregoing discussion does not apply to the aquatic resources of the three unlicensed projects located in the DeSabla Regional Bundle (i.e., Hamilton Branch, Lime Saddle and Coal Canyon). There is no FERC regulation of these projects because they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Power Act. These three projects occupy private land and are subject to local, regional and State regulation, as may be applicable. The same is true for all private Pacific Gas and Electric Company lands that are not included within the boundaries of the FERC licenses. The aquatic resources of lakes and streams on these lands are primarily regulated by the California Fish and Game Commission with implementation responsibility through the California Department of Fish and Game. Aquatic habitat management of lands not within the boundaries of the FERC licenses may be overseen by Federal land management agencies (e.g., U.S. Forest Service) if the land is Federally controlled, or by private, local or State agencies if privately owned. When Federal lands are involved, the Federal land management agency is responsible for habitat management and the California Department of Fish and Game is responsible for management of the fish and wildlife populations (California Fish and Game Commission, Management and Utilization of Fish and Wildlife on Federal Lands, 1999). Given this jurisdictional context, the following narratives provide a summary of statutes, policies, directives and associated regulations that have a direct bearing on the management of aquatic resources and their habitats at hydroelectric projects. The agencies responsible for implementation are identified. November 2000 4.4-7 Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Table 4.4-2 Summary of Aquatic Resource Issue Areas Relevant to each Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hydroelectric Project Issue Area Project Name and FERC Minimum Instream Fish Passage or License Number Anadromous Fish Special Status Fish Ramping Rate Wild Trout Maintenance Water Quality Flow Requirement Screening Present? Present? Problems? Designation? Stocking Practiced? Problems? Problems? Problems? Shasta Regional Bundle Hat Creek Project No Yes No No No Yes No No (FERC 2661) Pit 1 Project No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes (FERC 2687) Pit 3,4 and 5 Project No Yes No No No No Yes No (FERC 233) McCloud-Pit Project No Yes No No No Yes No No (FERC 2106) Kilarc-Cow Creek Project Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No (FERC 606) Battle Creek Project Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No (FERC 1121) Desabla Regional Bundle Upper North Fork Feather River Project No Yes No No No No Yes No (FERC 2105) Bucks Creek Project No No No No Yes No Yes No (FERC 619) Rock-Creek Cresta Project No Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes (FERC 1962) Poe Project No Yes No No No No No No (FERC 2107) Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4-8 November 2000 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Table 4.4-2 Summary of Aquatic Resource Issue Areas Relevant to each Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hydroelectric Project Issue Area Project Name and FERC Minimum Instream Fish Passage or License Number Anadromous Fish Special Status Fish Ramping Rate Wild Trout Maintenance Water Quality Flow Requirement Screening Present? Present? Problems? Designation? Stocking Practiced? Problems? Problems? Problems? DeSabla-Centerville Project Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes (FERC 803) Hamilton Branch Powerhouse No No No No No no Yes No (non FERC jurisdictional) Lime Saddle Powerhouse No No Yes No No No No Yes (non FERC jurisdictional) Coal Canyon Powerhouse No No No No No No No No (non FERC jurisdictional) Drum Regional Bundle Drum-Spaulding Project No No No No No No Yes Yes (FERC 2310) Narrows Project Yes Yes No No No No Yes No (FERC 1403) Chili Bar Project No No No No No No No No (FERC 2155) Potter Valley Project Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes (FERC 77) Motherlode Regional Bundle Mokelumne River Project No Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes (FERC 137) Spring Gap-Stanislaus No Yes Yes No No No Yes No Project November 2000 4.4-9 Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4 Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Table 4.4-2 Summary of Aquatic Resource Issue Areas Relevant to each Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hydroelectric Project Issue Area Project Name and FERC Minimum Instream Fish Passage or License Number Anadromous Fish Special Status Fish Ramping Rate Wild Trout Maintenance Water Quality Flow Requirement Screening Present? Present? Problems? Designation? Stocking Practiced? Problems? Problems? Problems? (FERC 2130) Phoenix Project No Yes No No No No Yes No (FERC 1061) Merced Falls Project No Yes No No No Yes Yes No (FERC 2467) Kings Crane-Helms Regional Bundle Crane Valley Project No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes (FERC 1354) Kerckhoff Project No Yes No Yes No No No Yes (FERC 96) Helms Pumped Storage Project No No No Yes No No Yes No (FERC 2735) Haas-Kings Project No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes (FERC 1988) Balch Project No No No No No No No Yes (FERC 175) Tule River Project No Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes (FERC 1333) Kern Canyon Project No Yes No No Yes No No No (FERC 178) Hydrodivestiture Draft EIR 4.4-10 November 2000