The Public Utility District No. 1 of Okanogan County (PUD) received a new fifty (50) year federal license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) dated July 9, 2013 for the PUD’s Enloe Dam project. The license is the culmination of nine years of studies, negotiations and plan development with tribes, community groups, and local, state and federal agencies.
The 9 megawatt (MW) Enloe Dam project is located on the Similkameen River at river mile 8.8 near the town of Oroville in Okanogan County, Washington. The license contains provisions and commitments over the next five decades that allow the PUD to generate more local renewable hydropower, protect fish and wildlife, and enhance recreation. Some of the key project features include:
- A new park, picnic area and boat ramp located near the dam site;
- Improved recreation trails and interpretive signage;
- Multiple fish and wildlife enhancement projects, including a side channel reconnector project on the river and gravel augmentation;
- An improved access road and parking area for recreators and visitors.
PUD staff is currently reviewing the terms and conditions of the FERC license, which also incorporates the terms and conditions of the Water Quality Certification issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on August 20, 2012 and the incidental take terms and conditions contained in the Biological Opinion submitted to FERC by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on September 27, 2012.
David Womack, President of the Board of Commissioners, expressed his pleasure that FERC issued a 50 year license instead of the typical 40 year license. John Grubich, General Manager, cautioned that Ecology’s Water Quality Certification is currently under appeal, and the terms and conditions of the easement for the federal land the project sits on has not been finalized with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
The FERC license is posted on the PUD’s website.
