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Southern
California Edison (SCE) is in the process of relicensing the Borel
Hydroelectric Project. As part of the
process, SCE has conducted a number of meetings with the public and the
resource agencies to provide information about the operation of the Borel
Project and to discuss the scope of their requested environmental studies. The most recent public meeting was held in
Kernville on November 7, 2001.
The
November 7th meeting was attended by a number of governmental agency
and public participants, including SCE, the Forest Service, the National Park
Service, American Whitewater and SWRCB (via telephone), private boaters, and
representatives of the four commercial whitewater companies that operate on the
lower Kern River. During the meeting,
SCE presented the preliminary results of various environmental studies
conducted for the project relicensing process during 2001, including recreation
studies. Much of the subsequent
discussion focused on whitewater recreation and other water-dependant uses in
the Borel Project bypass reach below Isabella Dam and upstream of the Project
powerhouse.
The
Borel Project diverted reach represents about one-third of the total distance
of potential whitewater river runs from Isabella Dam to Democrat Diversion Dam.
None of the overnight campgrounds used by boaters are located within the Project
diverted reach. This proposed
whitewater flow study makes reference to “two-day” rafting trips. Enhancing boating opportunities in the
Project diverted reach enables boaters to have a one-third longer boating run,
but, if desired, makes an overnight whitewater boating trip below the Project
bypass reach more practical due to the increased length of the feasible boating
run.
Among
other things, the meeting participants requested that SCE develop additional
information about whitewater boating needs by conducting a flow study that
addresses several questions. The
following draft plan describes how SCE proposes to respond to this request to
conduct a whitewater flow study and to address the questions discussed at the
November 7th meeting. First,
several assumptions and objectives are summarized in the following section.
2.0 Assumptions and Objectives
SCE has developed the following six principle
assumptions to govern the overall study design and methodology for addressing
whitewater boating issues.
1. The whitewater flow study will be prepared and planned in cooperation with commercial outfitters, mainly because they are local individuals with the most knowledge regarding recreation boating in the Project bypass reach. They best represent boating needs as they account for all of the commercial boating in the Project reach, and may comprise approximately 90% of whitewater use in the reach based on recreation use survey data.
3. The study will focus on finding a flow that would increase the number of days that whitewater boating could occur from Keyesville Bridge put-in all the way to Democrat take-out, which includes the two-day (overnight) raft trips commercial outfitters can run. Two-day raft trips benefit the recreating public by providing an overnight river experience, and make up the majority of the commercial rafting requested by the public.
Given
these assumptions, the overall objective of the whitewater flow study outlined
in this plan is to:
Several
participants at the November 7th meeting suggested that SCE conduct
a flow study in accordance with the methods outlined in a published guidance
document, Instream Flows for Recreation; A Handbook on Concepts and Research
Methods by Doug Whittaker, Bo Shelby, William Jackson, and Robert
Beschta (1993). SCE reviewed this document and agrees, in
this instance, it presents a reasonable starting point for developing a process
for conducting flow studies. The
document describes an eight-step process, as follows:
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Define study purpose and objectives Describe the resource Define recreation opportunities and attributes Describe hydrology Describe flow-condition relationships Evaluate flow needs for specific opportunities Integrate flow needs for various opportunities Develop strategies to protect/provide flows |
SCE
proposes to use this eight-step process and the methods outlined in the
guidance document as a basis for the study plan. As such, the remainder of this section is organized according to
this eight-step process.
This
step includes: 1) defining the study area; 2) defining the type of recreation
the study will address; and 3) defining the end point of the study.
The
overall study area is the Kern River from Isabella Dam to the Democrat Beach
Boat take-out, to include consideration of two-day commercial boating
trips. However, the on-the-water
component of the flow study will focus on the area between Isabella Dam and the
Borel Powerhouse. The type of recreation opportunity the study will address is
whitewater boating. However, whitewater
flow study results will not be used for recommendations without consideration
of other water-oriented uses. The study
will end when SCE has determined what flow(s) would allow boaters (including
thresholds for launching commercial outfitters’ two-day trips) to run the
Project bypass reach, and the corresponding effect such flow(s) would have on
other recreation uses and project generation.
This
step involves developing information about the following seven topics: 1) the
physical resource, including the region’s climate, geology, terrain,
vegetation, and cultural resources; 2) fish and wildlife resources,
particularly those for which instream flows are often critical; 3) recreation
activities and use, as well as visitor facilities; 4) the significance of the
river’s recreational resources in the region, as well as potential substitutes;
5) governmental history and agency responsibilities; 6) land use and ownership;
and 7) formal and informal groups that have an interest in the resource or flow
issues. All of this information is
already being developed for SCE’s Application for License. SCE will continue to develop this
information as outlined in its current work plan.
This
step involves defining the specific recreation opportunities for which the
study will determine flow needs. It
builds upon the broader opportunities identified in the study objectives step
and should address the recreation experience that is desired and the attributes
that define various recreation experiences.
This flow study focuses on the needs of whitewater
boaters. More specifically, it focuses
on determining the flow required to run boating trips through the project
bypass reach. This step will be
accomplished by interviewing the commercial outfitters to: 1) determine the
specific requirements that would allow commercial boaters to run the project
bypass reach, including two-day trips, and; 2) obtain information about the
types of experiences and attributes commercial guides and their patrons
desire. The latter will be supplemented
by data obtained during the general visitor and boater surveys conducted by SCE
during 2001.
To
start, SCE expects to interview the following commercial boating company owners
who currently hold permits to operate on the lower Kern River.
SCE
will also interview Tom Moore, owner of Sierra South and a respected
representative of private boating interests.
The interviews may be expanded to include other interested or
knowledgeable parties, as necessary.
This
step involves compiling information about the current and potential flow
regimes in the bypass reach. Among
other things, it will include: 1) representative hydrographs; 2) low-flow and
high-flow analyses that show when and how often low or high flows (including
peak flows) are likely to occur; and 3) post-project flow regimes (according to
FERC regulations). The information
described in the guidance document has already been developed for our outreach
meetings and other studies, and will be included in SCE’s Application for
License
Step
5 involves “establishing the link
between various flow levels and the conditions that create recreation
opportunities… The information here will ideally show how conditions change with
different flows or flow regimes.” “For
conditions directly affected by flows, information will show how conditions
would change through a range of flows.”
(These and all subsequent quoted statements are from the guidance
document, Whitaker et al. 1993, unless indicated otherwise.)
The
guidance document outlines a number of methods that can be used to evaluate
flow-condition relationships. These are
summarized in the table below, by category.
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Category 1 |
Category 2 |
Category 3 |
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Historical use method |
Multiple visit professional judgment |
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Tennant method |
Interviews with experienced users |
Single flow surveys |
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Corbett method |
Focus group meetings |
Flow comparison surveys |
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South Carolina method |
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Controlled flow assessments |
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Surveys using slides/video |
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IFIM-type predictive modeling |
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Physical modeling |
SCE
proposes to determine the flow that would allow boaters to run the bypass reach
using a combination of several methods outlined in the guidance document. Specifically, SCE proposes to use the
historical use method, to conduct interviews with experienced users, use the
results of the visitor and boating surveys (single flow surveys), and conduct a
flow assessment. According to the
guidance manual, all of these methods are acceptable for determining
flow-condition relationships. The
following briefly explains how each method will be used.
Historical
Use Method
“With
this method, information about the intensity of recreation use on a river is
correlated with flow levels at the times when use occurred.” SCE proposes to correlate historic
commercial boating use with flow to determine the flows that have supported
boating in the past. This will be
accomplished by comparing commercial use records provided by the outfitters to
historic flow records. This exercise
will provide data about the minimum amount of flow that is needed to boat on
the river, including two-day overnight trips, and the boating season.
Interviews
with Experienced Users
“Interviews
or focus group meetings are the most basic of the survey-based methods; they
generally provide descriptive or more anecdotal information about the best
conditions or flows.” SCE proposes to
interview the commercial outfitters and other experienced boaters regarding the
flows required to run the bypass reach.
Information derived from these interviews will be used in conjunction
with information developed using the historical use and single flow survey
methods to help better define the range of flows that will be examined in the
controlled flow portion of this study.
Single
Flow Surveys
These
surveys “involve asking users at the river to evaluate the flows and flow
conditions they just experienced. The
most elaborate efforts involve random sampling of users throughout a season to
provide information about all user groups and flows.” SCE conducted single flow surveys during the summer of 2001 and
will conduct two additional months of surveys in 2002 to fill in data gaps. SCE proposes to use the results of these
surveys to obtain information about boatable flows and the flow preferences of
boaters. The survey results will also
be used to develop flow preference information about other water-dependant
users such as swimmers, waders, and anglers.
The survey results will be critical in developing a management plan or
augmentation plan that considers all water-dependent recreation uses.
Controlled
Flow Assessment
This
method involves setting up a “range of flows to occur during a relatively short
period of time. At each flow, a group
of participants is assembled representing the variety of activities, skills,
and boat types under investigation.”
SCE proposes to conduct a controlled flow assessment in coordination
with the commercial boating operators and other experienced boaters. Based on
information provided to date, SCE proposes to conduct the assessment at flows
ranging from 350-800 cfs. However, this
flow range may be adjusted depending on the information obtained using historic
data and through interviews. The
following briefly describes why SCE proposes a 350-800 cfs flow range.
First,
350 cfs was chosen as the lower end of the range because it is considered the
minimum flow needed to launch at Keyesville Bridge. According to the commercial outfitters, two-day trips are possible
when there is enough flow to launch at Keyesville Bridge. When flows drop below this level, boaters
must use downstream launch sites such as Sandy Flat, which shortens the overall
run and continuous two-day boat trips are no longer a possibility.
Although
350 cfs probably provides enough water to launch at Keyesville Bridge, it is
currently unclear whether 350 cfs is enough water to create a boating
experience with rapids. Therefore, SCE proposes to study flows above 350 cfs to
determine how much flow is needed to boat between Keyesville Bridge and the
Powerhouse. For the purposes of this
study, “boatable” is defined as the flow needed to accommodate the experiences
and attributes desired by commercial boaters as determined in Step 3.
A
flow of 800 cfs was chosen as the upper end of the range because: 1) according
to interviews and several November 7th meeting participants, the
river is boatable at flows below 800 cfs; and 2) SCE cannot release more than
about 450 cfs due to operational constraints.
Note that this study does not involve determining optimum flow, which is
known by the local boating community to be about 1,400 cfs. The flow assessment will be carried out, as
follows:
The diverted reach is about 7-miles long. Accordingly, it may be possible to
accomplish the on-the-water flow study in about three days if two flow
increments can be assessed in one day.
One or two additional days may be necessary for coordination. SCE considers this study plan implementation
a joint effort. As such, SCE will
coordinate flow releases for the assessment with the Watermaster and the Corps,
but expects that the commercial boating companies will provide the necessary
boating gear, including rafts, safety vests, wetsuits, etc. Any private boaters that participate are
expected to supply their own watercraft and gear.
Step
6 provides “information about the best or preferred conditions or flows. The idea is to identify the conditions and
flows (or flow regimes) that are best for each particular recreation opportunity.” Step 7 involves trying to “balance different
and often competing flow needs for various opportunities.” “For example, one flow regime may provide
excellent trout fishing and scenic boating, but would fail to provide a high
quality whitewater opportunity.”
This
study plan assumes that flows that are suitable for commercial boaters will
also be suitable for other, private boaters.
However, boating flows may not be appropriate for other types of
water-dependent users such as anglers, swimmers and waders. Therefore, this portion of the study will
focus on determining the flow preferences of other water dependent users. These flow preferences will be developed
using the results of the general visitor and angler surveys conducted during
the summer of 2001 and additional surveys to be conducted in 2002. The information will be combined with the
results of the controlled flow assessment to determine if other users would be
displaced for the benefit of whitewater boaters.
“The
final step in the process is to develop a strategy to obtain or protect
instream flows. This step requires
evaluating and blending legal, administrative, and technical alternatives to
maintain or enhance flow-dependent values.”
SCE expects to use the results of the flow study in its Application for
License to the FERC, and expects the flows conditions necessary to implement
the proposed enhancement program will become conditions set by the FERC. In addition, SCE will consider an early
settlement agreement with all parties on the issue of boating enhancement
flows, which could also become a part of SCE’s Application for License.
4.0 Other Research Questions
Beyond
the flow study plan described above, participants in the November 7, 2001,
meeting asked SCE to address several additional information needs, as
follows:
This
section describes how SCE proposes to address each of these questions. Ultimately, this information will be used in
combination with the flow study results to develop a flow augmentation plan.
This study question will be addressed by conducting interviews,
reviewing commercial outfitter records, and by reviewing Forest Service use
records. Interviews will be conducted
with the four local commercial outfitters who currently hold permits to operate
on the Lower Kern River. In addition,
SCE will interview the owners of local retail stores who cater to the boating
community, as well as local boaters who have been active in the relicensing
process. To start, SCE expects to
interview the following persons. The
interviews may be expanded to include additional people as they are identified.
Chuck Richards,
owner and operator of Chuck Richards Whitewater
Luther Stevens,
owner and operator of Outdoor Adventures
Kenny Bushling owner
and operator of Kern River Tours
Tom Moore, owner
of Sierra South
Katie Haynes
Information
obtained during the interviews will be examined with respect to written
records, which are compiled and maintained by the commercial outfitters, the
local retailers, and the Forest Service.
Among other things, SCE expects to review the commercial outfitter trip
logs and the Forest Service manifests.
Combined, the information from these sources will provide good
information about the extent of the boating season. The boating season may fluctuate from year to year, depending on
water availability. Therefore, SCE will
review the last 5-years of data, if available.
This task will involve collecting data from the
commercial outfitters regarding the different kinds of runs and their use
patterns during the survey period.
These data will be compared to the data collected in the whitewater
boating survey conducted from mid-July through mid-September 2001. Based on preliminary discussions with the
interviewers conducting the whitewater boating survey, it appears that only one
outfitter was operating on the river from mid- to late-August and mid-September
when the whitewater boating survey was completed. In addition, it appears that the trips during this period began
at Sandy Flat Campground or Miracle Hot Springs, with shorter trips resulting
in take-outs at Delonegha and longer trips taking out at Democrat. The data collected from the outfitters will
be used to confirm this pattern of use and to further evaluate and understand
the data collected from the whitewater boating survey.
This effort involves determining the time it takes
for water released from the main dam at Lake Isabella to travel to specific
locations along the diverted reach of the Kern River. Travel times will be used to coordinate releases from the main
dam for flow augmentation with whitewater flow needs at specific locations.
The
travel time of water will be measured using pressure transducers, which will be
placed underwater at four locations in the Kern River, as follows:
· Slippery Rock put in (0.4 miles)
· BLM South put in (1.3 miles)
· Keysville Bridge put in/take out (3.2 miles)
· Borel Powerhouse (7.4 miles)
Pressure
transducers convert pressure forces to electrical signals that can be recorded
by a data logger. Flow travel time will
be determined by correlating the time of release from the main dam to the time
of the pressure rise at the downstream transducers.
This effort involves determining the travel time
required for water diverted from Lake Isabella into the Borel Canal to reach
the Borel Powerhouse. A pressure
transducer will be placed near the terminus of the Borel Canal underwater just
upstream of the forebay. The travel time of water in the canal will be compared
to the travel time of water in the river, as measured at the Borel powerhouse
tailrace.
This question will be addressed by examining existing
information on historic release ramping rates from Lake Isabella Main Dam and
releases to the Kern River from the Borel Powerhouse. General channel
configuration information will then be used to address the question of safety
for shoreline and water-oriented recreation as it may be affected by ramped
water releases.
This
question will be addressed in two parts.
The first part will involve interviewing the four commercial whitewater
outfitters to determine what time of day they would need a given amount of
water to allow them to successfully launch and run two-day trips. The second
part will involve examining the potential physical constraints and lost
generation associated with providing water during certain times of the day (or
week). Specific constraints that will
be examined include:
This
study question depends, in part, on the amount of flow augmentation. Therefore, it will not be completed until we
know the results of the flow augmentation part of the study.
SCE will evaluate the effects of augmented flows in
the Borel diverted reach versus actual historic daily flows to: 1) show how
often specific augmentation flows will likely occur in the future; and 2)
determine how much generation those flows will reduce. This analysis will consider all of the
parameters developed through this study and any operational and institutional
constraints. The results will be
included in a technical report, which considers information starting with the
first full operation year of the Lake Isabella Project (water years 1954
through 2000).
5.0 Reporting
The
relevant results of these studies will be presented in the draft Application
for License, which is scheduled to be circulated to the agencies and public in
September 2002. The agencies and public
will have 90 days to review and comment on the draft Application for
License. Depending upon the timing of
the study and analyses, SCE will be considering opportunities to present
preliminary results and information earlier than September 2002, and will
notice the participants concerning scheduled meetings or the availability of
preliminary information.
Based
upon examination of a similar water year, SCE expects the flows needed for this
study to be available sometime between mid-June and mid-July. The schedule for this year’s flow releases
will likely be available from the Watermaster by the end of March. In order to have a final study plan in place
and preparations made by that time, we ask that interested parties provide
comments on this draft plan by March 15, 2002.
This will give SCE enough time to consider the comments, to make
changes, and to implement the necessary planning steps.
Comments on the draft study plan should be submitted
to:
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Sandra Perry |
or |
Candace
Irelan |
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MWH 100 Howe Avenue, Suite 210-South |
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Southern
California Ediaon Company, Hydro Generation |
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Sacramento, CA 95825 |
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300 North Lone Hill |
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FAX: (916) 921-1977 |
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San Dimas, CA 91773 |
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E-Mail: sandra.l.perry@ei.mwhglobal.com |
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FAX: (909) 394-8714 |
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E-Mail: Candace.Irelan@sce.com |
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