Federal agency recommends re-licensing of New Exchequer

Merced Irrigation District is reviewing an 840-page environmental impact statement released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the relicensing of New Exchequer Dam, a document officials say will affect every operation of the irrigation district.

That statement, released Friday, recommends the commission renew MID’s license for the hydroelectric operation using MID’s proposal, with modifications. The document is required for relicensing, but several other requirements must be fulfilled before the license is issued, such as obtaining water quality certification from the State Water Resources Control Board. Annual extensions likely will be given to MID until a new license is issued, which would last 50 years.

When the draft statement was released in March, MID officials criticized the proposed increase in flows down the Merced River to improve conditions for fish. The irrigation district provides on average 1 million acre-feet of water each year, with 180,000 acre-feet going toward environmental purposes for half that time. Increased flows down the river would impact the amount of water stored in Lake McClure, making less water available for farmers, officials argued.

As California embarked upon its fourth year of drought and another miserably dry irrigation season, about 250 residents, farmers and political leaders in late April attended a hearing before FERC and expressed criticism of the initial proposal. Written comments on the draft were included in the final document, along with FERC’s responses.

The final statement requires MID to comply with increased flows in spring at the very least. Though MID still is reviewing the document, FERC will require flows that are “significantly higher” than those proposed by MID, said Mike Jensen, a spokesman for the water agency.

The document also addresses other concerns on the methodology in determining the type of water year. The draft document proposed MID use the Hughes Method, which was developed by a wildlife expert to estimate water flows and is accurate for high mountain reservoirs. The final statement, however, allows for MID’s proposed methodology, which the district said more accurately reflects conditions of snowpack, runoff and the reservoir level.

MID will hold a public workshop early next year to discuss the details of the final environmental impact statement and its effect on MID operations.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Federal agency recommends re-licensing of New Exchequer."