Davis Hydro, LLC
A Davis Collaborative Company

Pit 4 Dam Retrofit Project

Under this project, Davis Hydro was issued on 11/9/04 a preliminary permit to explore capturing energy from the dam-based river/fish release at the Pit 4 diversion dam, on the Pit river near Burney, CA. This is FERC project work has stopped and the permit not renewed in November 2007 due to lack of action by PG&E.

Current Activity:

2008

Presently, Davis Hydro has allowed all FERC permits to expire as PG&E has not responded to requests for negotiating putting hydro in this site as part of the redesign for the New License on P-233. We had proposed to develop the project as third party developers or contract developers. We have also proposed designing and building the whole project turning it over to them at no cost whatever after about 15 years. No positive response has yest been received.

The request to privately develop the project on a back-door to their new outlet works remains on the table.  - we remain hopeful.  We have decided not to repermit to see if PG&E having control with the FERC will speed decisions.

November 2006

Presently, Davis Hydro is waiting for the FERC to approve PG&E's 233 License application so PG&E can move forward. We anticipate working with PG&E engineers on a new outlet design that would allow for separate hydropower development and possible fisheries enhancements. We remain held up pending PG&E's decisions.

Past Activity: This project is on hold pending progress with PG&E's progress with their 233 License and low level release redesigns.

The last filed FERC Progress Report is available Here. It is a Word 2000 formatted document.

Past Activity: June 2005

The previous progress report is available here. This was close of the main period the period in which the preliminary designs were discussed by most parties. Basically we are waiting until the License is issued by the FERC. Progress is currently inhibited by their application for the 401 Permit. Davis hydro is proceeding on the Fish Screening Study.

Draft designs have been circulated for comments, and informal consultation with agencies continues.

January, 2005

Final first stage consultation responses have been received from National Forest Service and California Fish and Game. These are included below. No other comments were received.

Design is focusing on two different layouts, one with the powerhouse on the north wing wall at the dam, and the second in the borrow pit 160' feet downstream. Fisheries enhancements are being considered such as a spawning channel in the borrow pit below the dam possibly using the tailrace waters.

Past Activity: December 2004:

Engineering: Improved drawings have been made for internal review with improved as-built measurement accuracy. Site visit with Navickis engineers (a general engineering contractor) has led design back to the original design in the preliminary permit with the powerhouse just below the right training wall below the dam. The new design adjustment suggested by Mr. Navickis is to lead the new 4' diameter up behind the float building - outboard from the river. This will have less impact on the historic structures in the District, and provide less profile to flood waters.

Engineering: Discussions with Mike Kossow and Mr. Navickis on fish spawning channel creation below hydro plant. Design problems include uniformity of flow under intermittent hydropower operation, suitable gravel recruitment, hillside slope instability as identified by the Forest Service and riffle bottom slope maintenance.

Process: Agency and tribe requested studies will be forwarded to the FERC at the end of the first week in January. California Fish and Game Response is included below, and an extensive response from the Forest Service is expected.

Discussion: Exact details of suggested release design and design must wait until the FERC mandates final flow requirements. These river flow releases will dictate PG&E’s release mechanism design. Concern has been raised that current release practice through the 42 inch pipe may not be adequate alone to reliably meet anticipated release requirements.

November 2004

Environmental: The study requested was a comprehensive review of the effect of fish entrainment on three species of fish, and possible mitigation measures.

Engineering: Design work continues and design and projected operation will address the concerns raised during the meeting. We expect follow-up comments from agencies over the next two months (November and December, 2004), all of which will be posted here, and forwarded to the FERC.

Process: The first stage consultation meeting was held on November 6, 2004 in Redding, CA. The meeting was audio. Currently, Davis Hydro is starting work on the information and study requested during that meeting. Most of the concerns raised during the meeting impact the design of the micro-hydro facility during both its construction and operation. Design will address all issues raised during the meeting. Because this site is currently under active study by PG&E, only one further independent study was requested at the meeting. The focus of the meeting was principally occupied with concerns of the agencies on the site's design and operation.

Photographs

Background Documents

Progress Reports

• First Progress Report   MS Word dated May 29th, 2005
• Second Progress Report  MS Word, dated October 12, 2005
• Third Progress Report MS Word, dated April 12th, 2006
• Fourth Progress Report   PDF Format, dated Sept 30, 2006
• Fifth Progress Report   MS Word, dated March 31, 2007

Preliminary FERC permit filing

• Preliminary permit application - MS Word document
• Exhibit 4-B (from permit application) - PDF file
• Exhibit 4-C (from permit application) - PDF file ( large file)

Electrical Drawings

Prepared for electrical engineering initial consultation discussion with PG&E distribution engineering; held in the Spring of 2004.

• Interconnection application to PG&E - MS Word document
• Generator interconnection data sheet - MS Word document
• Single-line drawing - AutoCAD format
• Single-line drawing - PDF format
• Three-line diagram - AutoCAD format
• Three-line diagram - PDF format
• Site plan - AutoCAD format
• SIte plan - PDF format

The conclusions of that meeting included, in part, that it was most likely possible to get the power out of the valley without a problem.

First Stage Consultation Drawings - Submitted to Service List on 10/2/2004

• Straight Plan - AutoCAD format
• Straight Plan - PDF format (11x17 with detail)
• Short Drop - AutoCAD format
• Short Drop - PDF format (11x17 with detail)

Consultation Distribution #2 - Submitted to Service List on 10/27/2004

Informal consultations with agency personnel took place in September and October. These consultations led to further details being requested on the design. To facilitate that discussion, the following documents were distributed to the service list, and were discussed during the first stage consultation meeting on November 4, 2004.

• New Hole Plan 1 - AutoCAD format
• New Hole Plan 1 - PDF
• Profile - North side wall Elevation - PDF
• Profile - along Penstock - AutoCAD format
• Profile - along Penstock - PDF

Stage I Consultation Responses - Triggered by the 11/04/04 Public Meeting

The following materials relate to the first stage consultation meeting or as 1st stage comments to be forwarded to the FERC within 30 days from the First Stage Consultation meeting.

• First stage Consultation Meeting Minutes of the 11/4/04 meeting - MS Word 2000 format (modified per corrections received). These were forwarded to the FERC on December 4th, 2004 along with the tape recording of the meeting.
  
• 11/12/04 1st Stage Preliminary Comments of the California Fish and Game (1 MB file as a PDF). Further comments pending issuance of the 233 License by the FERC.
  
• 12/23/04 1 Stage 1 Consultation Responses of the National Forest Service as a PDF.

This page was last updated 2/19/05.

Ongoing Service List - MS Word document (2-8-05)