[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83683-83684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23939]



[[Page 83683]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15055-001]


Northern States Power Company; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Original Major License.
    b. Project No.: 15055-001.
    c. Date Filed: August 18, 2023.
    d. Applicant: Northern States Power Company (Northern States).
    e. Name of Project: Gile Flowage Storage Reservoir Project 
(project).
    f. Location: On the West Fork of the Montreal River in Iron County, 
Wisconsin.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Matthew Miller, Environmental Analyst, 
1414 W Hamilton Avenue, P.O. Box 8, Eau Claire, WI 54702; telephone at 
(715) 737-1353; email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#81ece0f5f5e9e4f6afebafece8edede4f3c1f9e2e4ede4efe4f3e6f8afe2eeec"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d0bdb1a4a4b8b5a7febafebdb9bcbcb5a290a8b3b5bcb5beb5a2b7a9feb3bfbd">[email protected]</span></a>.
    i. FERC Contact: Nicholas Ettema, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes 
Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (312) 596-4447; 
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d63646e6562616c7e2368797968606c4d6b687f6e236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e38d8a808b8c8f8290cd869797868e82a385869180cd848c95">[email protected]</span></a>.
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
fishway prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; 
reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations, 
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 
using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. For assistance, please 
contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e3a5a6b1a0ac8d8f8a8d86b09693938c9197a385869180cd848c95"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a7e1e2f5e4e8c9cbcec9c2f4d2d7d7c8d5d3e7c1c2d5c489c0c8d1">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-
3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic 
filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. 
Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier 
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 
20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket 
number on the first page: Gile Flowage Storage Reservoir Project (P-
15055-001).
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. Project Description: The proposed project includes an existing 
902.6-foot-long, 32.5-foot-high dam that includes: (1) a 300-foot-long 
west earthen embankment with a crest elevation of 1495.0 feet National 
Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29); (2) a 27.6-foot-long 
concrete section that includes: (a) a 6-foot-long sluice gate with a 
trashrack with 2.625-inch clear bar spacing; and (b) a 16-foot-long 
Tainter gate; and (3) a 575-foot-long east earthen embankment with a 
crest elevation of 1495.0 feet NGVD 29. The dam creates a reservoir 
that has a surface area of 3,325 acres at a normal maximum surface 
elevation of 1,490 feet NGVD 29, and a usable storage capacity of 
32,713 acre-feet between 1,475 feet and 1,490 feet NGVD 29. A 27.5-
foot-long, 11.8-foot-wide brick gatehouse is located on top of the dam.
    From the reservoir, water flows through the sluice gate to a 35-
foot-long concrete conduit, and through the Tainter gate to a 16-foot-
long Ogee spillway. From the conduit and spillway, water flows to an 
approximately 53-foot-long concrete apron that discharges to the West 
Fork of the Montreal River. The project does not contain any generating 
facilities.
    The proposed project includes the following existing recreation 
facilities: (1) a hand-carry boat take-out site on the shoreline of the 
reservoir, at the east earthen embankment; (2) an approximately 100-
foot-long hand-carry boat portage route; and (3) a hand carry boat put-
in site located on the east shore of the West Fork of the Montreal 
River, immediately downstream of the project dam.
    The proposed project boundary encompasses approximately 3,457.5 
acres, including the reservoir, islands in the reservoir owned by 
Northern States, and land associated with project facilities.
    Northern States proposes to: (1) continue to operate the reservoir 
as a water storage facility where water is stored and used to augment 
flow for hydroelectric generation at the downstream Saxon Falls 
Hydroelectric Project No. 2610 (Saxon Project) and Superior Falls 
Hydroelectric Project No. 2587 (Superior Project); (2) continue to 
maintain the reservoir levels between 1,475 feet and 1,490 feet NGVD 
29; (3) continue to release a minimum flow of 10 cubic feet per second 
(cfs) through the sluice gate to the West Fork of the Montreal River 
downstream of the dam; (4) continue to limit the reservoir drawdown 
rate to no more than 0.2 foot per day; (5) develop an operation 
compliance monitoring plan; (6) develop an invasive species plan and 
conduct biennial invasive species surveys; (7) conduct shoreline 
erosion surveys every five years of all shorelines in the project 
boundary, including the tailrace, and file a report with 
recommendations for actions on any erosion in the project boundary; (8) 
develop a historic properties management plan to protect historic 
properties; (9) develop an operation compliance monitoring plan; (10) 
publish flow releases and reservoir storage elevation data on the 
internet; (11) develop a land management plan to for recreation use, 
signage, maintenance, and trash removal on islands owned by Northern 
States in the reservoir; (12) develop a whitewater recreation plan that 
includes provisions for whitewater flow releases of 1,200 cfs in the 
morning on two days each year; (13) maintain existing recreation 
facilities as project facilities, and update directional and safety 
signage; (14) implement the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' 
(Wisconsin DNR) Broad Incidental Take Permit for Wisconsin Cave Bats 
during routine recreation site maintenance; (15) implement the current 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's guidance for northern long-eared bat 
when removing trees greater than 3 inches in diameter; (16) protect 
wood turtles by implementing the Wisconsin DNR's Broad Incidental Take 
Permit for Wood Turtles, including but not limited to restrictions on 
herbicide use.
    m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website at http://www.ferc.gov using the

[[Page 83684]]

``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document (i.e., P-
15055). For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (2) set forth in the heading the 
name of the applicant and the project number of the application to 
which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name of the person 
submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements 
of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, 
terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary 
basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). 
Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the 
applicant. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must be served 
upon each representative of the applicant specified in the particular 
application. A copy of all other filings in reference to this 
application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons 
listed on the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a051a1a0a2c2f3829642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3e716e6e7e585b4c5d10595148">[email protected]</span></a>.
    You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    o. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date 
of issuance of this notice: (1) a copy of the water quality 
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including 
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; 
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
    p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing of Comments, Recommendations,      December 2024.
 Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions.
Filing of Reply Comments................  January 2025.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    q. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application 
must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified intervention 
deadline date, a competing development application, or a notice of 
intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of 
intent allows an interested person to file the competing development 
application no later than 120 days after the specified intervention 
deadline date. Applications for preliminary permits will not be 
accepted in response to this notice.
    A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, 
and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an 
unequivocal statement of intent to submit a development application. A 
notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this 
public notice.

    Dated: October 10, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-23939 Filed 10-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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